The truckers' association said exDcise duties and value added tax contributed to surging global oil prices and made the Balkan country's fuels too expensive. It demanded excise duty rebates. Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov said last week that the European Union newcomer country might ask Brussels to cut excise duties on automotive fuels after transport companies protested against high prices. още »

First Investment Bank (FIBank), the sole locally-owned bank among the top 10 banks operating in Bulgaria, was the first financial institution to fall prey to dirty campaigning. On May 15, unidentified sources circulated rumours that it was bogged down in liquidity problems so severe as to force it into bankruptcy proceedings.The news produced an immediate and sweeping outcry from top governmental and banking officials, media, the bank's clients and the bourse. още »

Natural gas is a better option for generating electricity than coal or nuclear powered stations, Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister says. Natural gas would be a cheaper option, given that two major gas pipelines, Nabucco and South Stream, would run across Bulgaria, said Petar Dimitrov, who was speaking at an international conference on modern energy technologies against climate change, held at the Inter Expo and Congress Centre in Sofia. още »

Bulgarian business confidence declined in May after rising in the previous four months as export orders fell on slower economic growth and labor shortages increased production costs. The business climate index fell to 21.8 in May, the National Statistics Institute in Sofia said in an e-mail today. Business confidence declined the most in construction as a shortage of workers and high prices of building materials boosted costs, it said. още »

Because of the ceaseless increasing of petrol and fuel prices, the tourists' vacations packages are expected to become 15 to 20% more expensive during the present summer season, mainly because of the airplane tickets. That was announced by the Bulgarian Touroperators and Tourist Agencies Association's president Irina Naidenova.  According to Naidenova, the changes will happen in two directions - one of increasing of the tourist package price in common, and the other - revising of the single components of the elements of these packages. още »

The constructions of another mall in the Southern city of Stara Zagora will start in a month. The investments are on the amount of 72 million EUR. The project is work of the Israeli architecture bureau ‘Murarchitect'.The building is foreseen to be extended over a territory of 10 decares, purchased last year for 11 million BGN (5 million EUR).The business centre will include trade part, advertisement and office part. още »

Bulgaria entered EU on January 1, 2007 and will enter Schengen zone in 2009. There is one of the lowest levels of income-tax and profit tax in the country. "It is a very favorable time to make investments in real estate, hotel business, production and other spheres in Bulgaria", service leader on trade economic issues under Bulgarian embassy in Kazakhstan Boris Yanchev said to Kazinforms correspondent. още »

The construction of Belene nuclear power pant may exceed a couple of times the initial price of 4 billion EUR given by the government. This was informed by Georgi Kaschiev, an expert at the risk research institute with the Vienna University, quoted by the Dnevnik a.m.Kaschiev commented that the consumers will have to include an extra annual bill of 110 million EUR for consulting services, the repayment of a syndicated loan to the French Bank BNP Paribas and the costs of the Belene enterprise. още »

Germany provides 4 million EUR for programs of encouraging of Bulgarian economics and employment, of professional education and also for metrology and Rodopi Mountain regional development. That is previewed in the contracted today by the Bulgarian Economics Minister Peter Dimitrov and Germany ambassador for Bulgaria Michael Gayer agreement for technical cooperation. още »