Bulgaria

Bulgaria's government will allocate additional BGN 15M to Irrigation Systems company from the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

The funding will prevent Irrigation Systems running out of power, and the risk of drainage coming to a halt across the country, as this could lead to flooding agricultural land, as well as towns and villages.

Bulgaria and Vietnam will cooperate in the field of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the government press office announced Wednesday.

Bulgarian government approved the draft for cooperation in the field of culture between the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam for the time period 2014-2016.

Bulgaria's Electronic Media Board (CEM) urges advertisers to limit the “naturalistic” and “physiological” television ads during the traditional dinner time. 

Energo-Pro has become the second power distributor to sue Bulgaria at the World Bank's arbitrary court.

The Czech company has announced that it has lodged a claim with the International Center of Settlement of Investment Disputes, which could be launched in case of failed arbitration, Energo-Pro's sources have informed Bulgarian newspaper Trud.

Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) has approved the proposal of Bulgargaz to reduce the price of natural gas by 2.73% as of April 1, 2014.

The price of natural gas in the second quarter of 2014 will be BGN 612.80 per 1000 cubic meters, VAT excluded, excise duty excluded.

Following a number of technical delays, the Bulgaria-Romania gas grid interconnection will start functioning in June, according to Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev.

Speaking Wednesday at a conference on natural gas, Stoynev claimed that the delay had been caused by a collapse of the ground below the Danube River, adding that the problem had been dealt with.

Consumer credits in Bulgaria in February continue to rise for the third consecutive month, while the mortgages continue to drop, shows Central Bank (BNB) data.

The decrease in the mortgages is both on monthly and annual base, down to BGN 8.808 B. 

A great part of 78% of Bulgarian citizens never exercise or play sport, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey on sport and physical activity.

41% of Europeans exercise or play sport at least once a week, while 59% of EU citizens never or seldom do so, according to the survey.

There is an increased risk of drastic food price hikes in Bulgaria because of Government's actions against the modern retail chains. 

According to Yordan Mateev, executive director of the Modern Retail Association, the draft amendments to the Competition Protection Act would affect not only the retail sector, but all business activities. 

Contrary to popular belief, the “salary in an envelope” is a thing of the past in Bulgaria, shows a recent Eurobarometer survey on “undeclared labour”.