Economics

By Sotiris Nikas

Reforms are essential if the country is to return to growth and the gross domestic product is to achieve high expansion rates, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE).

Bulgaria will host the annual meetings between the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank next year.

The government decided on Tuesday to accept an existing proposal according to which the IMF-WB meetings could take place in Bulgaria, Dnevnik.bg has reported.

A shock drop in March eurozone inflation to its lowest level since November 2009 was confirmed on Wednesday, keeping pressure on the European Central Bank to intervene should prices not rebound.

The turnover index in industry in February recorded a decline of 0.1 percent, compared to the same month last year, Greece’s statistical authority, ELSTAT, reported on Wednesday.

Lukanyo Mnyanda & Eshe Nelson

The euro area’s higher-yielding government bonds are emerging as a haven from emerging-market turmoil as the prospect of greater stimulus from the European Central Bank underpins demand for the securities.

"Companies in restructuring owe EUR 1.5bn"

BELGRADE -- Serbian companies that are undergoing the process of restructuring owe EUR 1.5 billion to state creditors alone, World Bank official Duško Vasiljević has said.

The government has finalized the criteria for beneficiaries of planned handouts from a projected primary surplus, Kathimerini has learned.

Greece's borrowing costs in a short-term debt sale have tumbled, days after the country returned to the international bond markets.

The interest rate on a 13-week treasury bill issued Tuesday fell to 2.45 percent, compared with 3.1 percent for a similar issue last month, according to the public debt management agency.

BELGRADE - The reform of the public sector and tax system together with an organized battle against the gray economy are at the top of the list of 10 key reforms the business community demands from the next government, according to a survey conducted by the Serbian Association of Employers (UPS) among 1,284 small, medium and large companies in 44 cities and municipalities in Serbia.

Unemployment rate in Bulgaria in March retained its level of 12.2%, shows data of the Employment Agency. 

The percentage is unchanged, compared to January and February of this year. According to the head of the agency Asen Angelov, this was a good sign because it stopped the trend of increasing unemployment and because in winter unemployment traditionally grew.