Economy

Reindustrialization and technological modernization of the country, as well as more strict social policies across the country were among the key points in the political declaration summarized by the deputy head of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Yanaki Stoilov.

Greece faces another critical week with looming debt repayment obligations and the resumption of tough talks on a proposed list of reforms with the country?s international creditors amid renewed speculation about the possibility of a Greek default or an early general election.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis will meet IMF chief Christine Lagarde in Washington on Sunday, ahead of the country's April 9 deadline for its next payment to the fund.

Varoufakis and Lagarde will have "an unofficial discussion on the Greek government's reform program," according to Greek Ministry of Finance statement on Saturday.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief in Washington on Sunday.

The focus of the unofficial discussion concerns the Greek government's reform program all the way up to the first quarter of 2016.

The meeting is to take place late in the evening, however Varoufakis is leaving Athens in the morning.

The International Monetary Fund has denied a report published in Germany?s Spiegel magazine on Friday that it had decided to temporarily withdraw staff from Athens in reaction to foot-dragging by the Greek government to implement reforms.

Bulgaria's Labor Minister Ivaylo Kalfin has come up with new proposals to amend the pension system, including measures to curb the unjustified allocation of disability pensions.

These include changes to the structure of the National Expert Doctors' Commission (NELK) and its local units in particular, commonly known as TELK.

British pensioner John Jukes, aged 70, had been saving money for a trip to Greece following weeks of physically and psychologically draining chemotherapy treatment. His chance for the trip disappeared after he was attacked and robbed in broad daylight in Cheltenham.

Looking for an area to really impact the G-20? Look no further than the IMF. The Multilateral Assessment Process (MAP) framework among the G-20 countries is definitely an improvement over the old Article 4 consultation process. It allows us to follow both foreign direct investments (FDI) and outward direct investments (ODI) more easily for every country.

By Sotiris Nikas

The new property tax that will replace the existing Single Property Tax (ENFIA) will likely have a very low tax-free threshold of between 20,000 and 30,000 euros, according to the Finance Ministry’s latest plans.