Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Press review

Photo: Maria Peeva

The decision from yesterday’s first sitting of the new cabinet to halt privatization in the country is the highlight in many of the papers today.

Sega writes that Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov, Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov and Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev declared state ownership would serve as the foundation for future development. Trud carries an excerpt of the transcript, which shows that Prime Minister Borissov gave instructions to start preparations for halting privatization and putting the issue to public discussion. Emphasizing that the new Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov headed the Privatization and Post-Privatization Control Agency for many years, the socialist Duma newspaper comments ironically, that privatization will be halted by the man who is the agency’s former boss. 24 Chassa also indulges in irony with a headline that reads “If you’ve made a packet count yourself lucky – privatization’s over”. The paper adds that it is the administration’s intention to allow the privatization of state shares in companies by parliamentary decision only, on proposals submitted to the National Assembly by the government, that regional governors will be allowed to sell state-owned property but only with the consent of the finance minister, and that from privatization the focus is now shifting to public-private partnerships and, most of all, concessions. Sega reminds its readers that in the autumn of last year PM Borissov declared he would audit all privatization deals in Bulgaria, though that never came to pass. As to the privatization agency itself, the paper points out that at this time it is not particularly effective and that its latest operational plan in 2016 indicates that the top companies due for denationalization were BDZ State Railways – Freight Services, the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, Plovdiv airport etc., which are still state-owned. The agency has no sales reports from last year and the documents available show that the country received revenues most of all from post privatization control.

Compiled by Stoimen Pavlov

English version: Milena Daynova 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria to grant WHO EUR 100,000 in aid for the civilian population in Gaza

The Council of Ministers has approved the draft of a donation agreement between the World Health Organization and Bulgaria on the provision of a voluntary contribution, amounting to EUR 100,000, in support of the activities of the organization in the..

published on 11/21/24 9:20 AM
Ivan Kondov (L) and Igli Hasani

Foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Albania reaffirm support for accelerated construction of Corridor 8

Bulgaria’s caretaker Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov and his Albanian counterpart Igli Hasani confirmed the firm commitment of the two countries to the accelerated construction of transport Corridor 8. Romania has asked to join the construction..

published on 11/21/24 9:04 AM

Gale-force winds inflict damage in Vratsa and the environs

Winds of up to 120 kms. per hour inflicted damage in Vratsa, the biggest town in Bulgaria’s Northwest. Dozens of reports have come in of fallen trees and branches onto vehicles and roads, damaged equipment and torn overhead cables. There were..

published on 11/21/24 8:43 AM