April 19, Monday

HOME SCENE

"Troud" runs an interview with Konstantin Penchev, President of the Supreme Administrative Council (SAC). The SAC President is asked to comment on Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov's position that possible doubts in the reliability of magistrates could be dispelled [or confirmed] by an inspection of the State Agency for National Security (SANS). "If you ask me whether there are people at the Supreme Judicial Council whom I do not trust, I would answer in the positive. However, if they undergo a SANS procedure, nothing would change for me," he says quoted by the paper. "Everyone should have access to what he/she should know in connection with his/her work." This is what Penchev says in regards to the access to classified information, which was the main issue that topped the agenda of a meeting between Tsvetanov and SJC.

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"Troud" comments on a statement by US Ambassador James Warlick that there are corrupted judges in Bulgaria. Ten or fifteen years ago the Bulgarian politicians and magistrates would have reacted saying this was interference into the country's home affairs. "Today the elite remains silent and this is not only due to the chronic lack of a feeling of national dignity but also due to the fact that everyone is feeling that the Ambassador isright," the author writes. It has been for nine years now that US diplomats have been "reminding" about the problem of corruption here, the article also says. If the rehabilitation of the judicial system has been a tough process this is not because the task is difficult but because there is no sufficient will for its settlement, the author concludes.

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Referring to statistics, "Sega" writes on its front page that half of last year's 21,890 sentences were issued following an agreement between the defendants and the prosecution authority.

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In an interview granted for "Classa", Iskra Fidossova, Co-Floor Leader of GERB, says that her party's priorities during the current parliamentary session involve drafting of amendments needed for the fight against organized crime. There is an idea about the establishment of a specialized court that should tackle crimes, committed by organized criminal groups, says she.

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The members of the group of the "Untouchable" syphoned VAT using the identity of Roma and tramps, "Monitor" writes. On April 15 sixteen people were arrested in Sofia a police operation codenamed "The Untouchable". They are believed to belong to a ring involved in money laundering and major tax fraud which have caused the public purse detriment for millions of leva.

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"Troud" cites Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) leader Ivan Kostov as saying in Plovdiv on Sunday that the incumbents tend to yield to pressure from the streets and, for this reason, they keep on moving on the verge of left populism. According to Kostov, GERB should overcome this problem and begin implementing the reforms contained in the October 1, 2009 anti-crisis plan. They would not take a helping hand lent to them saying that they would stick to their own policy. However, this is not a policy but only hesitation, Kostov also says.

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The problem with accumulated annual leaves should be settled, "Troud" writes referring to National Social Security Institute Governor Hristina Mitreva. In her view a grace period could be given by the end of 2011 so that people could take unused leaves. All partners within the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation would be heard so as to take the right decision, Mitreva also says.

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Three construction workers died and another three are in shock after an accident at the Lyulin highway construction site, "Troud" writes. They are employees of Mapa Cengiz, the company implementing the Lyulin highway construction project. The tragic accident occurred while pouring cement in one of the highway columns near the village of Golemo Bouchino, Pernik Municipality. The casing collapsed and the three Turkish workers fell from a height of 30 m. "I will render full assistance so as to clarify the causes of the accident. Work is being carried out at accelerated rates, indeed, but this should not give rise to any accidents," Regional Development and Public Works Minister Rosen Plevneliev says quoted by the paper. During the past year the Roads Bulgarian Sectoral Chamber repeatedly warned that quality standards are not met upon the construction of the highway.

ECONOMY

"24 Chassa" quotes DSB leader Ivan Kostov as saying that the economy would fall asleep in September and would not wake up. He describes the Government's anti-crisis measures as inefficient. According to Kostov, any moment now the measures would be replaced by an increase of VAT. However, this measure did not yield results during the tenure of prime minister Zhan Videnov in 1996. "Who may convince us that it would be effective now," Kostov is further quoted as saying.

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Referring to Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov, "24 Chassa" writes that 222 million leva have leaked from the energy sector for outsourced services. This is said in a written answer given by Traikov to a question asked by a national representative. It transpires from the answer that a large part of the companies, to which work has been outsourced, are owned by the firms having privatized the Bulgarian electricity distribution companies.

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Tourism is likely to turn out to provide the highest number of jobs, "Monitor" writes referring to preliminary estimates. According to Assoc. Prof. Tsvetan Tonchev, Head of the Tourist Chamber, the sector provides full-time jobs for over 120,000 people. However, nearly as double as this number would be employed as seasonal workers in the next three or four months. Experts say that Bulgaria expects over 5 million tourists during the upcoming season.

BULGARIA - EU

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov attended an informal meeting of EU economy and finance ministers (ECOFIN)in Madrid. He commented on Bulgaria's preparedness to introduce the euro for "Standart News". "We are not yet ready for the euro; there is still a lot to do. The first big step being, in my view, the more important one is toe accession to ERM II. This would allow us to implement the needed structural reforms. We should have completed the major structural reform in education, healthcare, the pension system and the state administration so as to accede to the Eurozone," Djankov says quoted by the paper.

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Bulgaria will not apply for the Eurozone because of the covert budget deficit left over by the preceding government, "Sega" writes in a commentary. However, there should be other reasons for the decision not to hurry with the application for the Eurozone. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was in favour of quick accession to the Eurozone so that the currency board guarantee reserve of 8,000 million leva could be unblocked. This would have added to the fiscal reserve, which, however, has begun decreasing for some time now. The state was preparing to change the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the European Central Bank (ECB) as supervisor. Yet, their criteria for maintaining macroeconomic stability are similar but do not fully coincide. While IMF is interested mostly in the exchange rate stability, ECB follows strictly for the budget deficit, the public debt and inflation, the author writes. Borissov could have had at least one benefit from the crisis because it contained inflation and Bulgaria perspectives for joining the Eurozone cleared up.


/BTA/