site.btaMedia Review: October 9

HEADLINES

Telegraph writes that as of October 9, the National Revenue Agency will start fining traders who raise prices without objective justification and penalties  can reach up to BGN 1 million. The grace period during which authorities only issued recommendations and did not fine traders who failed to comply with the Law on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria expired on Wednesday.

Trud’s top story says that Bulgaria has the highest level of direct payments by patients in the European Union. Citing data from the National Statistical Institute, the daily notes that Bulgarians spend about BGN 5 billion annually on healthcare, adding that 82% of their money goes on medicines.

Duma reports that economic police officers have entered the offices of the Nessebar Municipality, the Regional Directorate for National Supervisory Control in Burgas, and the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water, seizing documents related to inspections ordered after the recent flood in the resort village of Elenite that claimed four lives. A couple of days ago, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov said inspections in Elenite had revealed irregularities in construction documentation.

24 Chasa leads with the headline: “Interior Ministry Seizes Enough Fentanyl to Kill Populations of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.” The daily writes that 5.84 kilograms of fentanyl have been confiscated in Bulgaria since the beginning of the year.

All dailies cover the record surge in gold prices, which have topped USD 4,000 per ounce. 24 Chasa gives the story front-page prominence, noting that geopolitical tensions and economic problems in the US and Europe are among the main drivers behind the increase.

WASTE COLLECTION IN SOFIA

On its front page, 24 Chasa reports that inmates will help with waste collection in Sofia. The daily recalls that Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev refused to sign new waste collection contracts for the Lyulin and Krasno Selo boroughs, home to around 300,000 Sofianites, after the sole bidder proposed prices more than twice the market rate. Until recently, waste collection in those areas was handled by a company linked to Rumen “The Wolf” Gaytanski, while the new bidder is a consortium that includes a firm associated with businessman Hristoforos Amanatidis.

Bulgarian National Television’s (BNT) morning programme noted that the waste crisis in Krasno Selo has entered its fifth day. Following an order by Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, ten prisoners are assisting in cleaning up the accumulated garbage alongside municipal workers, borough officials, and volunteers. Chief Inspector Zamfir Draganov, head of the Kazichene Prison, said the inmates are serving lighter sentences, mostly for petty theft. They are not being paid, but their labour will count toward reducing their sentences.

Commenting on the topic on Nova TV’s morning programme, PR expert Diana Damyanova described the waste crisis as “a key test for Mayor Vassil Terziev and the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition.” “This is a municipal problem that is turning into a political one, because in my view, the future of this political force depends on how it is resolved,“ she said. If Terziev fails to secure help from other municipalities and terminate this public procurement contract - given that Sofia is the stronghold of CC-DB - there could be dire political consequences, Damyanova said. She added that the mayor had made a mistake in the public procurement procedure, which makes it difficult to terminate it legally.

Damyanovа and political analyst Teodor Slavev also discussed the lack of competition in public procurement for waste collection, as only one bidder participated in 22 out of Sofia’s 24 boroughs. Slavev said that institutions such as the Commission for Protection of Competition overlook cartel arrangements, and the Environment and Water Ministry selectively revokes licenses. “This, combined with the Interior Ministry’s slow investigation into the truck arson case, creates a sense of coordinated action,” Slavev added.

In late July, a Turkish company bidding for the Lyulin and Krasno Selo contracts had four of its trucks set on fire and withdrew from the competition. On Tuesday, the Interior Ministry reported that it is working on the case.

Former energy minister Miroslav Sevlievski, journalist Veselin Stoynev, and former MEP Petar Vitanov also commented on the issue on bTV’s morning programme.

Speaking on Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), journalist Plamena Ignatova drew a parallel between Sofia’s waste crisis and the public transport strike earlier this year. “Public opinion could not be turned against the mayor and his administration, even if there were mistakes in the tender process such as delays. People began organizing themselves, and the problem became a liability for the government. That may explain why yesterday [Wednesday] GERB suddenly decided that they had to lend a hand to Sofia Municipality. I see that a narrative  has been circulating for two days now: this tender was deliberately sabotaged to benefit ‘our companies.’ We will have to wait and see whether that is what the prosecution service or whoever has entered the municipality is investigating,” she added. Ignatova referred to Deputy Mayor Nadezhda Bobcheva’s statement that Waste Treatment Plant Director Nikolay Savov had been summoned by prosecutors, and that Bobcheva was next in line.

ENVIRONMENT

Speaking on BNR, Sofia’s Chief Architect Bogdana Panayotova warned that rivers and streams across Sofia are being built over on a massive scale, while no new sewage infrastructure has been developed in the past 15 years. “Huge areas are turning into dams - this is the biggest problem,” she said. Panayotova noted that infrastructure must be developed in parallel with construction to preserve and control the natural course of waterways. She said that the adoption of the General Master Plan in 2009 allowed building on meadows, pastures, and forested land. The Triaditsa, Lozenets, and Vitosha boroughs are the most at risk, Panayotova  said. As a potential measure, Panayotova proposed halting the issuance of building permits in high-risk zones. She added that a working group has been convened to consider urgent preventive actions for the capital.

Duma reports that, in addition to Elenite, heavy rainfall has caused problems in other parts of the country, including Varna, Ruse, and Veliko Tarnovo. Two houses collapsed in Svishtov following a landslide triggered by the rains. A 60-year-old woman and her family were evacuated and accommodated in municipal housing, Mayor Gencho Genchev was quoted as saying by the daily.

POLITICS

24 Chasa carries an interview with Yes, Bulgaria! co-chair Bozhidar Bozhanov, who criticizes the prosecution service for applying double standards, comparing his own case - in which he is accused of violating the Classified Information Protection Act - to a terminated investigation against Boyko Borissov. Bozhanov also discussed a new bill submitted by CC-DB and aimed at encouraging the use of artificial intelligence in the private sector to boost Bulgaria’s economic competitiveness. Other topics in the interview include progress on digitalizing public services, recently adopted rules for appointing security agency heads, and no-confidence motions against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet. Asked what could potentially lead to a split within the CC-DB coalition, Bozhanov said: “There are probably hypothetical scenarios, but we continue to function in a confederative mode. Each of us has their own initiatives, priorities, and focus set on a specific topics. [...] Differences are normal as long as they do not conflict with the shared goal, and they do not. As long as we share a common macro goal - a European Bulgaria governed by the rule of law - I do not see why tactical differences or bills should divide us.”

ECONOMY

Telegraph runs an interview with analyst Stefan Asenov, who predicts that Bulgaria’s euro changeover will lead to an increase of up to 47% in the price of arable land between 2026 and 2032, adding that this is only one of several factors. In his words, between 2010 and 2021, the price of arable land rose by around 295% - an average annual increase of about 25%. The housing price index grew by more than 40% over the same period, he noted. 

24 Chasa writes that Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) have proposed a 15% reduction in public administration, equivalent to cutting 20,000 jobs, as part of efforts to reduce budget spending. Telegraph adds that DSB also propose ending the practice of giving Mondays off when a national holiday falls on a weekend. Trade unions oppose the proposal, warning that it would harm work-life balance. Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria Vice President Todor Kapitanov told the daily that he does not expect the measure to gain support.

*

BNT reports that taxi drivers in Sofia are demanding higher fares. The national taxi union has submitted an official request to Sofia Municipality for a 44% increase in both day and night tariffs, or roughly BGN 0.50 above current rates. The industry notes that fares have not been updated since October 2022, despite a significant rise in operating costs, some of which have doubled. Another challenge for the industry is the upcoming introduction of the euro, which will require all taxis to upgrade their fiscal devices. The topic is also covered by Duma.

HEALTH

Speaking on BNT’s morning programme, Health Minister Silvi Kirilov said he is working to secure fairer pay for medical residents and nurses, as well as to reduce disparities between state and municipal hospitals. The Minister noted that more than 60% of medical residents already receive gross monthly salaries exceeding BGN 3,600, but acknowledged that the healthcare system continues to face inequalities and staff shortages. He added that the number of training slots for nurses has been increased by 300 - from 900 to 1,200.

JUSTICE

24 Chasa carries a story about former Road Transport Administration (RTA) Director Tsvetelin Tsvetanov, who is a defendant in a criminal case for corruption. “BGN 400,000 hidden in a closet, high-level corruption exposed, the RTA chief arrested, charges brought against senior officials, politicians, and businessmen. Тhis all happened ten years before two road transport inspectors demanded just under BGN 150 in bribes from truck drivers delivering equipment for Robbie Williams’s concert,” the daily writes. The corrupt practices described in the indictment included extortion of road hauliers, bribes taken in order to get transport operations licensed, faking of driving test results and counterfeiting of driving licences, among others. “The bottom line today is that the criminal case against Tsvetanov and seven others for organized crime, bribery, and money laundering is still pending before the Sofia City Court,” 24 Chasa adds.

SURVEY

Mediapool.bg carries a story titled “Bulgarian teachers satisfied with their profession, not so much with their salary.” The media outlet cites a survey conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) across 55 countries, including Bulgaria, where 3,629 teachers from 210 schools took part. Ninety-six percent of Bulgarian teachers say they are satisfied with their profession, a figure higher than the OECD average of 89%, and 65% say they are happy with their salaries. When it comes to working conditions, 81% of Bulgarian teachers report being satisfied - again above the OECD average of 68%. The survey shows that teachers in rural areas are just as satisfied with their jobs as their urban counterparts. The teaching profession is also seen as increasingly prestigious among those who practice it. Young teachers in Bulgaria receive notable support: 97% work in schools that offer mentorship programmes, compared to an OECD average of 81%. The most pressing challenges facing the profession include an aging workforce, the need for wider integration of digital innovations in education, and classroom discipline, according to the survey. The average age of teachers in Bulgaria is 48, slightly above the OECD average of 45. About 9% of Bulgarian teachers report significant time lost due to student interruptions, which is nearly half the average reported in the survey (18%). About 22% of Bulgarian teachers use artificial intelligence in their work, mainly to prepare lesson plans, summarize topics, and create exercises.