KBEP

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (11 - 18 March 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: Ø GDP growth revised up to 2.8% y/y in Q4 Ø Cabinet to keep excise tax on cigarettes unchanged until 2013 Ø Bulgaria Registers 7% Consumption Growth 4Q 2010 Y/Y Ø BULGARIA : Bulgaria to work with South Korea, Portugal in egov project Ø Exports surge by 72.6% y/y in January INV..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (2 March - 11 March 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: Ø Public debt falls 2.3% m/m to EUR 5.26bn at end-January Ø Bulgaria Ranked 48th Globally in Tourism Competitiveness Ø Bulgaria Sees Minor Decrease in Retail Trade Turnover y/y January 2011 Ø New car sales rise 14.9% y/y in Jan-Feb INVESTMENTS: Ø Overgas to Persist in Exp..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (25 February - 2 March 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: Ø Bulgarians' Incomes Fall by 8% Ø Foreign Tourist Arrivals in Bulgaria Rise 6.4% Y/Y in Jan Ø Bulgarian banks' net profit falls 27% in Jan 2011 Ø Foreign reserves add 0.9% in February INVESTMENTS: Ø Cabinet, EBRD to sign memorandum for up to EUR 150mn for energy effic..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (18 - 25 February 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: Ø Serbia confirms interest in Belene nuclear project Ø Bulgaria's soft drinks consumption fell 7.5% in 2010 – BSDA Ø Bulgaria’s wine export up 10% Ø Middle East Crisis Brings Record-high Gas Prices to Bulgaria INVESTMENTS: Ø Hungary's Elmib to Build EUR 30 M Solar Park ..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (11 - 18 February 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: · EC takes steps against Bulgaria over delay of renewable energy bill · GDP grows 2.1% y/y in Q4. INVESTMENTS: · European Economic Area to provide EUR 126.6mn until 2014 · Net FDI fall 64.1% last year · World Bank prepares new partnership strategy with Bulgaria in 2011-2015..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (4 - 11 February 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: Ø Construction sector marks 12.4% annual decline Ø Manufacturing sector in Bulgaria dips slightly in December 2010 Ø Bulgarian Energy Minister: Belene Nuke Game Gets Tougher Ø Drugs market rises 9% last year Ø New passenger car sales rise 26.2% y/y in January Ø Sales of de..

FRANCE: BULGARIA, ROMANIA SCHENGEN ENTRY MAY TAKE YEARS Bulgaria and Romania must take as much time as they need in order to get one hundred percent ready for joining the Schengen Area, which will probably not be just a few months, according to the French EU affairs minister. "If these two countries are ready in three months, it suits us. But if they are ready in two years their accession will ..

BULGARIA TO SEEK STRATEGIC INVESTOR FOR LARGEST MILITARY FACTORY Bulgaria will be looking for a strategic investor for its largest weapons factory, VMZ Sopot, which has been scheduled for privatization. This a major win for Minister of Economy and Energy Traicho Traikov, who has been fighting with FinMin Simeon Djankov, a supporter of a mere financial investor. "Financial investors will be able..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (21 - 28 January 2011) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: EBRD ups Bulgaria's 2011 GDP growth forecast to 2.6% Online shopping in Bulgaria doubles in 2010 INVESTMENTS: · Toshiba to invest EUR 35mn in Yambol solar park · Toshiba Offers Bulgaria Massive Renewable Energy, Smart Grids Project · Swiss Alpiq to invest EUR 36mn in Bulgarian w..

BULGARIAN ECONOMIC TOP NEWS DIGEST WEEKLY REPORT (12 - 21 January 2011 ) Sections/headline briefs: MACROECONOMY: Current account gap narrows to EUR 9.8mn in Jan-Nov FDI falls more than three times to EUR 894.7mn in Jan-Nov Bulgaria to launch large scale privatisation in 2011 · Bulgaria to face slow recovery, lending still subdued - EIU INVESTMENTS: EBRD mulls EUR 31.95mn loan for Bulgarian tr..