Bulgaria attracted a total of USD 8,429 B of foreign direct investments in 2007, according to the 2008 World Investment Report of the UNCTAD, which was presented in Sofia Wednesday. Thus, in 2007 Bulgaria's foreign direct investments were USD 900 M more than in 2006. At the same time, Bulgaria ranks fourth among the twelve new EU member states according to the volume of the foreign direct investments that it attracted in 2007. The first three spots are occupied by Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic.

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The Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for the economy Ivaylo Kalfin stated Saturday that there was no way Bulgaria would not be affected by the global financial crisis but that its impact on the country would not be great.

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The Chair of Bulgaria's Association of Producers of Ecological Energy Velizar Kiryakov announced Monday the country would have the capacity to produce about 400-500 MW of electricity from wind in 2010. He also predicted that by 2015 this capacity would reach 1000 MW, and by 2020 - 3000 MW. The country's current capacity for wind energy production is 105 MW, whereas its capacity for solar energy production is 2 MW. Kiryakov explained that wind energy cost about EUR 1500 per kW, whereas the investment per kW amounted to EUR 4500-5000. In his words, investors from Spain, Germany, and China were interested in investing in voltaic facilities in Bulgaria. Kiryakov expects that about EUR 500 M would be invested in wind energy facilities in Bulgaria in 2009, and about EUR 100 M - in solar energy facilities.

(Novinitie)

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Bulgaria's Gross Domestic Product grew 7,1% in the second quarter of 2008 compared to the same period of 2007, according to data provided by the National Statistical Institute. This is 0,8% more than the 6,3% growth expected in August according to the preliminary data. Earlier, Bulgaria's Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov himself predicted a growth of 6,5%. The GDP growth was boosted by the growth in the agriculture sector - 7,7%. Thus, agriculture's share in the GDP grew by 11,7%, mainly due to the record grain yields. Bulgaria's GDP growth in 2007 was 6,2%. In January-March 2008 Bulgaria's GDP grew 7% compared to the same period of 2007.…

(Novinite)

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Bulgaria has all resources to successfully deal with the global financial crisis, according to Rumen Simeonov, Assistant Manager of the "Bank Control" department at the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB).

Simeonov spoke before Darik radio Saturdya saying that the budget surplus must be preserved and used when there is a need of funds due to the US financial crisis.

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The Labor Bureaus in Bulgarian have registered a total of 218,303 unemployed individuals during the month of August, which is 1,2% less than July, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy press center.

Compared with August of 2007 the number of unemployed individuals in the country has gone down by 41,007 or 15,8%.

The demand for employees has increased in August of 2008 by a total of 1050 job openings while the Labor Bureaus have lists of 15,044 available jobs. The branches that have the most job openings are: the processing industry (3,719), trade (2,609), education (1,573), construction (1,145) and real estate (1,084).

In August 1,601 unemployed individuals have started a total of 99 qualification courses, 3,119 have completed them and 878 have begun working.

(Novinite)

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Bulgaria is planning to invest more than BGN 1 B in the quality and security of its power supplying, a survey of country's Branch Chamber of the Energetics shows.

The professionals claim that is a record high amount of money.

The energy investments in 2006 were set up at a total of BGN 774 M, announced the chamber, which is a member of the Bulgarian Industrial Association,

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The World Bank will lend Bulgaria EUR 41 M on the Southeast Trade and Transport Facilitation Project.

Bulgaria's government adopted a resolution on the signing of the loan documents.

The total cost of the project is EUR 54.6 M. Bulgaria will co-finance it with EUR 13.7 M.

The project aims at financing construction works, modernizing border checkpoints and thorough reconstruction of the Kapitan Andreevo and Kalotina border checkpoints.

The system for exchange of information between the border authorities will also be modernized.

Bulgaria will be given a 17-year deadline to pay off the loan.

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