30 avril 2007
Corruption seen as Bulgaria's main problem, survey shows
SOFIA, Bulgaria: In Bulgaria, people are more likely to be the victim of a car crash than punished for bribery, according to a survey Monday.
A report on anti-corruption reforms in this EU newcomer country showed that Bulgarians identify corruption as the country's worst problem.
The survey, prepared by the independent Center for the Study of Democracy, found that while administrative corruption among public officials was falling just before and after Bulgaria's accession to the EU, corruption among politicians remained mostly unpunished.
The Balkan country joined the EU on January 1. European officials have repeatedly urged the government to continue reforms, especially of the judiciary, and to pursue the fight against corruption, warning that otherwise the country risks losing economic aid.
In June, the European Commission is to review Bulgaria's reform progress in several areas, including the fight against crime and corruption and reform of the judiciary.
According to the current report, Bulgaria loses more wealth each year through corruption than the amount given in EU funding.
Last year alone, the equivalent of some €500 million (US$680 million) was lost by corruption in public procurement, €400 million (US$544 million) in land swap schemes and state property management, and €200 million (US$272 million) in fraud involving duty-free stores.
The survey also found a growing public perception of political corruption. The efforts of state institutions to curb corruption among politicians and senior civil servants are perceived as insufficient.
The policy to punish corruption is also perceived as inefficient, especially in the field of political corruption.
"A comparison of the monthly average of 130,000 officially registered bribes in 2006 with the 233 legal proceedings initiated on corruption crimes and the 188 persons convicted shows that in Bulgaria it is more likely to become a victim of a road accident than to be punished for giving or receiving a bribe," the survey said.
Most cases are closed at an early stage and more than 60 percent do not reach the court at all. Verdicts are actually issued on only one quarter of the initiated preliminary proceedings and only 40 percent of the persons charged during the preliminary proceedings are convicted, the survey shows.
According to Bulgaria's chief prosecutor, the most "dangerous" type of corruption is within the judiciary.
"We cannot fight efficiently corruption if there is no moral in the judiciary," Boris Velchev said at a conference on anti-corruption measures on Monday.
U.S. Ambassador John Beyrle, who also attended the conference, urged Bulgaria to root out corruption, or it could shake the trust of its partners.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/23/europe/EU-GEN-Bulgaria-Corruption.php
We get support from all voters who “dismissed” right wing: CEDB leader
| 23 April 2007 | 15:37 | FOCUS News Agency |
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Sofia. We get considerable support from all voters who “dismissed” the right wing in the recent years, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, leader of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria /CEDB/, said in an interview for Focus Agency. |
PROPERTY FOCUS: Bulgaria's capital to get twin towers?
On April 16, Sofia municipal council decided to ask the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works to change the spatial regulations for buildings.
The reason is an ambitious plan to build twin towers in Sofia’s Zona B-5 neighbourhood. The skyscrapers will be 300m high and have 75 floors. Councillors asked the ministry to shorten the distance between the future skyscrapers and the neighbouring buildings by more than a third. The proposal was tabled by Plamen Iliev, chairperson of the Democrats for Sofia group of municipal councillors.
The twin towers are supposed to be Sofia’s first skyscrapers. This is not the first time that municipal councillors in Bulgaria have had skyscrapers on their minds. The idea of a tall building with hundreds of offices to rent continues to attract a lot of attention. A year ago, it was announced that the Black Sea city of Bourgas was to have the first skyscraper in Bulgaria. How such a building will fit in Bulgaria’s post-communist towns is yet to be formally discussed. Some opinions are that Bulgaria’s cities, and Sofia in particular, are not designed to have skyscrapers. Others hold the opinion that skyscrapers exist already. According to Ivan Lapatov, a professor at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia today has a total of 471 skyscrapers. Laptov told Bulgaria’s Focus news agency that he did not accept the debates about the construction of a first skyscraper in Sofia. A building is defined as a skyscraper when there are 12 usable floors and minimum 30m height, Lapatov told Focus. The highest building in Sofia is the Hotel Rodina, 104m with 25 stories. Second is the trade unions building on Makedonia Square, 94m and 22 stories, and in third place, the Kempinski Hotel Zografski with 90m and 20 stories. While some are dreaming about the sky, others have their feet on the ground.
Strahil Ivanov, president of the Yavlena real estate agency, told Bulgarian-language Pari daily that hospitals could make perfect business buildings. Hospitals are usually in busy areas with well-developed transport networks and infrastructure, which makes them attractive as real estate. Most hospitals were built in the 1970s and the buildings were in relatively good condition, Ivanov said.
“They can be easily transformed into administrative establishments. Therefore, if hospitals are privatised, there should be a clause stipulating that the line of business should remain unchanged for the next five or 10 years,” Ivanov said. Otherwise, if privatised, hospitals might be turned into office buildings.
http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/property-focus-bulgarias-capital-to-get-twin-towers/id_22001/catid_23
Eaten by corruption...
| 24 April 2007 | 07:58 | |
Administrative corruption in Bulgaria has decreased, political corruption though remains practically unpunished, the annual report of the Center for the Study of Democracy reveals. For the first time in the past 10 years Bulgarian citizens see corruption as a major problem for the country. The efforts of state institutions to curb corruption among politicians and senior state officials are seen as insufficient and inefficient, the report points out. In Bulgaria it is more likely to be injured in a car crash than be punished for bribery. To sanction someone over corruption is so unlikely that every bribe exceeding BGN 0.34 is beneficial to the bribe taker.
FOCUS News Agency:
AFP: Corruption is Bulgaria's biggest problem: report
Bulgarians consider corruption to be their society's most serious problem, an independent democracy watchdog said in a report Monday, AFP reports.
The Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) said that instances of corruption fell from 150,000 in July 2006 to 115,000 in January 2007, when Bulgaria joined the European Union.
But despite this positive development, "grand political corruption involving members of the government, MPs, senior state officials remains a serious challenge", the report said.
"There is a growing body of public opinion that political corruption is on the rise, almost institutionalized in the corrupt networks that came to be known as 'loops of companies'", chanelling state money towards certain businesses, the report said.
"Bulgarians for the first time in a decade identify corruption as currently the gravest problem in society," it added.
Makfax: Between 20% and 25% of public procurement in Bulgaria paid in bribery
Between 20% and 25% of the public procurement funds in Bulgaria is paid in bribery, US Ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle announced in Bulgaria cited by Macedonian agency Makfax. He noted that the above fact repels foreign investors and makes Bulgarian citizens pay ‘corruption’ tax. Mr. Beyrle noted that corruption is especially high in the public procurement sector in healthcare, where some BGN 900 million is considered lost in the grey sector.
Transparency and ethics in state institutions’ work are important for public: Minister Vasilev
I think the report on corruption assessment worked out by the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) is professionally done and useful, Bulgarian Minister of State Administration and Administrative Reform Nikolay Vasilev told Focus Agency.
He has added the ministry he is in charge of read the report but will later analyze it more seriously and in details. He expressed hope that important state institutions would study the report.
“The report is critical as a whole. It points out some positive tendencies but it also focuses on faults. I accept the tendencies the way they are presented and analyzed in the report,” Minister Vasilev added.
Commenting the data about decreased administrative corruption, the minister said he would keep on asserting his attitudes for the state’s minor role in the economy, for liberalizing many business sectors, cutting taxes as a way of combating gray economy, reducing administration so that its employees could receive higher salaries.
Sofia mayor blames government and opposition for corruption
“The ones who are really responsible for the corruption in Bulgaria are the leaders of all political parties in the government and the opposition”, Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov said during the 9th edition of the anti-corruption public-political forum, a journalist of FOCUS News Agency reported. Over the last ten years many troubles were done legally in Sofia.
Chief Prosecutor: Corruption in judiciary is most hazardous
“To me the most hazardous type of corruption is in the judiciary. We can’t counteract corruption in Bulgaria if we have no moral judiciary that performs its duties professionally”, Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev announced at the ninth anti-corruption forum cited by a journalist of FOCUS News Agency. “The police and prosecution seem to be held responsible for all irregularities in the country. This is not the case. The way things are shown, including the way the media shows things boosts expectations for the work of the interior ministry and the prosecution and comforts the remaining supervising bodies”, he added.
US Ambassador: Confidence in political parties decreases because their sources of financing are unclear
“As EU citizens, Bulgarians are getting stricter to their government. Social intolerance to corruption is increasing because Bulgarians can see the results of corruption”, US ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle said at the opening of the 9th anti-corruption public and political forum, a journalist of FOCUS News Agency reported.
“Corruption leads to a rise in prices of all public services. It drains money from the public funds for public services, such as healthcare and education”, Beyrle said. He added that since the society doesn’t know who exactly finances political parties, the confidence in them is decreasing constantly.
Expert: Nations Must Cut Trans Fat
Eastern European nations, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic, are the worst in the world for serving unhealthy meals in fast food outlets, a health expert said Monday.
Steen Stender, a professor who led a Copenhagen University research group, told the 15th European Congress on Obesity that Eastern European countries must cut the use of trans fat - the "silent killer" - in fast-food.
The survey was carried out after a law in Denmark in 2004 banned the use of trans fatty acids in all foods.
"Eating regularly in some fast food chain outlets is unsafe in many parts of the world," Stender said while noting he found there was a significant difference in the quality of products of the same food chain globally.
According to Stender's survey, which tested fast food chains across 35 countries, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland serve food at outlets with a highest level of trans fat. He suggested a switch from trans fat to the less harmful saturated fat at franchise giants such as McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
He mostly tested French fries and chicken nuggets at fast food outlets.
"Hungary is among the worst (fast food) serving countries. I feel pity because Hungary already has a high death toll when it comes to heart disease," Stender said.
Chain restaurants around the world are trying to get trans fat off their menu, Stender said, expressing the view that reducing the use of trans fatty acids was "very realistic."
"KFC samples from India, Russia, Spain and Scotland found ... that less than 2 percent of the total fat content in a product was trans fat," a statement said. "Eastern Europe fared particularly badly ... topping the table with levels of unhealthy trans fats accounting for 29 to 34 percent."
In January, McDonald's Corp. selected a new trans-fat-free oil for cooking its french fries after years of looking for the right mix. McDonald's had been under pressure to do so since smaller rivals Wendy's International and Yum Brands Inc., which operates KFC and Taco Bell, had already announced they had chosen an oil free of artery-clogging trans fat.
Trans fat has for long been questioned by health experts, but it is not clear whether its replacements - such as saturated fat - is healthier.
Trans fatty acids are a type of saturated fat. They are found in meat and dairy products but are often made industrially.
The human body does not need trans fat and if consumed excessively, it greatly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other ailments.
http://www.kiplinger.com/apnews/XmlStoryResult.php?storyid=350590
Bulgaria registers 40% rise in road accidents in first quarter of 2007
| 23 April 2007 | 13:28 | FOCUS News Agency |
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Sofia. More than 80,000 road accidents happen per year, more than 1,000 are killed and more than 9,000 people are wounded, Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumen Petkov said during an initiative called “Save a life” dedicated to the Bulgarian participation in the first Bulgarian global week of road safety. The initiative is under the auspices of the UN and the World Health Organization, a journalist of FOCUS News Agency reported. |
READING ROOM: Organic farming
The win-win case for good food, happy farmers and protected nature
Relatively unspoilt nature, huge territories of unused agricultural land and lots of local people engaged in farming – these are just three factors that make Bulgaria a good place to do organic farming. Besides, organic foods are not only good for you, but also the environment. They also create jobs and have a serious market share abroad. It’s a win-win situation – in the end you have high-quality food, viable local farms and protected nature.
One of the greatest challenges for Bulgaria in the development process is to assure a balance between sufficient production of foods, employment augmentation and preventive environmental conservation.
“But this is not all,” says Yanka Kazakova of the Nature and Prosperity section of the Danube-Carpathian Programme of WWF, the global conservation organisation. “In the end, everything we need to live, from the food we eat, clothes we wear, the water we drink and houses we live in is connected, directly or indirectly, with nature. It is the very basis of our societies, our lives and our livelihoods.”
That’s why WWF has conducted a series of trainings in organic farming to farmers in Roussenski Lom Nature Park area, Pleven region, and Strandja Nature Park. Farmers learn what type of support is available, how to apply for it, how to convert to organic farming, etc. WWF believes that in providing this knowledge and these skills to local farmers, we will prove that win-win situations are indeed possible.
Roussenski Lom, for example, is one of the few areas in the Bulgarian part of the Danube River basin that still has farming areas with very rich natural values, including rare steppe grasslands and wet meadows. They provide feeding grounds and resting places for black storks, Egyptian vultures, corncrakes and other rare birds and species. The proximity of the nature park attracts organic farmers, as it is slightly easier for them to get certified in the proximity of a protected nature area.
So is organic farming the answer? Organic farming and other integrated agri-environmental activities are tangible practices, which directly contribute to the sustainable rural development and the country as a whole. Yet, organic farming in Bulgaria is in its infancy.
The share of Bulgarian organic products at the local market is less than five per cent. Land under organic production in Bulgaria was some 8000 hа in 2003 and increased to more than 12 000 hа the next year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. And the interest is getting higher.
The few Bulgarian organic products cost roughly three times more than conventional ones.
In countries with developed organic farming, like Great Britain and Germany, nearly 70 per cent of their organic production is sold on the internal market. In these countries the patterns of organic food production, marketing and consumption are characterised by a direction change from a very specialised, almost ideological niche to a more commercial, but also more accessible sector of the food market.
The organic market development in Bulgaria is a very controversial one. Simple economic logic says that when prices get higher on a certain market, supply on that same market also increases. However, many Bulgarian organic producers state that they are not interested in the internal market at all. They export all of their organic production abroad, which leaves a very limited range of organic products on the internal market.
Small and medium-sized organic farmers haved started to request that the Bulgarian Government support them in the way that their European colleagues are supported.
As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry developed and approved a National Strategy and Action Plan for the development of organic farming in Bulgaria. The main goal is to have 10 per cent of all food products sold in Bulgaria as organic. The budget is more than 176 million leva over a five-year period.
As regards support from the EU, Bulgaria is now in the last weeks of negotiating its national rural development plan for use of more than 2.6 billion euro, of which at least 25 per cent goes to targeted environmental measures. On paper, the programme looks pretty good, especially considering previous lack of experience with these kinds of funds in the region. It includes possibilities to support a number of very useful things, including organic farming, high nature value farming, maintenance of river-side habitats, activities related to caring for Natura 2000 sites. Other very important opportunities are the investments in on-farm environmental management facilities and the EU’s LEADER scheme for integrated local development.
However, this money is only potentially available. The challenge will now be to ensure that what is possible on paper turns into practice. The cash will not appear automatically; concerted effort is needed to bring it to the local level. Farmers need to be made aware that it exists, how they can get hold of it. Another key issue is the monitoring and evaluation – to ensure that the money is in fact used for what it is intended, and for improving the programme when it is reviewed in 2009.
Organic farming gets many local farmers excited. Maybe that’s why it will be the next big thing in Bulgarian agriculture. But by then we’ll still have to stick to “normal” local produce. After all, the taste of even ordinary vegetables available in Bulgaria is still fuller than those bought abroad.
Konstantin Ivanov is the communications co-ordinator for WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Bulgaria, based in Sofia. You can e-mail him at kivanov@wwfdcp.bg
http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/reading-room-organic-farming/id_22013/catid_29
BULGARIA HAS TO SAVE OVER 7000 GIGAWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY BY 2016- EU
Bulgaria will have to save over 7472 gigawatt-hours of electricity by 2016 according to EU new directives on energy efficiency.
The country will have to submit to the European Committee (EC) a new three-year plan for the country's policy in the sphere of energy efficiency, head of the Energy Efficiency Agency Tasko Ermenkov said as quoted by Dnevnik daily.
Energy efficiency measures in the country have decreased consumption twice in the past 10 years. The return on the so called energy effective investment is normally five years, Ermenkov said.
Investment inrterest in the sphere is focused on the establishment of small hydro-electric power plants and wind generators, energy specialists said.
Small generators with several kilowatt capacity using hydrigon and gas for combined production of heat and electricity are expected to appear soon in the country.
Live and Let Die
Do you know the number of paramedic squads in Sofia? 30. They take 12-hour shifts. Now the Health Ministry has decided to reduce the shifts to 8 hours so that they could maybe leave a larger number of people to die.
The problems are numerous in this case. Not enough ambulances, all of them old as the world, not enough qualified staff, not enough coordination, not enough emergency centers in the city. This leads to more people in need, more deaths and finally more stress and public tension. This is the vicious circle that the Health Ministry is desperately trying to draw.
The new regulation is such that to execute it the emergency centers need to hire another 40 doctors, 30 drivers and 30 people auxiliary staff. And here comes another problem. Not only doctors are needed but also the doctors themselves refuse to work. Of course they don't want to confess, but when they take a 12-hour shift they have more days off, which they use to go and work somewhere else for more money. What does it matter to them when they got a job to do and they got to do it for money, never mind they are giving the other fellows the hell.
So Sofia citizens face the real threat to be left without emergency medical help. For this reason many of them may die at some point. But on the other hand the doctors will have gained enough money to live better lives. It's nature's laws after all and Bulgaria's Health Ministry is determined to follow them, no matter the price.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=79987
Pharmaceutical exporters to visit Bulgaria
By our correspondent
KARACHI: A 12-member trade delegation of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exporters will visit Bulgaria from May 8 to 14 in order to explore the developing market in Eastern Europe.
The delegation would be led by Zahid Saeed, Managing Director, Indus Pharma (Pvt) Ltd, who will also make a special presentation on the “Status of Pharmaceutical Industry of Pakistan” at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in Sofia to highlight the profile of Pakistan’s drugs and medicines. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is sponsoring the visit.
Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Prof Radoslav Gajdarski would be the chief guest of the programme. A single country exhibition of Pakistani medicines would also be arranged on the same day.
Pakistan exports more than 50 pharmaceutical product groups to 100 countries of the world and their main markets are growing in the African region, Far East, CIS block and some nations of the SAARC.
The exports of medicines recorded tremendous growth in the last fiscal year as they increased to $82.5 million from $64.03 million.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=53423