site.btaNine Certificates for Investments Worth Lv 148 Mln Issued in Four Months - Minister

Nine Certificates for Investments Worth Lv 148 Mln Issued in Four Months - Minister

Sofia, April 10 (BTA) - Nine certificates for investments worth 148 million leva, which are expected to create 3,850 new jobs, have been issued in the first four months of 2017, said here on Monday caretaker Economy Minister Teodor Sedlarski. He presented three class A investment certificates to ScaleFocus AD, Questers Bulgaria EOOD and AGRIPRES SERVIZ EOOD. The comapnies will get certificates for a total of 5.57 million leva. Some 345 new jobs are expected to be created as part of their projects.

Sedlarski said that two of the projects are in the IT sector, while the third one is for cargo storage and will be implemented on the territory of Sofia-Bozhurishte Industrial Zone, which is the most dynamically developing industrial zone managed by the National Company Industrial Zones, under the Economy Ministry. A total of 19 projects, certified under the Investment Promotion Act, are being implemented in the Bozhurishte Industrial Zone. Foreign investors are particularly interested in the automotive industry and high-tech services, he noted.

Minister Sedlarski reported a significant increase in investment activity by both foreign potential investors and local enterprises, which are increasing their production facilities or modernizing their equipment. Twenty-four investment projects have been certified in 2016, which is twice more than the previous year. The total investments under the projects are 383 million leva, which is close to 200 million more than in 2015, he said, adding that over 4,700 new jobs are expected to be opened.

According to Eurostat data, Bulgaria ranks second in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of direct foreign investments as a share of GDP, Sedlarski said.