site.bta Economy Minister: New Government Has Goal to Restore Trust in Bulgaria as Investment Destination

Economy Minister: New Government Has Goal to Restore Trust in Bulgaria as Investment Destination


Sofia, December 3 (BTA) - The new government has set itself the
goal to restore the trust in Bulgaria as an investment
destination and a stable market, Economy Minister Bozhidar
Loukarski said at the opening of this year's edition of the
Bulgaria Economic Forum here on Wednesday.

Loukarski said that the Bulgarian and foreign investors will be
encouraged through a special strategy which lists eight priority
sectors: electronics and electrical engineering, information
technologies, outsourcing, chemical and pharmaceutical industry,
machine building, transport and logistics, food industry and
agriculture, and tourism and healthcare.

The construction of high-tech parks and centres for scientific
research is also a key priority, the Finance Ministry said.
Another priority is the creation of a fund for supporting
high-tech productions on the principle of public-private
partnership, he added. He noted that the State can help such
companies and then withdraw from such productions.

Loukarski also listed as key priorities the accelerated
introduction of e-government and broader e-trading with
guaranteed personal data security through the adoption of a
national strategy on the matter. The promotion of
export-oriented productions is also of particular importance, he
noted.

Bulgaria should position itself as a well-known investment
destination for sectors with high value added, Loukarski went on
to say. The effective management of EU funds should facilitate
the access of beneficiaries to this financing, he added. The
Finance Minister said that his ministry will work in support of
small and medium-sized enterprises and for the creation of jobs.


Speaking at the Bulgaria Economic Forum, Regional Development
and Public Works Minister Liliyana Pavlova said that
public-private partnership should become a reality. She outlined
three directions of public-private partnership in addition to
EU funds. The first one is related to the national programme for
energy efficiency for the buildings fund. The second direction
is related to the investments in infrastructure, due to the
expected shortage of European resources for such projects. The
third direction of public-private partnership is related to the
financing of the construction of dams for drinking water and the
necessary water infrastructure and installations, Pavlova
explained.

Talking about the construction branch, the Regional Development
Minister said that 2015 will mark the completion of strategic
road and regional projects worth 1.5 billion leva, or additional
120 km of motorways and additional 300 km of rehabilitated road
network.