site.btaEconomy Minister Discusses Development of Northwestern Bulgaria

Economy and Industry Minister Bogdan Bogdanov Monday said that the development of Northwest Bulgaria is a priority for the Government. He was speaking at a news briefing during his visit to Montana, where he met regional governor Ivaylo Antonov, MPs, and representatives of Montana Municipality and local businesses.

Bogdanov noted that his visit aims to help the region build capacity so as to serve local businesses and attract new investors. He proposed that his ministry, together with the municipality, regional authorities, and the National Company Industrial Zones, train a team to work directly with investors. He also suggested that an investment portal be built so that the municipality would benefit directly from communicating with investors and offering better quality service.

"Northwestern Bulgaria is currently one of the regions with the highest state aid thresholds in Europe. This is a significant advantage when it comes to attracting new investment from companies that are already here. When these companies carry out priority projects worth more than BGN 50 million, they can benefit from state support. Four such projects by companies from Shumen and Pleven were approved by the Government for the first time last year. We hope that the next such project will be in Montana," Bogdanov said.