Mon, May 21 2012
At the end of June, the Bulgarian yacht importer Yachting.bg started showing the boats at the port in Sozopol Black Sea resort. The most expensive of them was sold for 3.6 million leva on June 23.
One of the yachts Atlantis 55, on sale at 2.25 million leva, was sold to a Bulgarian businessman, and Azimut 43 for 1.4 million leva, to a construction entrepreneur. Yachting.bg is one of the three biggest yachts traders in Europe, reported Bulgarian news agency BTA.
The yacht show was the first of its kind in Bulgaria and the company also presented the Bavaria, Chaparral 276 SSX and Frauscher yachts. Yachting.bg is the exclusive representative for these types of yachts in Bulgaria and Romania.
Following this event, during a meeting of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) with seaside beaches concessionaires in Slunchev Bryag on July 6, Bourgas region deputy governor Georgi Nikolchev said that a new regulation on sailing and the border system of the Bulgarian area of the Black Sea was being prepared. The document will regulate the movements of all yachts and boats used for sport and tourism. During the meeting, CPC representatives and the beach concessionaires also discussed safety services offered on the beaches. According to Bourgas regional CCP directorate chief Nikolay Stoykov, there was widespread interest in the subject, given that more than two thirds of the beach managers attended the meeting.
On July 2, Bulgarian language Investor BG reported that Dutch investors are planning to build a marina in another Black sea settlement, Byala. The development is part of a new Dutch-Norwegian holiday village planned for the coast. Until the construction is ready, the Dutch investors had reportedly been ready with equipment that was able to accommodate 25 to 30 yachts at the marina site.
Byala mayor Ilian Tsonev said the biggest problem facing a future marina in the town was ownership. According to him, these developments have to remain municipal property, even through pubic-private partnerships, so that it is easier for the regulations to be met when building a marina for small boats. In his opinion, this is a factor currently restricting tourism in this area.
Byala had a licence to build a marina and fishing port but the municipality needed two million leva to construct it.
On July 2, Bulgarian language Dnevnik reported that the Tsarevo, Pomorie and Achtopol municipalities are to create mixed companies with investors who will construct marinas in the three seaside towns. This was said by the mayors at a meeting with the Minister of Transport Petar Mutafchiev.
After a proposal by Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), the ports became municipal property through the amendments to the Port Act. However the ports in Sozopol and Nessebar remained on the list of those for which the state will look for concessionaires.
Mutafchief said the decision provides opportunities for extra income in the municipalities and creates suitable conditions for developing yacht tourism. He said the MTC will agree the ports to given municipal-private statute after it is clear that the development projects are fulfilled.
The plans for Pomorie are for the creation of an international marina with two zones. There will be a second embankment and entertainment points. To realise 70 per cent of the project the municipality needs eight million leva and is now looking at different possibility for finance. Pomorie mayor Petur Zlatanov said businessmen from Finland and St. Petersburg were interested in mooring their yachts at Pomorie.
Tsarevo major Petko Arnaudov said he intended to develop the local harbour as a port for yachts, passengers and fishing. Currently about 30 yachts in Tsarevo are anchored. Some Italian investors and investors from Monaco have expressed interest in the port.
Apart from luxury yachts, guests at the annual HYPO Bulgaria Boat Show in Varna will see helicopters, sports cars, motor bikes, scooters, diving gear and other specialised sports kit
The option to postpone the due date was contingent on securing 55 million euro for immediate repayment of the amounts loaned by Belgium's Dexia and Japanese bank Mizuho.
The Eurostat data agency said that unemployment reached 10.9 per cent in March, up from 10.8 per cent in February. The March figure translates to 17.4 million people unemployed in the euro zone.
Citing three separate sources familiar with the deal, Capital Daily reports that the creditors found offers submitted by three bidders unsatisfactory.
Eurobank EFG is left with a 30 per cent stake in the merged entity but has said it will exercise its put option on the remaining holding.
The narrow focus of many euro zone countries on fiscal austerity is deepening the jobs crisis and could even lead to another recession in Europe, said the Director of the ILO Institute for International Labour Studies and lead author of the report, Raymond Torres.

Kamelia Lozanova has been appointed the executive director of the Employment Agency, a position she has held ad interim since September 2011, following the resignation of her predecessor Rossitsa Stelianova. Prior to that, Lozanova was the agency's deputy executive director in charge of international projects and European programmes. She has been with the agency for more than 20 years. Lozanova has a degree in Slavonic philology from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.

Gloria Dimitrova has been appointed executive director and member of the managing board at Uniqa Life Insurance Bulgaria. Dimitrova began her career in 1998 at the insurance supervision directorate, but moved to the private sector and worked for professional services and insurance brokerage firm Marsh&McLennan and US insurer AIG, both in Bulgaria and the Middle East. She joined Uniqa as regional director for Sofia in 2010. Dimitrova has a degree in economics from the University for National and World Economy in Sofia and a master's degree in insurance from the Business Academy in Svishtov.

Yassen Lyubenov is the new head of marketing at Bulgarian beer brewer Kamenitza. Lyubenov has 12 years of experience in marketing in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and has started his career as assistant brand manager at Kraft Foods Bulgaria. He later became brand manager at Wrigley Bulgaria, with responsibilities for Bulgaria and Macedonia. Prior to joining Kamenitza, he was senior marketing manager at Wrigley Russia, where he was in charge of brand expansion into Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Lyubenov has a bachelor's degree in international business administration from the University of Lincoln, UK.

Bedros Kalfayan, general manager of skin care and cosmetics company Beiersdorf Bulgaria, will oversee the parent's company units in Romania and Moldova starting April 1. Following company restructuring, Beiersdorf's subsidiaries in the three countries were merged and are now one unit, part of Beiersdorf Central and Eastern Europe. Kalfayan joined Beiersdorf in 2007 as sales manager and was promoted to general manager in 2008. Prior to that, he worked for Axxon Bulgaria, Ferrero and Rubella. Kalfayan has a master's degree in industrial management from the Technical University in Sofia.

Sasha Bezuhanova has been appointed Hewlett-Packard public sector director for emerging markets, where she will oversee HP public sector activities in 63 countries, including Bulgaria. Bezuhanova will also be in charge of HP's relations with the European Union. Bezuhanova has been HP's public sector director for Central and Eastern Europe since 2008; before that she was general manager of HP Bulgaria since 1998. Bezuhanova has a master's degree in electronics from the Technical University in Sofia and has completed a managment programme at INSEAD.