Sun, Nov 22 2009
Photo: Yulia Lazarova
The company will submit its final proposal to the utilities regulator on December 11
Gaz de France and Dalkia confirmed their interest in the privatisation of Sofia’s heating utility in meetings with Economy Minister Traicho Traikov earlier this week
Overstretching its reach and large debts owed by heating utility companies put the state-owned gas distribution firm in the red.
Bulgargas demands that Toplofikatsiya Sofia immediately pay 38 million leva of its 150 million leva total debt, or face a cutoff of supply.
The Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) has imposed two separate fines on Toplofikatsiya Rousse, for abuse of monopoly, as recorded in an official press release from the Commission, quoted by Dnevnik daily.
Toplofikatsyia Sofia is looking into the possibility of using the fuel extracted from the mountains of the city's refuse, the chief executive of heating utility Toplofikatsiya Sofia Petko Milevski has said, as quoted by Dnevnik daily. The high-calorie fuel generated by processing refuse was far cheaper and would lower heating bills, which would be welcomed by the citizens of Sofia. Earlier this summer, Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov said that the city hall was considering a similar plan.
Strong public opposition to price hikes prompted Prime Minister Boiko Borissov to axe the Finance Ministry proposal to increase the excise duty on spirits, but MPs have put it back on the agenda.
Bulgaria’s Cabinet seeks to reverse recent changes in the telecommunications sector
Kremikovtzi’s prospects for a recovery plan appear increasingly distant
Bulgarians are getting the hang of debit and credit cards, MasterCard says
The two telecoms, both set up to challenge former fixed-line state monopoly BTC, will merge operations and expect to report 20 million euro in revenue and a gross profit of five million euro in 2010.