BULGARTABAC SHUTDOWN
State-run tobacco company Bulgartabac Holding closed its cigarette plant in Plovdiv on May 12, a company spokesperson told The Sofia Echo. The holding did so despite the fact that until a day earlier, the plant’s employees worked in three shifts due to many orders from Bulgaria and abroad, private broadcaster bTV reported. The information memorandum for the sale has to be ready within three months. At the beginning of 2008 Bulgartabac decided to close down its Plovdiv unit because it was under-performing.

CARGO PLATFORMS CONSTRUCTION
TransWagon Holding won a 50 million leva deal from the world’s biggest steel maker ArcelorMittal, Bulgarian-language Dnevnik daily reported on May 12. The rail car producer, based in Bourgas, will build 540 noise-free and extra-long cargo platforms over the next two and a half years. Company invested five million euro in upgrading its production facilities. TransWagon produces cargo cars, platforms and specialised cargo cars, which allow automated loading and unloading.

SMS PAYMENTS
Bulgarian electronic payments system ePay.bg introduced a new payment service - via mobile phones, called ePayGSM. Starting this month, Bulgarians will have the opportunity to pay their utility bills by sending a text message. To use the service, the customers need to have a valid mobile phone number and an active bank account from one of the 21 banks that have agreements in place with ePay.bg. The registration fee is 0.9 leva.