Bulgaria

Bulgaria's right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party had initiated a probe of the State-run energy companies, the party leadership informs Tuesday.

DSB have appraised last Friday the Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, of evidence for large-scale violations at the Thermal Power Plant (TPP) Maritsa – Iztok 2 and the Maritsa Iztok mines, committed between 2004 and 2007.

On Monday, the file has been submitted with the State Agency for National Security (DANS) and Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev. Velchev had ordered the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office to take over the probe to avoid conflict of local interests if the Prosecutor's Office in the city of Stara Zagora does the investigation.

Bulgarian producer prices on the domestic market rose 2.5% in February on annual basis, National Statistical Institute data showed on Tuesday.

While price reductions of 7,3% were reported in the production and distribution of electricity, heat and gas, the extractive industries have experienced the largest index growth of 5.7%.

Price increases in manufacturing on annual basis were reported by the statistics office. Prices in the manufacture of tobacco products rose by 23.3%, the increase in the production of basic metals was by 16.2%, and the production of vehicles, (except for car production) experienced a price growth of 6.1%.

The staff reductions at consular offices are impeding the processing of data for the new personal ID cards and passports of Bulgarians living abroad.

The information was reported Tuesday by the spokesperson of the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Vesela Cherneva. Cherneva said 111 applications have been submitted Monday at 15 consular offices around the globe, adding there have been problems in the process.