Corporate

Austria's EVN, the majority owner of the regional electricity distribution companies in Bulgarian cities Plovdiv and Stara Zagora, is interested in investing in waste recycling, gas distribution, water services and the purchase and construction of power stations in Bulgaria, said Stefan Szyszkowitz, chairman of the EVN Bulgaria managing board.

EVN considers as viable investment options the construction of waste recycling plants in Plovdiv and Stara Zagora.

The Subotica-based Pionir is set to buy the Prokuplje-based chocolate factory Hisar.

Pionir executives met with about 600 Hisar workers in Prokuplje in order to announce that with the privatization of Hisar, it will enter the company of three of the largest chocolate factories in South Europe.

A Pionir manager said that Hisar, along with its chocolate program, is also interesting because of its fruit and vegetable programs, which Pionir plans to invest 10.5 million euros in.

The hegemony of Greek capitals in Bulgaria's finance sector is already a fact. On Friday it transpired that the Greece-seated EFG Eurobank has reach an agreement on carrying out the acquisition of 74.26% of the DZI Bank for EUR 157.76 mln.
With its seven banks in Bulgaria - Postbank, Emporiki Bank, the United Bulgarian Bank, Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank, the National Bank of Greece and the DZI Bank - Greece has become No.1 investor in Bulgaria's banking system. The assets of the seven banks total about BGN 8.5 bn. After the DZI Bank deal is finalized the buyer intends to merge it with the Postbank.