Over BGN 52 million in subsidies were received by 13 large producers of oilseed sunflower and wheat in just three years - from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2022. This became clear from a sectoral analysis of the competitive environment in the markets of production and trade with oil and flour in Bulgaria, developed by the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC). One farmer received BGN 27.16 million within three years, which is more than 50 percent of the total amount taken from 13 large grain producers. In second place in terms of received subsidies is a producer who received BGN 8.4 million over three years. The CPC found that in the 2021/22 market year, sunflower exports decreased by 12% compared to the previous season to 679 thousand tons, which, in view of the increased average yields per hectare and increased production, leads to higher sunflower stocks in the country. According to the CPC, it can be reasonably assumed that the behavior of sunflower oil producers is due to holding production in warehouses with the aim of being sold at a later stage, in anticipation of higher prices. However, the forecast turned out to be wrong, the following year the price of sunflower was significantly lower and farmers organized protests and demanded a ban on sunflower imports from Ukraine. Withholding stocks by grain producers or traders in warehouses could lead to an artificial increase in prices, the CPC concluded. That is why the CPC makes recommendations to improve the market environment in the country by reducing the concentration in the payment of subsidies and the receipt of large sums from a few farmers. According to the CPC, measures should be taken to improve the application process of farmers under the various support schemes, thereby increasing the opportunities to support a wider range of participants in the grain production sector.

In three years, 17 companies were listed on the market for small and medium-sized enterprises Beam, part of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange. Through an initial public offering of beam, 16 companies raised a total of over BGN 47 million in shares and one raised BGN 49 million in bonds. Beam has also become something of an alternative platform for raising startup capital that companies choose over venture funds. However, the two funding sources work in synergy rather than competition. On the beam market, companies can raise a certain amount of funds without the need for a business prospectus approved by the FSC. Initially, the ceiling was 3 million euros, but in 2022 it was increased to 8 million euros. The sectors of listed companies are the most diverse: fintech, renewable energy, food industry, technology and others. Half of the companies registered growth in the last 12 months. Almost all are net profit in 2023.

The National Assembly decided to postpone the adoption of the Climate Neutrality Roadmap, which lists by years how coal capacities will be reduced and is a mandatory element for granting the second tranche of the Recovery Plan in the amount of BGN 1.3 billion. After that, BGN 1 billion were promised for "Mini Maritsa-Istok", and in a separate decision, the deputies also adopted a postponement of the liberalization of the wholesale electricity market for one year, in order to guarantee the operation of the TPP "Maritsa-Istok 2" for another 12 months. The funds of BGN 1 billion for "Mini Maritsa-East" are to ensure the activities for the technical reclamation of the disturbed areas, which are 240 square km. In fact, mines have been required to set aside money for mine reclamation over the years, but this has not happened precisely because of the lack of funds and the low price of coal in order to produce cheaper energy. However, it is not clear whether part of this money will not be redirected to ensure the salaries of the workers in the mines, whose activity significantly decreased after the expiration of the long-term contract between "ConturGlobal Maritsa-East" 3 and NEC at the end of February.

The German company "Aurubis" has launched a new investment program worth BGN 800 million in its oil extraction plant near Pirdop and Zlatitsa over the next four years. Part of the major projects in it are the expansion of the cathode copper refinery and the construction of two new photovoltaic parks. The capacity of the cathode copper refinery will be increased by about 50% - from 230,000 tons to 340,000 tons per year, with the investment amounting to about BGN 240 million with the project contractor "Glavbolgarstroy". Refined copper is a key raw material for the energy transition, connectivity and digitalization and is Bulgaria's main export. The commissioning of the reservoir is planned for the second half of 2026. The construction of two new photovoltaic parks - "Auribis-2" and "Auribis-3" - has also begun, and a fourth will be added next year. Once completed, they will cover around 15% of the site's electricity needs with green energy. Annually, the plants will generate approximately 55,000 MWh - the electricity needed to power a city of 25,000 people for a year. Once all four modules are completed, "Aurubis" will prevent around 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The final stage of expansion is expected to be completed in 2026.

The "Promenada Mall By Nepi Rockcastle" mall project in Plovdiv is becoming one of Bulgaria's largest projects with its nearly 60,000 square meters. In 2019, the Expert Council of the Plovdiv Municipality approved a new ΠУΠ-ΠPЗ for the locations on 65 decares of land at Stock station. Here, the investment fund НЕРІ Roсkсаѕtle announced its intentions to build Роменада Мал Роvdіv. About 8 acres of the plot will be donated free of charge by the investee for the new road infrastructure in the area. According to the current plans, the shopping center should be built on an area of 56.6 decares. The building will have a built-up area of over 150,000 sq m, with a lettable area of 60,000 sq m. The shopping center will rise over five levels, with parking for 1,900 cars, a cinema, food court and a large park. The total investment in it will be about 150 million euros. The investment fund from South Africa is currently the owner of Serdika Center and Paradise Center in Sofia.

"Winarska izba Kameya" Ltd. plans to build a new production with a tasting room in Shuneva Padina area, village of Dolna Dikanya, commune. Radomir, Pernik district. Office and household parts will be built, as well as a fermentation room. There will also be a storage area, as well as a room where the wine will be aged in barrels. At the moment, a new vineyard has already been planted within the plot. Both grapes purchased from other wine-growing regions and those produced locally will be processed. The winery will have the capacity to produce up to 25 tons of grapes. The built-up area will be up to 250 square meters. Winery "Kameya" is a small family project with 3 to 5 thousand bottles of annual production. The cellar started its activity in 2016 with the vinification of merlot and cabernet, and over the years they gradually expanded their assortment with ruby, syrah and mavrud. The company is registered in the city of Sofia and has several physical stores in the territory of the capital. The grapes for the wines of "Kameya" are selected from old vineyards near the villages of Cherven, Brestnik and Brestovitsa, Plovdiv region with the varieties characteristic of these micro-regions. Vinification takes place in the Bonini Winery in the village of Brestovitsa.

"Vazovsky Machine Building Works" (VMZ) in Sopot report a record 828 million BGN net sales revenue for 2023, which is twice as much as compared to the previous year. The company reports an increased demand for special products on the market - various ammunition, projectiles and missiles of the Soviet type, which are purchased by the NATO countries. The workers have increased by nearly 500 people in just one year and are now over 4,100. An increase in capacity with new technologies and lines is planned, with the costs of fixed assets exceeding BGN 20 million.

Odessos Shiprepair Yard S.A. JSC ("KRZ Odessos") reports a decline in revenues and profit due to the smaller number of repaired ships in the first quarter. From the beginning of the year to the end of March, the company repaired 11 ships (19 for the first three months of 2023). The total value of the performed ship repair services was BGN 20.482 million compared to BGN 23.343 million a year earlier, accounting for a decrease of 12.25% on an annual basis. The company's operating income for the reporting period amounted to BGN 21.166 million compared to BGN 23.921 million, decreasing by 11.51%. The total expenses of "KRZ Odessos" for the first quarter decreased by 6% on an annual basis to BGN 16.587 million compared to BGN 17.652 million a year earlier. Thus, the company reports a profit of BGN 4,595 million for the first quarter, compared to BGN 6,633 million for the first quarter of 2023. The decrease reaches 30%. In the last year, the shares of "KRZ Odessos" did not report a change in price, the market capitalization amounted to almost BGN 193.6 million.

The US economy grew by less than expected in the first three months of the year as consumer demand grew at a slower pace. This was announced by the US Department of Commerce, quoted by CNBC. U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew just 1.6 percent on an annual basis in the January-March period, adjusted for seasonal factors and inflation, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Economists polled by Dow Jones had expected U.S. GDP to rise 2.4 percent on an annual basis in the first three months of 2024, after growing 3.9 percent in the final quarter of 2023. . and by 4.9 percent in the previous three-month period.