From: kaygee@hardy.u.washington.edu (Kevin Giansante)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria
Subject: rfe/rl december 29
Date: 29 Dec 1992 17:50:20 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: hardy.u.washington.edu

The RFE/RL Daily Report is a digest of the latest developments
in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. It is published
Monday through Friday (except German holidays) by the RFE/RL
Research Institute (a division of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty, Inc.). Copyright 1992 RFE/RL, Inc.


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                     RFE/RL Daily Report

                                         No. 248, 29 December 1992


BEROV PRESENTS MAIN OBJECTIVES.  On 28 December Bulgarian prime
minister-designate and economics professor Lyuben Berov outlined
his views on the overall aims of the government he wants to form.
BTA summarized Berov's statement, in which he said that in the
economic sector he will concentrate on promoting large-scale
privatization, supporting private business, and introducing
legislation to regulate bankruptcy and the administration of
state-owned companies.  He also discussed the need to step up
crime-fighting measures, strengthen national security
arrangements, and launch an active labor market policy.  While the
BSP and MRF parliamentary groups said they are generally satisfied
with the declaration, the UDF leadership refused even to meet with
Berov. At the same time, in a tentative cabinet lineup just made
public, the majority of new ministers are UDF legislators, two
from the current acting government. Berov, who has said he would
go on implementing the UDF platform from the October 1991
elections, promised not to rewrite any of the key laws introduced
by the previous UDF government.  (Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.)

BULGARIAN CENSUS CONFIRMS LARGE-SCALE EMIGRATION.  The first
results of the Bulgarian census, held between 4 and 14 December
this year, have confirmed a sharp population decrease as a result
of large-scale emigration, BTA reports. Released by the National
Statistical Institute on 28 December, the aggregate figures for
population and housing show that the total population, now
standing at 8,472,724, has decreased by 476,000 since 1985. There
are 3,061,000 dwellings in the country, and 67.1% of the
population live in cities. (Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.)

BULGARIA RAISES INTEREST RATE.  On 1 January Bulgaria's prime
interest rate will rise from 41 to 47%, Reuters reported on 28
December. The decision to raise the lending rate was taken by the
Bulgarian National Bank, which said the move was motivated by
"political instability, a forecast inflation rise, and the lack of
an approved 1993 budget law." During 1992 the prime interest rate
has hovered between 54 and 41%, while year-on-year inflation was
recently estimated at 90%.  (Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.)


[As of 1200 CET]
Compiled by Hal Kosiba & Charles Trumbull
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