From January 1, the VAT rate for restaurant services in Bulgaria returned to 20%, marking the end of the temporary 9% rate introduced during the Covid crisis. The reduced VAT was extended several times, but no longer applied, also affecting the zero VAT rate on bread and flour, which reverted to 20%. While the caretaker…
In 2024, the state budget received $41.7 billion of external financing. Grants amounted to about $12.6 billion, around 30% of the total amount of financing. At the same time, Ukraine received all loans on concessional terms. “The $41.7 billion in financial assistance represents a remarkable achievement, made possible through the dedicated efforts of the President…
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called on the European Union to ban imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia in order not to finance the criminal Kremlin regime. Sybiha reacted in this way to the Financial Times publication that during 2024, EU countries imported a record volume of Russian liquefied natural gas. “This is unacceptable.…
The power outage in various regions of Bulgaria has led to serious concerns and protests from local residents. Many areas, including parts of the Lovech municipality, have experienced days without electricity, with some villages facing up to six days without power. Ignat Ignev, the mayor of Radyuven, called the situation a “crime” and “bordering on…
In one year following the launch of the Vilnius-Riga rail link, more than 62,000 passengers have travelled between the capitals of Lithuania and Latvia, reports the Latvian public broadcaster LSM. The train journey now takes under 4 hours, according to LSM, which quotes the Lithuanian state railways, LTG. “This route is successful, having maintained its…
Bulgaria’s minimum wage is set to rise to 1,077 leva (550 euros) from January 2025, despite the absence of an adopted budget for the year. The increase, implemented through a government decree published in the State Gazette in October, marks a 15.4% hike from the current 933 leva. This adjustment follows a pattern of steady…
Ukraine has taken all necessary steps in advance to ensure stable gas supplies to consumers despite the complete halt in Russian natural gas transition, Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko has announced. “We have consistently communicated that transit will halt from January 1, 2025. Therefore, our position remains unchanged. We have been preparing for the cessation of…