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Press review

Photo: Maria Peeva

Bulgaria’s printed media accentuate on Wednesday on the street protests held in Sofia on Tuesday against the expected increase of the prices of natural gas, central heating and electricity. "The State Energy and Water Regulatory Committee has postponed its cutthroat price hike for April 7", Standart daily points out, adding that the energy regulator will adopt its final decision on Friday this week. The newspaper also quotes a statement of former Deputy Premier Tomislav Donchev that the expected price increase sets a trap for the future government. Trud daily publishes a comment of former Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova that such a drastic increase of the price of natural gas was entirely unacceptable for GERB party. According to Tomislav Donchev and Temenuzhka Petkova who were both members of Borissov 2 cabinet, the planned 30% increase of the price of natural gas was absolutely unacceptable for the Bulgarian households and business. That is why SEWRC should revise its decision and the authorities should find financial buffers and reserves in Bulgargas, in order to avoid such dramatic price increase, Dnevnik daily comments on its first pages. The politicians immediately took advantage of the large-scale public discontent stemming from the drastic increase of the price of natural gas, Sega daily writes. The newspaper quotes the Chairman of the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission Ivan Ivanov that the new prices of natural gas would not have a domino effect on the prices of other goods and services and that the 63% reduction of the price of natural gas in the past 2 years has not resulted in lower prices of goods and services. However, Sega daily quotes a statement of Bulgaria’s Ombudsman Maya Manolova that the price of central heating should not go up after the recent increase of the prices of natural gas and that the domino effect will affect the prices of essentials the most. The Bulgarian newspapers point out that highest increase of price of central heating is expected in the city of Pleven (Central North Bulgaria) where local consumers will pay 40% higher bills for that service. The price increase in Veliko Tarnovo will amount to 17.91% and prices of central heating in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia will see a 22.75% increase.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov


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