The Bulgarian National Bank has lowered the base interest rate for the second consecutive month. As of August 1, it stands at 3.53%, down from 3.63% in July. Since the end of 2023, the base interest rate has been gradually falling. From February 2016 to September 2022, the base interest rate was 0.00%. On October 1, 2022, the rate went up to 0.49%.
As of June 30, the net profit of the banking system for 2024 was EUR 0.9 billion, representing a 7.1% increase compared to the first six months of 2023, according to BNB statistics. Over a quarter of the income comes from fees and commissions. Banks earned EUR 1.6 billion from interest on loans in the first half of the year and paid out EUR 290 million in interest on deposits. Bank assets increased by over EUR 1 billion or 1.2% in the first half of 2024. Losses have risen by EUR 46 million to EUR 139 million, representing a 50.1% increase compared to the first six months of 2023.
It is extremely concerning that the largest company in Bulgaria, Lukoil Neftohim, which is part of the country's critical infrastructure, is still in the hands of a country that has declared Bulgaria a hostile state. This opinion was shared by energy..
“The divergence between the monetary and the fiscal policy pursued by the government continues to be the main reason why Bulgaria does not meet all criteria yet for entering the Eurozone,” Lyubomir Karimansky, member of the Governing Council of the..
Germany remains Bulgaria's strongest economic partner. Trade between the two countries for 2024 amounts to EUR 12 billion, said Tim Kurth, President of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. At a ceremony held at the University of..
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