Cabinet Reports Stagnation of South Bulgaria's Development in 2007-2013 Period


Sofia, April 15 (BTA) - Cabinet approved Wednesday the reports
on the results from the implementation of the regional
development plans of Bulgaria's South-central, Southwestern and
Southeastern planning regions for the period 2007-2013, said the
 Government's press service. According to the summarized
results, this country's three southern regions are not
developing with the exception of the capital city Sofia.
Investor interest is low and unstable, the demographic situation
 is deteriorating, unemployment is on the rise, while a boost
was registered only in tourism. 

According to the analysis, the Southwestern region retains its
top position on most main indices and is affected by the global
economic crisis to a lesser degree. This, however, is due to
Sofia's leading position, thanks to which the regions has
reached 78 per cent of the EU average in terms of per capita
GDP. Meanwhile, the combined indices of the regions of Sofia,
Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil and Pernik, are lower than other
regions, such as the Southeast, South-central and Northeast.

The economic condition of the South-central region remains
unchanged and it once again ranks fourth out of Bulgaria's six
regions in terms of per capita GDP, Cabinet's press release
said.

The only positive trend is the increased interest in the
region's tourism, which is evident by the increased revenues
from overnights. The employment coefficient dropped by 3.3 per
cent and unemployment continued increasing by 8.4 per cent
between 2007 and 2014.

The Southeastern region marks average values of almost all main
indices, including GDP. Tourism is the only sector of the local
economy which registered growth, but challenges still remain
regarding the quality of service and diversification of the
tourism product. The employment coefficient decreased by 3.3 per
 cent, ranking the region third in the country. Unemployment
continued increasing by 7.2 per cent during the period in
review.