The average interest rate on consumer loans in levs increased by 0.14 percentage points to 9.05 percent in May, and the annual percentage rate of charge (APR) on these loans - by 0.12 percentage points to 9.42 percent, the BNB reported. For housing loans in levs, the average interest rate decreased by 0.02 percentage points to 2.43 percent, and the annual percentage rate of charge on these loans remained at the level of 2.77 percent. The average interest rate on other loans in levs (including funds allocated to owners' associations under the National Program for Energy Efficiency of Multi-Family Residential Buildings) increased by 0.19 percentage points to 3.85 percent. The average interest rate on other loans in levs to employers and self-employed persons increased by 0.21 percentage points to 3.92 percent. In May, the average interest rate on overdrafts in levs fell by 0.12 percentage points to 13.73 percent, and on credit card loans outside the interest-free grace period in levs increased by 0.08 percentage points to 21.32 percent. In lending to businesses, the data show that in May the average interest rate on loans up to 1 million euros, agreed in levs, increased by 0.08 percentage points to 4.11 percent, and on those over 1 million euros - by 0.15 percentage points to 4.57 percent. The average interest rate on loans up to 1 million euros, agreed in euros, decreased by 0.27 percentage points to 4.13 percent, and on loans over 1 million euros increased by 0.67 percentage points to 4.75 percent. The average interest rate on overdrafts in levs fell by 0.01 percentage points to 3.38 percent, and on overdrafts in euro - by 0.15 percentage points to 3.84 percent. In the case of household deposits, the data show that in May the average interest rate on deposits with agreed maturity in levs fell by 0.06 percentage points to 0.91 percent, and on those in euro - by 0.29 percentage points to 1.13 percent. The average interest rates on overnight deposits in levs and in euro remained at levels of 0.01 percent. The average interest rate on deposits agreed and redeemable at notice in levs increased by 0.01 percentage points to 0.21 percent, and on those in euro remained at its level from the previous month of 0.16 percent. In May, compared to April, the average interest rate on business deposits with agreed maturity in levs increased by 0.10 percentage points to 1.51 percent, while on those in euro it decreased by 0.21 percentage points to 1.66 percent. The average interest rate on overnight deposits in levs decreased by 0.01 percentage points to 0.05 percent, while on those in euro it remained at the level of 0.12 percent.

178 newspapers with an annual circulation of 95,623 thousand copies were published in our country in 2024, according to data from the National Statistical Institute and the National Library "St. St. Cyril and Methodius". Paper media publications are two fewer, compared to 2023, according to NSI calculations. The most numerous are newspapers published once a week - 74, with editions from Sofia being 77, or 43.3% of all printed in Bulgaria. In 2024, 434 magazines were published, and compared to 2023 they increased by 1.4%. 68 of them are in foreign languages, and the most numerous are in English - 59 titles with a circulation of 133 thousand, followed by 3 editions in Romanian and 1 in Russian. 134 periodical collections were also published with a circulation of 29 thousand, and compared to the previous year, their number remained unchanged, and the circulation increased by 15.5%. In 2024, 8,891 books were published with a circulation of 5,297,385 and 1,252 brochures with a circulation of 1,009,001 copies, according to NSI data. 8,883 books and 1,252 brochures were registered with the unique identification code ISBN (International Standard Book Number), or 99.9% of all publications. Compared to the previous year, the number of published books and brochures decreased by 218, or 2.1%. Published books by genre: Scientific literature - 2,256 titles with a circulation of 364 thousand; Fiction for adults - 3,024 titles with a circulation of 1,464 thousand; Popular literature - 1,800 titles with a circulation of 875 thousand; Educational literature - 1,379 titles with a circulation of 2,362 thousand; Literature for children and adolescents - 1,331 titles with a circulation of 1,100 thousand, of which 828 titles are children's fiction with a circulation of 648 thousand; Other - 353 titles with a circulation of 142 thousand. The titles published in the original language of writing (including in Bulgarian) are 7,545, or 74.4% of the total number of books and brochures published. The translated titles are 2,598 with a circulation of 1,927 thousand, of which more than half are translated from English (51.3%), followed by those translated from French - 10.2%, Russian - 6.9%, and German - 6.1%. The largest number of books and brochures published is in the Sofia (capital) district - 6,913, followed by the Plovdiv (892) and Varna (451) districts.

Plot of 111 decares with a newly built 4.9 MWp photovoltaic plant (56 decares) and an adjacent free plot (55 decares) with development potential at a key location in the city of Blagoevgrad

From July 1, the National Electricity Company will no longer mix power plants to provide electricity to households. Its function as a public supplier is eliminated. This way, the company will be able to concentrate on free market transactions and achieving the best possible financial results. Until now, as a public supplier, the electricity it supplied to the final suppliers - the companies of Electrohold, EVN and Energo-Pro - was at prices regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission. The National Electricity Company holds four licenses - for public supply, electricity production from hydroelectric power plants and hydroelectric power plants, and for trading, as well as for a supplier of last resort (SRU). After the changes to the Energy Law from July 1, the “public supply” activity will be eliminated and the wholesale market will be completely liberalized. NEC has developed a business plan for the next 5 years for the development of its activities. The plan provides for the electricity produced by hydroelectric power plants and hydroelectric power plants to be sold on the free and balancing market to achieve optimal financial results and to guarantee the security of the electricity system. The company is also working on registration on the European Energy Exchange EEX. The company manages 31 dams and 39 dams, 21 of which are complex and significant. Leading for the security of the electricity system are the four hydropower cascades “Batash Hydropower Road”, “Dospat - Vacha”, “Arda” and “Belmeken - Sestrimo - Chaira”. Currently, NEC is working on five priorities in the hydropower sector, including the modernization of the Chaira Hydropower Plant through the “Yadenitsa” project. New Hydropower Plants of national and regional importance are also planned – “Batak”, “Dospat”, “Dospat with a New Equalizer” and “Ravnogor”. NEC is also working on the first project in Bulgaria for a hydroelectric energy storage system at the Vacha 1 Hydropower Plant. The company is currently in the process of obtaining a construction permit. In search of expanding its portfolio, NEC has also built 4 photovoltaic plants. They have a total installed capacity of 650 kilowatt-peak. A fifth FPP is also about to be connected to the network of “Electrorazpredelenie Sever”, which currently operates only for its own needs. NEK also plans to build a FPP “Sofia” with an installed capacity of 150 kWp.

The engineering, supply and construction company Solaris Holding AD - a joint venture of the Bulgarian-German SUNOTEC and the main shareholders of Eurohold Bulgaria AD, has opened a new hybrid power plant for the production and storage of green energy in the municipality of Oryahovo, Vratsa region. The project is financed by UBB and the German Varengold bank AG. The Selanovtsi power plant has an installed capacity of 59.8 MWp and an electricity storage system with a capacity of 107.3 MWh. It produces 79,892.71 MWh of electricity per year, which could provide power for over 22 thousand households and saves 1,029,206 tons of harmful emissions. The produced electricity is managed by one of the leading licensed traders - "Electrohold Trade" EAD, part of the Eurohold group - Electrohold. The plant covers an area of ​​37.86 hectares and has 103,116 photovoltaic panels installed. A team of 250 people participated in its construction. The battery modules are based on LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) technology. So far, Solaris Holding has implemented projects for over 600 MW in Bulgaria and the region, to which over 2,000 MWh of energy storage batteries have been installed.

Part of the remaining green areas around the unfinished city stadium of Varna will be built up, reports the company "Sporten Complex Varna", which is managed by "Holding Varna". The stadium "Varna" has been under construction for nearly 20 years and there is still no prospect of its completion. Construction was resumed in the fall of last year after the government promised to give another 30 million leva to the private investor who owns the controlling stake in the company. The minority shareholder is the Municipality of Varna, which gave the land on which the stadium is being built. The company plans to build a large residential area with an approximate developed built-up area of ​​48,000 sq m, commercial and service areas for another 9,800 sq m, as well as a sports hall with an area of ​​6,880 sq m. The terrain would have modern work spaces with an area of ​​about 3,000 sq m, as well as 24,000 sq m intended for public services. Among the other facilities in the new urban space, the highlight is the terrain in front of the stadium, which will be developed as a public square, spread over 12,000 sq. m. The place is intended for cultural and mass events, with a focus on green elements, pedestrian access and social activities, the company claims. The football stadium should have a capacity of 22,000 seats, meeting UEFA and FIFA standards, and an underground parking lot, an administrative block, sports areas, VIP boxes and commercial facilities serving the facility are planned. Upon completion of the Varna Stadium, the total investment in it will reach 139 million leva, it became clear at the end of last year from a statement by Ivelina Shaban, financial consultant of the company "Sports Complex - Varna". The price of one seat is 6,318 leva.

The scandalous public procurement for the next "finishing works" in the multifunctional sports hall "Arena Burgas" has been quietly terminated. The procedure for a new large-scale construction in the supposedly finished hall was opened by the managing state-owned company "Akademika 2011" EAD with an estimated value of 4.4 million leva excluding VAT. The deadline for submitting offers and applications for participation was May 30, but not a single candidate submitted the necessary documents. Three main activities were listed as the subject of the procurement: 1) development of an investment project; 2) carrying out all construction and installation works on it; 3) exercising author's supervision during the construction. The second item listed about a dozen premises that must be fully built, including: a hall with an area of ​​500 sq. m; sanitary facilities; restaurant; locker room with a SPA center; fitness; kitchen; ticket office. "Arena Burgas" was actually put into operation and officially opened two years ago - on May 18, 2023. At almost double the estimated cost of 38.4 million leva, announced at the groundbreaking in 2014 - to date, the facility, which is financed entirely with state funds, in the Burgas "Izgrev" district costs the taxpayer about 70 million leva. In the last three months alone, this was the second public procurement by "Academika 2011" for "finishing works" at "Arena Burgas".

The new majority shareholder of the Professional Football Club "Botev" - Plovdiv is Iliyan Filipov - co-owner of "PIMK Holding Group". The problem was that the previous owner - Anton Zingarevich, who was expelled from Bulgaria as a threat to national security, did not give in to paying old debts. Iliyan Filipov announced in an official statement that he is now the owner of "Botev" (Pd), having also covered the disputed debts of nearly 7 million leva.

The FSC has underwritten a share issue issued by Corporation for Technologies and Innovations AD, Plovdiv, in the register of public companies and other issuers of securities, for the purpose of trading on a regulated market. The issue is in the amount of 4,592,491 ordinary, registered, dematerialized, freely transferable shares with voting rights, with a nominal value of 1 lev each, with ISIN code BG1100006979.

The FSC has approved a prospectus for admission to trading on a regulated market of a bond issue issued by Debitum Invest REIT, Sofia. The issue is in the amount of EUR 5,500,000, divided into 5,500 ordinary, dematerialized, registered, freely transferable, interest-bearing, secured, non-convertible bonds, with a nominal value of EUR 1,000 each, with ISIN code BG2100011241, with a fixed interest rate of 7.70% per annum on the outstanding principal, with an issue date of 23.08.2024 and a maturity date of 23.08.2031.

The number of bankruptcies in Germany is continuing to rise, the credit agency Creditreform warned, quoted by dpa. The number of companies filing for bankruptcy by the end of the first half of the year will reach 11,900. This would represent a growth of 9.4% compared to the same period (January-June) in 2024. Although the increase has slowed significantly, the figure for the first half of 2024 was 28.5% higher than in the same period in 2023, the number of bankruptcies has nevertheless reached its highest level since 2015. At that time, Creditreform had recorded 11,530 bankruptcies of business entities for the period January and the end of June. The credit agency recorded a significant increase in company bankruptcies in the first half of the year in the manufacturing sector (up 17.5% to 940 cases) and in the retail sector (up 13.8% to 2,220). The industry is struggling with rising raw material and energy costs, while the retail sector is feeling the effects of consumer restraint amid international crises and online competition. The largest share of failed companies, just under 7,000, is in the services sector. Damage caused by business bankruptcies in the first half of 2025 amounted to approximately €33.4 billion (about $39 billion), compared to €29.7 billion a year earlier. The number of jobs at risk has also increased as a result of the widespread insolvencies, with 141,000 employees affected, compared to 133,000 in the first half of 2024.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) presented its defense budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 during a media briefing at the Pentagon. The military spending, totaling about $961 billion, includes a discretionary budget of $848.3 billion, as well as $113 billion in mandatory military spending that must be approved by Congress through budget reconciliation. The budget allocates $197.4 billion for the Army, $292.2 billion for the Navy, $301.1 billion for the Air Force, and $170.9 billion for overall defense, with the Air Force funds including $40 billion for the Space Force. The proposed budget includes $25 billion for an initial investment in the Gold Dome missile defense initiative; $60 billion for nuclear triad modernization; $3.1 billion for dollars for the production of F-15 EX Eagle II fighters; $3.5 billion in funding for the new generation of F-47 fighters; $6.5 billion in investments in conventional and non-supersonic munitions and $3.9 billion in supersonic weapons; $15.1 billion in investments in cybersecurity; funding for the construction of 19 new warships; as well as funds to increase combat readiness and training and improve the quality of life of military personnel, including a 3.8% salary increase, etc. The draft budget also includes some cuts, including the suspension of the program for the acquisition of E-7 Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft due to "concerns about their survivability in a hostile environment", as well as a reduction in orders for F-35 Lightning II from 74 to 47 aircraft, providing increased funding for the modernization of the aircraft's capabilities and about $1 billion for spare parts.