For the first time in many years, the state failed to collect the planned amount of value added tax. The main source of revenue in the budget - VAT, turned out to be about BGN 670 million less than the estimates for 2022. In July, the previous National Assembly made an update of the budget for 2022, which increased expenses and to ensure proportional growth and of revenues, raised the forecast for economic growth. The taxes collected in the state budget last year amounted to BGN 31.6 billion, which is only BGN 100 million more than planned. The over-implementation comes from corporate taxes and personal income taxes, while indirect taxes - VAT and excise taxes - are below the levels planned for the year, the Ministry of Finance indicates.

A little over 3,500 trademark applications were submitted to the Bulgarian Patent Office in 2022. There were approximately the same number of people wishing to obtain protection of their trademark in the previous year 2021. The submitted applications for inventions for the last 12 months are more than 170, and the trend is maintained in relation to 2021. Last year's applicant activity remained unchanged in terms of the number of applications for utility models, so-called small inventions (214). The number of applications for utility models and inventions has been steadily increasing since 2012. Last year, 95 applications for industrial design and 37 applications for new varieties of plants and breeds of animals were registered. More than 100 for the last two years are the requests for certificates for additional protection. There were 1,922 European patent applications filed in 2021 and 1,369 last year. The patents issued by the Bulgarian Patent Office for the last two years are more than 250. The registered utility models for the same period are about 400. The institution has issued about 3,500 certificates for the validity of a European patent in 2021 and 2022.

The annual turnover of BSE in 2022 will increase by 23% compared to 2021 and will reach BGN 1.004 billion. The total monthly turnover for December 2022 is BGN 88,175,664, which represents a decrease of 45.53% compared to the previous month of November and an increase of 22.64% cumulatively compared to the same month of the previous year. In the last month of last year, 5,112 transactions were realized, which increased by 16.30% cumulatively compared to the same month last year, while on a monthly basis a decrease of 27.31 percent was reported.

Commercial banks whose shares are traded on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange did not pay dividends to their shareholders last year. These are First Investment Bank JSC, Central Cooperative Bank JSC and Texim Bank JSC. In February 2022, the Governing Council of the BNB adopted a decision to suspend the restriction on the distribution of banks' profits for 2019 and 2020. It concerned the distribution of profits in whole or in part, in the form of a dividend, share buyback or other similar payment. The measure was aimed at stabilizing the capital position of banks and the banking system.

The construction company "Trace Group Hold" JSC has concluded a contract for the repair and new construction of roads, streets and sidewalks for BGN 25 million excluding VAT. The subject of the contract is "New construction, major repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction, current repair of the street network, municipal roads, republican roads (subject to agreement with the Republican Road Infrastructure Fund), current repair and new construction of asphalt pavements and on the territory of Stara Zagora Municipality". The term of the contract is three years. In mid-December 2022, "Trace" signed a contract for the reconstruction and improvement of streets in the quarter "Tri Chuchura-Yug" in Stara Zagora. The value of the contract is over 5, BGN 4 million without VAT, and the implementation period is 24 months.

"Prime Property BG" REIT wants to buy land allocated for the construction of a warehouse in Burgas, estimated by an independent appraiser at just over 2.2 million BGN and with a liquidation value of almost BGN 2 million. The land is located in the "Kurt Tepe" area in Burgas, and is designated as a warehouse. The area of the field is almost 15 thousand square meters. The owner is "Nevada Tours 2004" JSC. The price at which the property will be purchased is EUR 65/sq.m, or the company will pay just over EUR 223,000 for the land. The owner "Nevada Tours 2004" is also a company of Sava Choroleev, who is on the board of directors of "Prime Property BG" through his company "SVS" AD, according to a reference in the Commercial Register.

Repairs begin on the Vera Su ship. In the "Terem - Naval Arsenal" KRZ, a complete repair of the ship will be carried out, the mechanisms in the engine room will also be replaced. The vessel was sold on December 20 last year to an offshore company with an ultimate owner in Lithuania, in the fourth auction after a lack of bidders failed the first three. In 2021, the fertilizer-laden ship ran aground in the Yaylata Protected Area and was towed from there after 36 days. The operations to save and tow the Vera Su to the dry dock of the "Naval Arsenal" cost more than two million leva, and it was expected that the state would be able to cover at least part of the costs after the sale of the ship.

Inflation in the Eurozone decreased in December more than analysts expected - from 10.1% in November to 9.2% in December, Eurostat reported based on preliminary estimates. In the energy industry, the increase in prices remains categorically the largest - almost 26%, but clearly lower than the November indicator of nearly 35%. Food, alcohol and tobacco products follow with nearly 14% (13.6% in November). When price increases in this group and energy are excluded, inflation was 5.2% (up from 5% and analysts' expected 5.1%). This change has been seen as an indicator that demands for higher pay from employees are beginning, which is one of the secondary causes of persistence in the rate of inflation. The first comments on the data are that they are encouraging - inflation is decreasing. But they are also a sign that it will remain in the Eurozone at a relatively very high level.