The National Social Security Institute declares that the average insured income for the country for May 2019 is BGN 980.76. This was announced by the NSSI press centre. The average monthly insured income for the country for the period from June 01, 2018 to May 31, 2019 is BGN 928.94. The defined average monthly social security income for the country for the indicated period is used in calculating the amounts of newly granted pensions in June 2019, 70, p. 2 of the Social Insurance Code.

The population of Bulgaria has fallen below 7 million since last year and continues to decrease. This is the latest data from an Eurostat analysis according to which the number of Bulgaria’s inhabitants was 6,957,642 in 2018. A few months ago, the National Statistical Institute shared similar data. The number of young Bulgarians in Bulgaria aged under 15 in the past year was 996 thousand or 14.3% of the total population. Bulgarians aged 14-64 were 4,494,937 or a share of 64.4% of the population. Bulgarians aged over 65 were 1,466,652, or 21%. This number is with nearly 470 thousand more than the young Bulgarians. According to Eurostat's analysis, nearly 13,000 citizens from EU countries live in Bulgaria. In this category the share of children under 15 is about 500, the number of adults aged between 15-64 - 9134 and over 65 - 3465. The number of non-EU members living in the country is significantly higher - 70,920. Children under 15 in this age category are 7558, people aged 15-64 are 53,335 and over 65 - almost 10,000.

Because of a large investor in Kuklen, the State will pour money in the small municipality to build the appropriate infrastructure, the Council of Ministers decided. The investor of the plant is Spinner Bulgaria, which is built on an area of 25 decares and is certified under the Investment Promotion Act as a class A investor. It will produce metalworking machines and the investment is over BGN 10 million. Spinner Bulgaria LTD is registered in Plovdiv. 50% share in it is held by the Germany-based Ѕріnnеr Wеrkzеugmаѕсhіnеnfаbrіk GmbН and 50% by Turkey-based Аvсı СNС Маkіnе Раzаrlаmа АŞ. Spinner Bulgaria also announced in its investment proposal last year that 100 people will be employed in the production operations. Finished metalworking machines with numerical control are intended for export to Germany, Turkey, the Middle East, North and South America.

Bulgarian telecoms operator Vivacom has been put up for sale with Lazards appointed as broker. Spas Rusev, who owns 46 percent of Vivacom, confirmed that it is for sale. Meetings have been held with potential strategic and private equity buyers. Rusev said Vivacom was expected to have EBITDA of EUR 190 million this year. Vivacom could be valued at approximately EUR 1.2 billion, based on recent deals in the region, including PPF’s takeover of Telenor's eastern European telecoms businesses and United Group's acquisition of Tele2 in Croatia. The consortium bought the business for EUR 330 million less than four years ago. VTB Capital, the UK arm of Russian bank VTB, owns almost 20 percent of Vivacom, as does Delta Capital International, the investment vehicle of Bulgaria’s ex-finance minister Milen Veltchev and his brother Georgi.

Allianz Bulgaria Holding is seeking anti-trust approval to acquire the remaining stake it does not own in its majority-owned unit Allianz Leasing Bulgaria. The acquisition is not expected to have an effect on competition on the local market. Interest parties have until July 18 to submit their statements to the competition authority regarding the deal. According to the latest available commercial register data, Allianz Bulgaria Holding held a 51% stake in Allianz Leasing Bulgaria at the end of 2017, while the remaining 49% were owned by Austria-based VHO Holding.

Fluid dispensing and PCB conformal coating equipment supplier Nordson ASYMTEK has signed a distribution agreement for Bulgaria with Amtest Group, which already represents Nordson DIMA and Nordson SELECT in Bulgaria. A new Center of Excellence is planned to open in Botvegrad later this year. Amtest Group will distribute and provide technical support to new and existing customers for all Nordson ASYMTEK fluid dispensing and conformal coating products. Amtest Group represents Nordson ASYMTEK’s fluid dispensing and conformal coating systems with sales and technical support in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and North Macedonia. Nordson ASYMTEK is part of US corporation Nordson, which designs and manufactures dispensing equipment for consumer and industrial adhesives, sealants and coatings.

German technology and services provider Bosch Group has increased its consolidated turnover from operations in Bulgaria by over 19% year-on-year to BGN 203 million in 2018. The performance of Bosch in Bulgaria is mainly backed by the strong development in one of the three subsidiaries of Bosch Group in the country - Bosch Software Innovations. The software company employed more than 170 associates at the end of last year, up 25% on 2017, and plans to further increase its headcount by 30% in 2019. Bosch Software Innovations achieved BGN 10.5 million of sales revenues in 2017 and had 140 employees. In 2015 Bosch Group acquired software company ProSyst, with roughly 130 associates in Sofia, Bulgaria and Cologne, Germany and fully merged it with Bosch Software Innovations, creating its third Bulgarian-based unit. Bosch entered the Bulgarian market in 1993 through the establishment of its first subsidiary, Robert Bosch EOOD, a wholly-owned unit of Germany's Robert Bosch. BSH Household Appliances Bulgaria, a unit of BSH Hausgerete, was founded in 2010.

The UK economy returned to growth in May after shrinking in April, but the news failed to allay fears of a future slowdown. The economy grew 0.3% from the month before, after declining 0.4% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Growth for the three months to May was 0.3%, with all sectors showing growth. But economists say that June's growth figures will have to be strong to avoid contraction in the second quarter. A partial recovery in car production, which had fallen sharply in April, was the main reason for the economy's upturn in May, said Rob Kent-Smith, head of GDP at the ONS. Factory shutdowns designed to cope with disruption from a March Brexit had slashed UK car production in April by nearly half. However, despite this rebound, the levels of output in the car industry are below those seen in the months leading up to April 2019, the ONS said. "GDP grew moderately in the latest three months, with IT, communications and retail showing strength. Despite this, there has been a longer-term slowdown in the often-dominant services sector since summer 2018," Mr Kent-Smith added. In May, growth in services was flat, following growth of 0.1% in April.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an investigation into France’s planned tax on technology companies, a probe that could lead to the United States imposing new tariffs or other trade restrictions. “The United States is very concerned that the digital services tax which is expected to pass the French Senate tomorrow unfairly targets American companies,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the investigation. The move gives Lighthizer up to a year to investigate if France’s digital-tax plan would hurt U.S. technology companies. The “Section 301” investigation will determine if the levy poses an unfair trade practice. Prior investigations have covered Chinese trade practices and European Union subsidies on large commercial aircraft. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in March that a 3% tax on the French revenue of large internet companies could yield 500 million euros ($563 million) a year.

The trade war is putting the brakes on the world's second-largest economy. According to a new survey from Reuters, China's economy is expected to grow by 6.2% this year, approaching a near 30-year low. The country's economic growth has been hampered by the hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs levied by the Trump administration over the last year. Most recently, President Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese exports in May. The Chinese government has resorted to a domestic stimulus package in order to cope with the impact of the trade war. Short-term interest rates have been brought down lower, and the People's Bank of China reduced the reserve requirement ratio for banks six times since last year. The analysts polled by Reuters expect the People's Bank of China will continue to ease policy for the rest of the year. China's slowdown is bad news for US companies with high exposure to the Chinese market. President Trump's trade war with China has already sent ripples throughout the US economy and weighed down corporate earnings. US-based semiconductor firms like Broadcom, Intel, and AMD have all found themselves caught in the trade spat. In early June, Broadcom cut its yearly sales outlook due to the escalating trade tensions dragging down demand for its chip-making business.