The Executive President of BIA Radosvet Radev had a meeting with the Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov. Among the discussed topics were the work of Bulgaria’s trade counsellors abroad, the effects of Free Trade Agreements between the EU and third countries on Bulgarian exporters, as well as other matters of mutual interest.
“BIA as an industrial union, supports innovative Bulgarian companies mainly in the export of goods and services with higher added value and the attraction of sustainable investments in quality workplaces. That is why in our work with the Ministry of Economy and with the Commercial Representative Offices in particular, we have always valued expertise in the search for niches and creating new market opportunities for Bulgarian goods and services,” said in the course of the discussion Radosvet Radev. He insisted on a wider application of public-private models and the sending abroad of staff with strictly specific tasks, which could accelerate the favorable positioning of Bulgaria in certain niche markets. According to the Executive President of BIA, it is necessary that the selection and attestation of CRO employees are carried out jointly with the business, to define specific tasks for each foreign market, and the budgets of the representations to be formed on a program basis.
Branch organizations, members of BIA, are often expressing concerns about some Free Trade Agreements. As an example were pointed out producers of vegetable oils, sugar and bee products, who suffer from Ukraine’s export duties on sunflower, low domestic sugar prices and bee honey on the Ukrainian market.
Among the discussed topics was also the organizations of business missions, accompanying heads of state on their visits. Radosvet Radev informed that on a proposal of the Association of Organizations of Bulgarian Employers (AOBE), which in 2018 is headed by him on a rotating principle, the Executive Agency for Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises is organizing all business delegations, accompanying members of the Council of Ministers on official visits abroad. In order to further spread good practices it was proposed that this course of action is also applied when organizing delegations’ visits from the Presidency and the National Assembly abroad.
