A partnership agreement between the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and the nationally representative employers' organizations in Bulgaria, united in the Association of the Organizations of Bulgarian Employers (AOBE), was signed here on Tuesday at the BTA National Press Club.
The agreement was signed by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, Director of Programs and Projects at Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) Rossitsa Stelyanova, Dobri Mitrev - Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), Vasil Todorov - Secretary General of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and Irina Yordanova - Press Secretary of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB).
The participants in the ceremony were unanimous that the agreement formalizes the good cooperation between the national news agency and the Bulgarian business organizations.
BTA has always disseminated information of the Bulgarian business organizations, which have a huge capacity for the state of the country's economy, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev added. He recalled that the agency has opened a separate Economy Directorate, which covers domestic and global economic news and the link between them.
The BTA is already mentioning companies by their name because this is not advertising, but information. “I hope we influence the whole media environment, which used to look at business only as a source of advertising. We are watching how the world's agencies behave, who see no problems writing about company names or trademarks,” Valchev added.
Bulgaria has a good tradition of caring employers working for the prosperity of the country. They have conducted research on various aspects of business and have opinions about how the legislation should be developing. We will all benefit if they get more publicity,” Kiril Valchev said.
AOBE head Dobri Mitrev said that over the years employers have had an extremely fruitful relationship with BTA. “With the contract signed today, we are setting a framework for mutual rights and partnership obligations. We (AOBE) represent 86 per cent of the country's Gross Value Added and 82 per cent of the employees, Mitrev said. This cooperation will help us reach every institution and every Bulgarian citizen. We are focused on increasing the well-being of the Bulgarian nation and by sharing best practices we increase budget revenues, economic growth and people's incomes to live in a rich, peaceful and prosperous Bulgaria, Mitrev added.
Vasil Todorov, Secretary General of BCCI, said that the BTA team works with exceptional professionalism and presents the business to the public not only well, but also on time. BTA is the most frequently quoted media, he said. “The agency is a "transmitter of information" and it reaches the most specific audiences, which is important for us,” Vasil Todorov added. “The agreement signed today will contribute to the dissemination of our positions to the institutions and the whole Bulgarian society,” he said, adding that the results of the BCCI surveys will be presented through BTA as well.
Irina Yordanova, press secretary of KRIB, said she was particularly honoured and proud to put her signature on this agreement, recalling that she has worked at BTA in the past, whose employees are known for their professionalism and objectivity. Bulgarian businesses are not only fighting the grey economy, but also fake news. Already 124 years ago, BTA covered business news in its first newsletter, Yordanova recalled.
“I would like to express that it is an honour and pleasure to cooperate with BTA,” said Rositsa Steliyanova. “We are grateful for the objective approach in the coverage of our events. You are an extremely important institution because you set the tone and the agenda of the information flow. We have long been working on the issue of company names - they are important because we manage to attract young people to stay in Bulgaria. We are trying with projects and initiatives to improve the skills of the workforce. This agreement is already happening and I hope to build on this cooperation,” Steliyanova said.
