Year 2018, Issue 2
Date published17.12.2018
Table of content
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Vasil
TERRITORIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LIVING STANDARDS IN BULGARIAN REGIONS AND DISTRICTS (2010–2017)Keywords: living standard, territorial differences, economic development, income and expenditures, income inequality, poverty.Summary: The article reviews differences in the living standard at the level of regions and districts. Living standard is defined and assessed in terms of material living conditions by employing multiple indicators which are grouped in three... The article reviews differences in the living standard at the level of regions and districts. Living standard is defined and assessed in terms of material living conditions by employing multiple indicators which are grouped in three modules (subject areas): economic development; income and consumption; income inequality and poverty. We employ relevant statistical indicators to measure differences and specific methodology to assess the living standard so that we could rank territorial units according to their distance from the best regional score. The findings of our empirical research of the living standard indicate that: (a) there is a slight trend towards a decrease in the differences between regions, while differences between districts remain the same; (b) there are significant changes in the arrangement of regions and districts according to their scores in the different years of the research; (c) divergent trends are identified in the development of territorial differences measured through the summary scores for the three modules; (d) the living standard has deteriorated in a significant number of the territorial units. -
Petya Ivanova
MODERNIZING THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN BULGARIA IN ORDER TO PROMOTE TOURISM DEVELOPMENTKeywords: tourism, transport, multimodal and intermodal system, transport facilities, sustainable transport.Summary: The scope, the role and the essence of the relationship between tourism and transport are presented conceptually and in terms of their modern aspects, as well as the impact of that correlation upon the development of tourist... The scope, the role and the essence of the relationship between tourism and transport are presented conceptually and in terms of their modern aspects, as well as the impact of that correlation upon the development of tourist destinations. We analyse the findings of a quality assessment of the different types of infrastructure in Bulgaria and in several countries which are our immediate rivals as tourist destinations. Evidence is provided to support the thesis that the transport infrastructure in Bulgaria needs to be improved to meet the demands of tourism, including by promoting easier access and mobility, and thus contribute to the image of the country as a sustainable destination. Key aspects for providing more efficient public transport in tourist destinations are identified. The paper also pays attention to strategic transport planning that should meet tourism demands and to improving the coordination between the institutions in both sectors in order to achieve visitors’ satisfaction, especially in terms of transportation. -
Margarita Marinova, Emiliya Vacheva
FROM THE HISTORY OF TRADE AND BANKING IN SVISHTOV. TRADING-AND-BANKING (MONEY-CHANGING) COMPANIES AND BANKING HOUSES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR THE TOWN ECONOMY (1878-1912)Keywords: Svishtov, trade, banking houses, trading-and-banking (money-changing) companies, joint-stock activity, loans, money-lending, capital accumulation, modernization, joint-stock banks.Summary: Based on archival sources not used so far, periodicals and other sources of information, the study reviews the economic life of Svishtov in the period 1878-1912, with an emphasis on the development of trade. Against this background,... Based on archival sources not used so far, periodicals and other sources of information, the study reviews the economic life of Svishtov in the period 1878-1912, with an emphasis on the development of trade. Against this background, it examines the issue of re-directing trading capital to banking. The focus of the study is the trading-and-banking (money-changing) companies and banking houses (8 partnerships and 9 sole proprietorships). The study answers a wide range of questions concerning their emergence, institutional characteristics, the nature of the capital mobilized in them; the banking operations and services they offered, with a focus on credit and the circumstances that allowed banking houses at certain periods to make a greater contribution to lending money to local trade and production; the psychological profile of the Svishtov merchant; the reasons why the joint-stock principle did not establish itself firmly and permanently in the economic life of the town. It also reveals the leading role of the Bulgarian National Bank in lending money to local trade and to the two savings joint-stock companies that existed in the 1890s and shows the importance of the banking houses for the development of the town’s economy in three directions – they were subjects in the process of initial capital accumulation; they provided short-term credit and increased the common funds for performing payment operations; they brought stability to the functioning of the banking and lending system especially in times of changes in the central bank’s policy. They also played the role of a ‘financial buffer’ that ensured the survival of companies in times of temporary hardships. The conclusion reached is that being away from joint-stock entrepreneurship, especially in banking, and the inability of local economic forces to create a joint-stock bank, was one of the main reasons for the economic backwardness of the town, beginning at the end of the nineteenth century. -
Hrabrin Bashev
THE IMPACT OF MARKET, PRIVATE, COLLECTIVE AND HYBRID MODES OF GOVERNANCE ON AGRARIAN SUSTAINABILITY IN BULGARIASummary: The specific governance systems in different countries, regions, sectors, etc., are a factor which largely (pre)determines the rate and type of socio-economic development. Despite its tremendous theoretical and practical... The specific governance systems in different countries, regions, sectors, etc., are a factor which largely (pre)determines the rate and type of socio-economic development. Despite its tremendous theoretical and practical significance, little empirical research has been conducted in Bulgaria, and south Eastern countries in general, of the dominant governance structures in agriculture and their impact on agrarian sustainability. The aim of this study is to adapt the interdisciplinary New institutional economics and to assess the impact which the different modes of governance (market, private, collective, public and hybrid) have upon agrarian sustainability at the current stage of development of our country. The study first presents the methodology of the research. Next, typical governance modes are identified that are employed by Bulgarian farms of different legal type, size, production specialization, environmental position and geographical location, the impact of those governance modes on agrarian sustainability in its economic, social and environmental aspects. In conclusion, recommendations are made about conducting further research and improving public policies and private governance strategies. Agricultural producers employ various combinations of efficient market, private, collective and hybrid modes of governance in their activity and relationships. The factors and modes which contribute the most to raising agrarian sustainability at this stage are: managers’ confidence and initiatives; economic resources and innovation potential; a short-term profit and gains strategy; price level and dynamics; EU payments per area, and informal agreements. The research of the relationship between governance structures and agrarian sustainability should continue further to improve its representativeness and enlarge the scope of the specific modes of governance which farms of different types employ, to assess the impact of institutions upon agrarian sustainability and the effect of governance at different hierarchical levels. The latter, however, requires employing a new type of micro and macro data and close cooperation between different stakeholders. -
Krassimira Kostadonova Naydenova
SOME CONSEQUENCES OF BULGARIA’S NON-MEMBERSHIP IN THE EURO AREAJEL: G100.Summary: The accession of Bulgaria to the Eurozone has been a problem for 10 years now, and the non-persistent attempts of the Bulgarian governments have faced the organized opposition of the European institutions. The rules for adopting the... The accession of Bulgaria to the Eurozone has been a problem for 10 years now, and the non-persistent attempts of the Bulgarian governments have faced the organized opposition of the European institutions. The rules for adopting the European currency are known, but they seem unread, and the political interpretation of the full-scale criteria has placed Bulgaria outside the “inner” European club. The deprivation of our country from Eurozone membership has not only social or political, but also financial consequences. The annual losses are significant and the national economy, financial markets and society remain only partially integrated.