Road accidents account for 80% of all disaster fatalities: NSI
Half of the disasters that befell Bulgaria in 2023 were fires, while road accidents with fatalities accounted for 47% of all car crashes, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) reported. During the year, 667 people died in disasters and accidents, which amounts to 10 deaths per 100,000 population. Road fatalities accounted for 546, or 80% of all deaths.
The total number of crisis events for which a state of emergency was declared amounted to 104 - more than twice as many as in the previous year (55). Of these, the largest share is that of floods, storms, harsh winter conditions and forest fires. Compared to 2022, the declared states of emergency due to floods increased by 62.5%, and those related to forest fires - by 85.7%.
November deficit shrinks to 1.9% of GDP: Ministry of Finance
After the budget deficit suddenly jumped to almost 2% of GDP, or 1.2 billion levs, in October, the trend reversed in November. A month before the end of the year, the deficit in state finances shrank by 300 million levs to 3.7 billion levs and is now 1.9% of the estimated GDP, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance published on Tuesday.
The main reason is higher revenues from corporate taxes. Companies can submit a declaration for the advance tax due until November 15, and most of them are looking to pay amounts on their real profit now so they do not owe interest for late payment in the middle of next year.
The 2024 budget is planned with a cash-based deficit of 6.2 billion levs, or 3% of GDP. Thus, in December the government will be able to have a buffer for an additional deficit of about 2.5 billion levs.
Record-high imports and prices of electricity in November due to repairs
In November, Bulgaria experienced the highest electricity exchange prices since 2022 - 327 levs per MWh. This affected production, consumption, the restart of coal-fired power plants, which in turn caused political tension and even sparked talks about an electricity regime.
The high prices and the need for imports were caused by a series of factors. First of all, one of the units of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) had to undergo scheduled repair. This meant that the thermal power plants had to increase their production (their share of total production reached 41%), which is made more expensive because of polluting quotas, in effect increasing the values of the transactions.
And since expensive electricity is purchased only as a last resort, Bulgaria also registered a record import. In fact, 23% of the electricity consumed during the month was imported, amounting to 800,000 megawatt hours.
Road accidents account for 80% of all disaster fatalities: NSI
Half of the disasters that befell Bulgaria in 2023 were fires, while road accidents with fatalities accounted for 47% of all car crashes, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) reported. During the year, 667 people died in disasters and accidents, which amounts to 10 deaths per 100,000 population. Road fatalities accounted for 546, or 80% of all deaths.
