The World Bank is one of two major financial institutions created as a result of the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944.
Bulgaria joined the World Bank in 1990. Since 1989, when the country began democratic reforms, Bulgaria has undergone major economic... Read More
Bulgaria has come a long way from its difficult early years of transition to a market economy. Buoyed by a decade of sound macro-economic... Read More
The World Bank’s work in Bulgaria is an example of how a global knowledge and finance institution can make a difference in a middle-income... Read More
IDF Grant for Combating Corruption: Strengthening Anti-Corruption Capacity in the Office of the Prosecutor General
The IDF grant was designed to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of the Prosecution Office of the Republic of Bulgaria (PORB) to track and combat corruption. The Grant supported the PORB's own anti-corruption reform program. The Grant amounted to US$475,000, of which US$421,544 were disbursed during May 2007-October 2010. . 
In 2001, the Bulgaria Registration and Cadastre Project was started to improve the coverage, completeness, accuracy, and responsiveness of the cadastre and property registration system. Improved cadastre and property registration systems contribute to a secure and efficient real estate market, and hence ultimately increased investments and economic growth. The initial project ammount is for 30 and now it is in its final stages. 
The Pomorie Lake Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Management Project started in 2005 with the aim to ensure the long-term sustainable development of Pomorie Lake. The project site is a unique saline lake situated on the Black Sea coast combining natural beauty and environmental significance with traditional activities such as salt production and curable mud extraction. There are 266 bird species inhabiting the lake which is on the major migratory route Via Pontica. The lake is a protected site and part of the pan-European network of protected sites Natura 2000, and is a wetlands of international significance under the Ramsar convention. The project is financed by USD 888 000 from the Global Environment Facility. The main components of the project are development of the long-term Management Plan for Pomorie Lake and implementation of the most urgent measures in the Management Plan. 
The Bulgarian Wetlands Restoration and Pollution Reduction Project was launched in October 2002. This is a very innovative project, and the largest and most successful project of this type in the region. The Project is financed by the Global Environment Facility/World Bank, and co-financed by the Bulgarian government, the EU PHARE programme, the Austrian government and other bilateral donors. The total cost of the project is USD 13.28 million, of which USD 7.5 million from the GEF. The global environmental objective of the project is to serve as a model for reduction of transboundary nutrient pollution loads, flowing into the Danube River and Black Sea basins, while conserving important endangered species in the protected areas. 
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The Social Investment and Employment Promotion Project was approved by World Bank Board of Directors in December 2002. The original loan amount is 50 million USD. In March 2007 the Board approved an additional operation, called SIEP Supplement for 19.3 million USD.
The SIEP project has three components, and is supported by policy and regulatory developments covered by other programs as well. The two basic components include: 
The Health Sector Reform Project is a part of an overall program of health reform and it was implemented over the period 2001-2008. The project received EUR 68.9 million from IBRD. The project financing became effective on October 19, 2000. 
The Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project was approved by the Board of the World Bank on June 26, 2007. The total Project cost is estimated at EUR 144 million, with EUR 90 million from the proposed World Bank Loan. The Project includes three components: (i) rehabilitation of about 450 kilometers of Class I, II, and III roads; (ii) technical assistance for the National Roads Agencyto develop its capacity in planning, programming, and project execution; and (iii) technical assistance and other activities to support Bulgaria’s objective to improve road safety. 
The Second Trade and Transport Facilitation Project was approved by the IBRD Board of Directors on March 21, 2007, and became effective on June 5, 2007. TTFSE II Project implementation period is from 2007 to June 2012. The project costs EUR 54.6 million total. Of it EUR 40.9 million is a World Bank loan, and EUR 13.7 million is co-financing by the Bulgarian Government. 
The Svilosa Wood Residue to Energy Project started in September 2003 with the signing of the Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreement between Sviolsa AD and the World Bank, as Trustee of the Prototype Carbon Fund. The total Project cost is estimated at the Total Purchase Price of no less than US$ 1,750,000 US$. The Svilosa Biomass Project consists of the installation and operation of a biomass-fired boiler fueled by wood wastes (bark, shavings, sawdust) produced by the pulp operation in Svilosa. The operation of the biomass boiler reduces the amount of coal needed in the Combined Heat and Power plant, reducing the release of greenhouse gases and local pollutants. Also, the utilization of wood wastes will reduce the release of methane emissions, which would have been released if the wood waste was disposed in a landfill. The Project includes two components: Component 1 Biomass Boiler and Component 2 – Emission Reduction Monitoring and Certification. 
The Energy Efficiency Project was approved in 2005 and started in 2006 promoting energy efficiency in view of Bulgaria’s high energy intensity, which is more than twice EU average. This is implemented through development of a dedicated, self-sustaining and market-based finance facility - the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Fund (BEEF). The initial capitalization of BEEF is entirely with grant funds with its major donors being: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the World Bank – USD1 0 million, the Government of Austria – EUR 1.5 million, the Government of Bulgaria – EUR 1.5 million, and several private Bulgarian companies. BEEF’s services are divided in 3 components. 
The District Heating Project was approved by the board of the World Bank on June 17, 2003. The total Project cost is estimated at US$ 132.7 million, with US$ 34.2 million (7 million for Pernik and 27.2 for Sofia) from the World Bank Loan. The Project includes two components. 
The Revenue Administration Reform Project started in 2003 supporting the implementation of a sustainable revenue collection system for Bulgaria. The total Project cost is USD 63 million.
SOFIA, Bulgaria -The Bulgaria’s Policy Notes “Mapping Bulgaria’s Future: Inclusive Growth & Productive Jobs” was one of 12 awarded projects. The comprehensive set of policy analyses of 16 key sectors were presented soon after the new Bulgarian Government took office in July 2009. The report contributed to the national discussion on how to maintain macroeconomic and financial sector stability in times of rapidly falling government revenues and declining profitability of the corporate sector. The Bank’s advice came just on time helping to focus on fiscal constrains and key sectors reforms. 
SOFIA, Bulgaria - In preparation for EU accession, Bulgaria initiated a major institutional overhaul of its revenue administration system, supported by the World Bank’s Revenue Administration Reform Project. The comprehensive reform program was centered on the integration of collection and enforcement functions of the old tax administration and the social security collection into a new agency, the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and putting in place a modern legal framework for the agency, the collection procedures, and the material tax laws. In addition, the collection of municipal taxes and fees was gradually divested to municipalities. Making the NRA operational meant the development of new policies, new work arrangements, procedures and technology, the integration of staff and resources of the two agencies into the NRA and implementing a true self-assessment culture based on respect for and collaboration with the taxpaying community. 
SOFIA, Bulgaria - Roughly 25 times per hour, Assia Vassileva dials a Belgian telephone number, says “Bonjour” and tries to sell services ranging from cheap chimney sweeping to competitive cell-phone deals. She is a soft-spoken 32-year old Bulgarian but the French she learned at Sofia University is good enough for the Belgian customers at the other end of the line. “At most, they ask if I’m Flemish,” says Vassileva. 
LIASKOVETZ, Bulgaria - In a sun-scorched pocket of southern Bulgaria, the village of Liaskovetz looks abandoned. The shells of former greenhouses, looted after collective farms were disbanded in the early 1990s, litter its entrance. The village school is dilapidated. And the streets are silent at mid-day while villagers are off minding their sheep or tilling small plots of land. 
At 19, Katya Arsenova is not that much older, and, in some cases, is a few years younger than the people she is helping to organize. She believes she has one primary skill to offer: the ability to define and achieve a goal. She honed this skill during a one-year training program organized by Pakiv, a civic organization dedicated to developing Roma civil society through its young leaders. 
In the early 1990s, Bulgaria launched extensive reforms. The principles of private real property rights and liberalized land markets were restored in the legislation, so several land restitution laws were passed, affecting farmlands, forests, nationalized immovable properties, and expropriated properties. The farmland restitution, completed in the year 2000, produced nearly 8.3 million individual plots, belonging to approximately 1.9 million former owners. A land administration reform was called upon to solve a number of critical issues, including the fragmentation of land records, the lack of tenure security and the lack of trust in government institutions. Both in urban and rural territories, the maintenance system and technology for updating land records did not guarantee a reliable, continuous or timely update. As a result, the functioning of the real estate market was impaired by the poor quality of the official land records and land information services. This resulted in numerous disputes and it is estimated that 40 percent of all civil court cases were related to land tenure issues. 
In the course of transition to a market economy, and in reformulating the role of government, Bulgaria confronted mounting evidence that its revenue collection administration needed a major institutional overhaul to enable it to mobilize revenues effectively and efficiently, as well as to accede to the European Union.