News Archive

On April 26 the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) aired the last issue of Municipal Radio Forum, a joint initiative of BNR’s "Horizont" program and the Foundation for Local Government Reform (FLGR) with the financial support of USAID.

The study was commissioned by CRS as part of the joint USAID/CRS/Microfund/Ustoi project “Alliance for Inclusive Business Development of Roma Communities in Bulgaria”. The results pointed to the potential of microlending to create a series of positive incentives for Roma clients. Most interviewed agreed that receiving a loan will have a positive impact on fostering a desire to work and repay the loan, leading in turn to increased investment and enlargement of the business.

High-level Bulgarian Government officials attended the annual forum. Ambassador Beyrle’s opening remarks highlighted CSD’s analysis of the immense cost of corruption to all Bulgarian citizens. The think tank presented their eighth Corruption Assessment Report which covers the period immediately preceding Bulgaria’s accession to the EU through the first months of EU membership. It analyzes the main results and risks of the Bulgarian anti-corruption strategy.

USAID’s Commercial Law Reform Program (CLRP) publicly presented the newly developed Judgment Enforcement Performance Monitoring System (JEPMS) in Russe on April 20.

One of the most difficult issues in the judiciary was addressed with the opening of a new room for interviewing child participants in court proceedings on April 20 in Sofia.

At a conference on April 17, USAID celebrated the successful completion of its assistance program in the area of local government reform. USAID presented a film capturing key events and achievements of the program in the last 13 years.

The USAID Judicial Strengthening Initiative and the SJC will now jointly distribute the comprehensive Information Center Concept to all Bulgarian courts. Courthouse Information Centers are an essential tool in bridging the divide between the public and its judicial institutions.

The National Conference on Public Procurement System Integrity organized by the USAID Open Government Initiative on April 4 in Sofia was attended by all key stakeholders in the public procurement process. USAID invested almost $10 million to help Bulgarian public institutions become more transparent, efficient and responsive.