Page 6 - bne_newspaper_July_21_2017

The Regions This Week
July 21, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 6
Southeast Europe
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government will make dismissing “parasites” in Albania’s public administration a priority during its second term in office. Albania is implementing reforms in the public administration, supported by the Europe- an Union, alongside the judicial reforms needed for the country to move closer to EU accession talks.
Turkish PM Binali Yildirim announced a cabi- net reshuffle following an unscheduled meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Yildirim kept his economic management team in place, suggesting that no major change in the government’s economic policies should be ex- pected.
Sales of second-hand cars soared in Romania
after the government abolished a tax required when registering vehicles. In the first half of this year, sales of old cars were five times higher than new car sales.
Mass protests erupted in Moldova after the parliament approved a law on electoral re- forms. Critics say the changes will benefit the ruling Democratic Party and President Igor Do- don’s Socialists while keeping opposition parties out of the parliament.
Workers at Fiat Serbia ended their three-week strike following discussions with Prime Min- ister Ana Brnabic, and have started talks with the company’s management. Fiat is Serbia’s top exporter, and Brnabic’s government had worked hard to bring the two sides to the negotiating table so that work could resume.
Turkish state-owned Halkbank is planning to issue up to $4bn worth of bonds abroad. The net profit of Halkbank, the sixth largest Turkish lender by asset size, jumped 156% y/y to TRY1.36bn (€334mn) in the first quarter of this year.
Wildfires threatened Croatia’s second city Split,
as well as forcing evacuations of tourist resorts in Croatia and neighbouring Montenegro. Bul- garia, Israel, and Switzerland have sent firefight- ers to help put out fires in Montenegro’s Lustica peninsular.
Bosnia’s parliament approved controversial changes to the election law. The changes, de- manded by Bosnian Croat politicians earlier this year, could give the Croats grounds to demand the establishment of a third autonomous entity.
Montenegro’s high court delayed the trial of two opposition leaders and several others sus- pected of plotting a coup aimed at seizing power after the October 2016 general election. Two leaders of the pro-Russian Democratic Front are among those due to stand trial in the case that has been dubbed “the trial of the century”.
The Bulgarian government is preparing addi- tional incentives to encourage investors, Econ- omy Minister Emil Karanikolov said. The minister claimed that there is large investor interest in Bulgaria at the moment, both from the EU and other locations particular in the manufacturing and high-tech sectors.
The Macedonian government will adopt a con- troversial law on languages, which foresees the extended use of Albanian language in institu- tions, before the local elections due to take place later this year. The extended use of the Albanian language was one of the main conditions of the ethnic Albanians parties for supporting Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s government.
Turkish bakery chain Simit Sarayi is reportedly planning an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in 2018. The company is currently in talks with global financial institutions about the offer-
ing, through which it aims to reach more than $400mn.