 ACTIVITIES
The Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), founded in 1980, is a voluntary non-governmental organization of the Bulgarian business and industry.
Out of 300 largest companies in Bulgaria 262 are members of the BIA. BIA membership involves industrial, trade and service oriented companies from the private, public, co-operative and municipal sectors as well as banks, universities, economic and scientific unions, insurance and leasing companies, pension and health insurance funds and other organizations and establishments.
BIA membership incorporates 81 Regional organizations, municipal associations and chambers, and local bodies corresponding to the administrative division of Bulgaria and 73 Branch (Sector) organizations representing all sectors of Bulgarian economy.
BIA takes an active participation in the working up and preparation of draft bills and other normative acts related with the structural reform and the setting up of liberal market economy, the labor legislation and its harmonization with European labor norms and the reforms in the social insurance.
Since 1999 BIA is an associated member of UNICE. BIA maintains close relations and cooperates with many international institutions: International Employers Organisation / IOE /, International Chamber of Commerce / ICC /, World Environment Center / WEC /, International Labor Organisation / ILO/, as well as partner organizations throughout the world.
BIA has signed Memorandums of Understanding and Agreements of Cooperation with partner- organizations from more than 30 countries thus facilitating the activities of its member organizations and the business community in Bulgaria.
BIA participates as a representative of the employers in the National Council for Tripartite Co-operation (NCTC), including the Government, Trade Unions, and Employers' organizations. BIA pursues an active and consistent policy for the establishment of up-to-date industrial relations. BIA is the only employers' organization, which takes part in the collective labor bargaining on branch (sector) and sub-sector level.
As the most representative employer's organization, BIA participates in the overall control and management of the Supervisory Boards having its own representative members at: National Social Security Institute, State Employment Services & Vocational Training and Unemployment Fund, Agency for Small and Medium - sized Enterprises / SMEs /, National Health Insurance Fund, 16 Specialized commissions at the Parliament, Government and Ministries.
BIA is a shareholder in banks, insurance companies, in the Bulgarian stock exchange, in a leasing company, in the pension fund and other companies providing services to its members.
MAIN AREAS OF ACTION
 INVESTMENTS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Providing a wide scope of consultancy aid - financial analyses, feasibility studies, post-privatization services, financing of investment projects.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICY
Consultations for solving financial and economic problems of the enterprises, on taxation, customs and foreign trade regime, crediting and investment policy, price policy and settlement of the social insurance relations and employer-employee conflicts.
LEGAL SERVICES
In the field of banking, commercial, administrative, civil, real right and contractual law and the preparation related with these activities for initiating legal proceedings.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
BIA supports its members to work out and participate in various international projects, as well as to implement different international models in the field of European integration, social dialogue, management programmes, free entrepreneurship development, SME's development, creation of joint venture companies and mass privatization within international projects and programmes, developed by the EU and on the basis of bilateral cooperation.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
Consultations and preparation of documents under the foreign trade and customs regimes; supplying the Bulgarian companies with commercial, economic and legislative information; dissemination of business offers; assistance in the realization of international economic programmes, bilateral and multilateral agreements for co-operation; presentation of foreign companies and organization of business delegations and trade mission.
A number of projects are realized within the cooperation with the German speaking countries and partnership program with the Koblentz Skilled Crafts Chamber for rending support to the middle craftsmen trades in Bulgaria.
INDUSTRY - QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENT
Information services, consulting, training and implementation of Quality Assurance System ISO 9001:2000 and Environment Management System ISO 14001, waste water minimization programs, databases on the productivity and environmental performance of the Bulgarian industries and etc.
SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES - SMES
BIA has developed a One-Stop-Shop, which is a virtual
Internet-based manual for every businessman, providing
rules and regulations, patterns of customs, trade
and other documentation needed for business purposes. |
INTERNET COMPUTER NETWORK
BIA provides state of the art services and solutions that run over the Internet. BIA has over 25 points of presence throughout the country to provide its services and solutions to a wide range of businesses. The network is growing and will reach full national presence. Currently BIA's infrastructure is built on optical lines and satellite stations. The satellite connections provide direct links to UUNet, Frontier and AGIS and the terrestrial lines connect the infrastructure to the Deutsche Telecom.
Some of BIA's latest achievements include the installation of Virtual Private Networks, integrated services for data, voice and video over the IP and frame relay connections for corporate businesses. BIA also provides security consulting services to offer complete solutions.
BIA offers telecommunication services, Installing Internet for using e-mail within the Internet network, providing full access to Internet via leased lines or a dial-up, design and publication of WEB pages, enlisting into on-line catalogue, and etc.
DIGITAL CERTIFICATES (ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE CERTIFICATES)
BIA has been the partner of the Belgian GlobalSign Company for Bulgaria since 1999 and has the right to provide all GlobalSign products and service in the territory of Bulgaria. BIA issues and manages digital certificates for the e-signing/stamping of e-messages, providing full authentication and data confidentiality.
Basic certificates for personal use:
· PersonalSign 2™
· PersonalSign 3™
Business purposes certificates:
· ServerSign™, HyperSign™ for securing the servers
· ObjectSign™ for securing the software
· ServerSign for WAP™ for mobile security
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Consultations, preparation of documentation and registration of patents, trade marks, industrial designs, appellations of origin and geographical indications, as well as providing legal protection of the violated copyrights.
ARBITRATION
The Court of Arbitration at the BIA mediates for the settlement of disputes arisen providing speedy economical means for out-of-court settlement and resolution of disputes by highly qualified specialists, thus ensuring the alternative to court litigation.
TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION
For the efficient business management of the market-driven economy and need of well-trained specialists, BIA has developed and provides training for its members in various areas:
- Strategy and policies formation, development and implementation on national, sector (regional) and company level.
- Company training programmes for managers and specialists.
- Occupational, safety and health training programmes for the managerial staff and representatives from the safety groups and committees at the enterprises, held also on regional level.
- In-company training courses closely specialized at the request of the customers, e.g. customer-oriented branch management programmes (each module is additionally negotiated) and etc., including practice transfer seminars.
- Up-to-date current workshops on business, social and economic progress of the country.
- Computer skills, internet proficiency, marketing on Internet, Web design - including online course (HTML, Java Script, Front Page), programming with Java, Visual C++, AutoCad 2000, Corel Draw 9, Regional Cisco Academy - for training networks, CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate) and developing the Authorised Microsoft MOUS testing centre.
BIA has also developed several projects under the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The strategic objective of those projects is to provide an integrated e-based environment for the business communities in the Stability Pact countries and their neighbor countries.
Priority is given to the infrastructure projects. The national infrastructure investments in the PAN-European corridors include modernization, road rehabilitation and upgrading of railway networks, airports, harbors and energy systems. The privatization of the telecommunications is forthcoming. The development and reconstruction of Sofia Airport is over and the building up of a new terminal is ahead. The construction of the Vidin - Calafat Danube Bridge is of paramount importance for the trade.
FOREIGN INVESTORS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECTS REALIZED IN BULGARIA.
BIA is in a position to render assistance and provide information from the database of Business Industry Capital - Capital Market, via:
· Sorting economic data and providing any investor interested in Bulgaria with reliable information about Bulgarian companies.
· BIA Daily - the electronic newsletter coming up every day with current economy-driven news and providing links to the BIA's www site and significant and useful sources of information. |
