Bulgaria Keeps Open Shanghai Display amidst Growing Scandal

Business | May 11, 2010, Tuesday // 16:09|  views

People walk outside the impressive Serbian pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai while many say the Bulgarian display pales compared to those of most countries even from the Balkans and CEE. Photo by BGNES

The Bulgarian State will keep open the country's pavilion at the world Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China until its end in October, 2010.

The news was reported by Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, Tuesday during his visit to the second largest city of Plovdiv to officially launch the Plovdiv International Spring Fair.

Traikov and Georgi Gergov, who is the majority shareholder of the Fair said the State would not provide additional financing but will send more employees to help with the display. The Plovdiv International Fair Association is the official organizer of Bulgaria's representation in Shanghai.

Several days ago, the management of the world Expo 2010 in Shanghai gave Bulgaria an ultimatum to provide additional financing by May 14 otherwise the country's pavilion will have to be closed. From the BGN 1.3 M slated by Traikov's Ministry, only a mere BGN 19 000 remain. This will make impossible maintaining the pavilion until the end of the expo – October 31, 2010.

The Economy Minister, however, said Tuesday that closing the exhibit is not an option, and his institution will help by other means since it lacks the necessary financing. Gergov, whose name has been tangled in accusations of illegal privatization schemes, explained later this would involve sending more people to Shanghai where there are currently 4 employees instead of the needed 12.

The Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China entitled “Better Life, Better City” takes place between May 1 and October 31, 2010 with participants from over 200 countries.

Bulgaria has a pavilion of 324 sq. m., focusing on the link between the present and the past, Bulgaria's cultural and historical heritage and present-day way of life. The building is shared by several countries. Pictures from the Bulgarian participation have been difficult to find, but eyewitnesses say the Bulgarian pavilion and display are nondescript and plain compared to others, even from the Balkan region.

An investigative report of Bulgaria's weekly “Capital” revealed numerous violations in how the funding was spent beginning from the selection of the design and its author to the way Bulgaria is represented in Shanghai.

According to the “Capital” publication, behind an obscure entrance, the Bulgarian pavilion is a scale model of an old fashioned street market with a house with architecture typical for the Bulgarian Revival, two dummies with national costumes and a trellis vine while the 4 Bulgarian guides don't speak Chinese. Meanwhile, the Plovdiv Fair site has some scarce pictures of the display, made by an amateur camera, and long explanations about the exhibit "revealing the 12 layers of Bulgaria's culture, traditions, rituals and history" to the very “impressed” Chinese visitors, and about the Fair salvaging Bulgaria's participation despite the State's refusal to provide funding.

Gergov and the Director of the International Plovdiv Fair, Bogomil Bonev, vehemently deny the design has been selected without competition, but decline to state the name of the author and/or the company claiming confidentiality of information. The Fair, however, through its site, claims the exhibit also includes a restaurant, manged by the company “Expocenter,” which has been irregularly selected by the State, also without a tender.

Minister Traikov firmly rejected the information, saying the company had won a competition announced by the Chinese organizers and the restaurant is 500 m away from the display as the Ministry had refused “Expocenter” to be associated with the latter.

According to the “Capital” report, all comparisons with the much more impressive displays of neighboring countries such as Turkey, Romania and Serbia, and even with the one of Bosnia and Herzegovina are unfavorable for Bulgaria.

The “Capital” reporters further site the Serbian representatives as saying they decided to have a separate pavilion because the Chinese gave them a 50% discount from the rent, making the price equal to the one of a shared space and giving Serbia an option to keep the building permanently as property of the State. The total funding for the Serbian participation is EUR 1.5 m compared to Bulgaria's BGN 1.3 M.

China, however, has already given Bulgaria nearly another BGN 1 M as assistance. The Day of Bulgaria in Shanghai is scheduled for June 14.

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Tags: Shanghai Expo 2010, Plovdiv fair, Georgi Gergov, Traicho Traikov

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