Rent Car Bulgaria

Courts ordered evictions due to nonpayment of public utilities, but they were not carried out during winter months. According to NGOs, district councils threatened to take children away from Roma families to expedite evictions. NGOs also cited government figures that suggested it was less expensive simply to rent an apartment than it was to pay for a child in state care. Due to their economic status, Roma were disproportionately represented among those evicted for nonpayment of utilities. ... [Read More]

France

There are strict laws against child abuse, particularly when committed by a parent or guardian, and the Government effectively prosecuted abusers. Child abuse was a problem, which the Government took steps to address. In 2001 there were approximately 18,000 reported cases of mistreatment (physical violence, sexual abuse, mental cruelty, or severe negligence) of children, compared with 18,300 in 2000. Approximately 5,900 of these cases involved reports of sexual abuse. Special sections of the national police and judiciary are charged with handling these cases. In 2001 there were 502 convictions for rapes of minors under the age of 15 and 3,750 convictions for cases of sexual assault against minors. In 2001 there were 7,961 convictions for cases of violence, mistreatment, and abandonment of minors. The Government provided counseling, financial aid, foster homes, and orphanages for victims, depending on the extent of the problem. Various associations also helped minors seek j ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Calling cards are widely used. Officers of third secretary rank and above, including the Defense and Air Attachés, should have a supply of calling cards. Normally, 200 cards a tour are sufficient, except for the Ambassador and the DCM, who should both have a minimum of 400. Officers below third secretary rank have no formal calling card requirements, but you may wish to bring some or obtain them at post. You may wish to bring a stock of high-quality blank note cards and envelopes. ... [Read More]

Prosperity Paper No. 4

Currently, firms in over 60 different industries arefranchised. Some of the most popular and rapidly growing of theseinclude restaurants, along with service firms in such areas ashome repair, carpet cleaning, accounting, advertising, automotiverepair, temporary help, printing and copying, computer sales andretail clothing. ...

Step Five: Track your business expenses in a separateexpenditure ledger. Everything you spend to run thebusiness is entered here.There can be hundreds of different kinds of business expenses.Determine what your major expenses will be and create separatecolumns for each one -- for example, rent, supplies, inventory,transportation, etc. If you have an expense for which there is nocategory, list it under the "miscellaneous" column. As withthe income ledger, keep a monthly record of all your differentexpenditures. There should be separate columns for the date;whether you paid by check or with cash; the "payee" (whom youpaid); the total amount paid; the supplier's invoice number ifthere was one; and what category or kind of expense this was. ... [Read More]

Europe and Central Asia

AlbaniaI. Summary Drug trafficking is a significant problem in Albania, which is a major transit country for heroin from Afghanistan and Turkey destined for markets throughout Europe. Organized crime groups use Albania as a transit point for drug and other types of smuggling due to the country’s strategic location, weak police and judicial systems, and porous borders. The most common illegal drugs are heroin, marijuana, and to a lesser extent, cocaine. Heroin is typically transported through the "Balkans Route" of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania, and on to Italy, Greece and the Netherlands. Cocaine is smuggled from South America, via the United States, Italy, Spain, Greece or the Netherlands, and ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Athens enjoys a new modern airport which compares favorably with U.S. and other European airports. Numerous airlines connect Athens with the Near and Far East, North Africa, and Europe, often with daily flights. Daily service within Greece is available from Athens to Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, Kalamata, Kavala, Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, and the other larger islands. Railroad service within Greece is good but not extensive. As a maritime nation, Greece has extensive inter-island ferry and hydrofoil service. The main ports serving Athens are Piraeus and Rafina. While many cargo ships (some with passenger accommodations) go to the U.S. no direct cruise ship service is available between Greece and the U.S.  U.S.-flag cargo ships, which operate between Piraeus and the U.S., do not carry passengers. Communications&n ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Macedonian law requires all drivers to have an international driver’s license. The license must be renewed annually. An international driver’s license can be obtained from AAA (Triple A) in the U.S. local third-party-liability insurance is mandatory under Macedonian law. International automobile travel insurance (called a Green Card) must be obtained not later than 1 month after arriving at post. The green insurance card is valid for all countries but Iraq. There are different plans of green card insurance (from one individual trip, up to 1-year insurance). Macedonian insurance companies will not insure vehicles against theft in Bulgaria. Comprehensive insurance is available, but can be very expensive. It is recommended that an insurance policy (especially for collision) be arranged with a company in the U.S. prior to arrival at post. ... [Read More]

AMERICAN FIRMS REPRESENTED IN ETHIOPIA

AMERICAN FIRMS REPRESENTED IN ETHIOPIA Africa Jazz Institute P.O. Box 12826, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: 71-48-56, Fax: 51-40-98 Location: Franklin Roosevelt Street General Manager: Ato Mulatu Astatke U.S. Firm Represented: SIT Strings Activities: Import of Musical instruments [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

AERA, CLO, and the Marine Security Guard Detachment work together to organize holiday gatherings for the Embassy community and friends. The annual Marine Birthday Ball is one of the highlights of the fall season, followed by the International Women’s Club (IWC) Charity Bazaar in early December. Opportunities abound to devote time to charity. Many institutions for orphans and handicapped welcome volunteeres. There are two English-speaking international clubs for women, the above-mentioned IWC, and the Women’s Network, made up chiefly of working women in Sofia. Official Functions Nature of FunctionsLast Updated:  12/2/2003 11:36 AM In Sofia, there ... [Read More]

Bulgaria

Conditions for children in state institutions are poor. According to the State Agency for Child Protection, at year's end, there were approximately 35 children confined to 360 state or municipal institutions, which are under the jurisdiction of 5 different government ministries. Of these children, only 2 percent are orphans, but many are disabled. Social attitudes towards the disabled have led families to institutionalize their children if they have disabilities. Another 2,900 children are considered "at risk," and have been forced to seek care in institutions because their families can or will not support them. Human rights monitors are sharply critical of the serious deficiencies in all government-run institutions for children, including orphanages, "educational boarding schools" (reform schools), facilities for the mentally handicapped, and shelters for homeless children. These facilities are plagued by inadequate budgets, poorly trained and unqualified staff, and inadequate oversig ... [Read More]