The time to sell the tobacco holding Bulgartabac is now, the Executive Director of the Privatization Agency Apostol Apostolov said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. This is necessitated by the fact, according to him, that currently there is no such big and important deal for the sale of a similar tobacco monopoly at the international market. The preparations on the privatization run smoothly,he said. Bulgartabac is 92% state-owned, and the Cabinet hopes to sell 51-80% of the firm to a strategic investor, such as another tobacco company or a financial institution. Under the draft plan adopted by Bulgaria's Cabinet, the government will keep a “golden share" in Bulgartabac so that it can retain a role in company decision making. The government also plans to place almost 13% of Bulgartabac on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange as part of efforts to boost trade on the market. The government hopes to boost the country's struggling tobacco industry, once a cornerstone of Bulgarian exports.