The sell-off procedure of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) will open on April 2, the Executive Director of the Privatization Agency Apostol Apostolov announced. He explained that the start of the key privatization deal had been delayed deliberately with one week so that the beginning of the sale does not coincide with the opening of the sell-off procedure for Bulgartabac Holding. The privatization of Bulgaria’s tobacco monopoly Bulgartabac opened on March 25, bidders may buy tender documents until end-April and place bids until May 3. Apostolov said that one information memorandum for Bulgartabac has been bought already. He also announced that four information memorandums were bought for State Insurance Institute DZI but refused to name the potential investors. The competition for Bulgaria’s State Insurance Institute DZI opened on March 13. Planned sell-offs of state telecom monopoly BTC, tobacco monopoly Bulgartabac Holding and biggest state insurer DZI are considered among the most important privatisation deals Bulgaria hopes to complete this year. Under the new privatisation act, the Privatization Agency should sell state stake in 1979 companies, in 433 of which the state is a majority owner.