The Bulgarian Privatisation Agency has called tenders for a 70 per cent stake in forklift manufacturer Balkancar Dunav.

The starting price is LEV4 million (USD2.6 million) and the bidding step is set at LEV50,000 (USD32,417), South East Europe Newswire reported. Bidders must make a LEV500,000 (USD324,166) deposit to participate in the tender.

Balkancar Dunav, based in the port city of Lom, made a net loss of LEV160,000 (USD103,733) in 2005, down from LEV278,000 (USD180,236) in 2004. The company exports 95 per cent of its products to the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany and Georgia. It had a 2005 turnover of LEV1.031 million (USD668,430), the report said.

Balkancar Holding owns the minority stake in Balkancar Dunav.

Last week, Forkliftaction.com News published a news story on Bulgarian forklift manufacturer Dimex, sourced from the Bulgarian News Digest. Dimex executive director Dimitar Dimitrov said he was incorrectly quoted in the Bulgarian News Digest article. Dimitrov said Bulgarian forklift production, not Dimex's, would quadruple in the next five years. Dimex's production capacity is about 500 units a year.