PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Jan 16

SOFIA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgaria's newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

GENERAL AND POLITICS

- Serious staff shortages drive salaries in Bulgaria up, staffing agency Job Tiger said (Dnevnik, 24 Chasa, Pari, Sega, Monitor, Klasa).

- Doctors across the country plan to launch protests from Jan 21. The medics in the northern town of Pleven will hold a one-hour strike on Wednesday, the local doctors' union said (24 Chasa, Dnevnik).

ECONOMY

- Construction of Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant on Belene is expected to start in the second half of 2008, Energy and Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov said (Duma, Novinar, Standart, Trud).

- According to a global index of economic freedom by U.S.-based Heritage Foundation, Bulgaria ranked 59th in 2007 (Dnevnik, Pari, Standart, Duma, Klasa).

BUSINESS

DNEVNIK - The state will take measures to stabilise steelmill Kremikovtzi KMKV.BB, Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov said.

- By the end of March the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will make a final decision about a 214-million-euro investment in the Black Sea ports of Varna and Bourgas, the Varna municipality said.