PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - April 30

SOFIA, April 30 (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 - Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev will announce today the layoff of 20 percent of deputy cabinet ministers and 25 percent of deputy regional governors (Dnevnik, Klasa, Monitor, Novinar).

TRUD - The government will vote today on a proposal to increase university admission quotas by 6,700 people, from 58,502 currently.

ECONOMY

- In 2007 property prices in Bulgaria rose 34.6 percent, second only to the 35.4 percent rise in China's Shanghai, a world survey by real estate consultancy Global Property Guide shows (24 Chasa, Pari, Monitor, Novinar, Klasa).

- Construction of Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant of Belene will start by the end of 2008, Russian contractor Atomstroyexport says (Monitor, Trud).

BUSINESS

DNEVNIK - Communications operator Max Telecom is considering creating a regional telecom for Buglaria, Greece and Macedonia together with its partner Greek Cosmoline, Max Telecom's CEO Krasimir Stoichev says.

DNEVNIK - Construction materials company Devnya Cement plans to invest about 250 million euros ($389.4 million) in a new cement factory with annual capacity of three million tonnes, the company's communications manager Neli Statelova says.

- Two units at Maritsa East 1 power plant, owned by U.S. utility AES (AES.N), will become operational in June and November 2009, respectively, the economy minister says (Pari, Monitor, Novinar).