site.btaProtests Block Central Sofia

January 29 (BTA) - Hundreds protested in central Sofia on
 Wednesday, blocking traffic at various points. Owners of SMEs,
hotels and restaurants came out on the streets to demand lower
VAT and protest against a controversial ordinance that regulates
 the registration and reporting of retail sales by cash
registers. The protest was held despite the fact that it was
decided during a meeting between business representatives and
Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov on Tuesday to postpone by six
 months the deadline for meeting the requirements set by the
ordinance.

The protest rally was joined by supporters of the Vuzrazhdane
Party and Maya Manolova's civil project "Izpravi se, Bulgaria!"
(Stand up, Bulgaria!), who demand the government's resignation.
Vuzrazhdane's supporters joined another protest in Sofia
recently against the water crisis in the western city of Pernik,
 during which there were clashes with police after protestors
tried to storm the Regional Development and Public Works
Ministry's building.
 
Dnevnik quotes a certain professional association of restaurant
and bar owners as saying that they are distancing themselves
from the Vuzrazhdane party's actions, as it has no place in this
 protest, which is organized by businesses that have no
political demands.

Later in the day, the protest blocked the busy Eagle's Bridge
intersection./MY
 


/МЙ/