site.bta109 ECONOMY - CIGARETTES - ILLEGAL TRADE

109 ECONOMY - CIGARETTES - ILLEGAL TRADE

PM Borissov: Share of Illegal
Cigarettes Is Down
to 3.8 Per Cent in Q1 of 2019


July 3 (BTA) - Since the beginning of the year, the Bulgarian border police have seized 11.5 tonnes of chopped tobacco, said Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during a report on combating illegal cigarette trade on Wednesday. Data gathered by collecting and analyzing empty cigarette boxes show that the share of smuggled cigarettes was 3.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, down by 0.6 per cent compared to the last quarter of 2018 and by 2 per cent year-on-year.

The survey shows that in January-March 2019, the share of cigarette smuggling was the highest in Veliko Turnovo (9.3 per cent), followed by Haskovo (7.3 per cent), Blagoevgrad (6.7 per cent) and Pazardzhik (6.5 per cent). Gabrovo had the lowest illegal cigarette trade (1,3 per cent). In Rousse it was 1,6 per cent and in Sofia, 2,2 per cent.

Borissov pointed out that the current 3.8 per cent share of illegal cigarettes is actually very low, compared to the time of the Plamen Oresharski government (2013-2014) when it was 34.5 per cent. The Prime Minister is certain that contraband goods will continue to be on the decline.

Borissov also noted that 110 tonnes of cannabis were seized in 2018. He pointed out that these results were achieved thanks to the efforts of both the government and prosecutors in the fight against contraband goods. IG/DT