site.btaTrade Association Urges for Amendments to Act on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Involving Crude Oil and Petroleum Products

109 ECONOMY-FUELS ACT-OPINION

Trade Association Urges for Amendments to Act on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Involving Crude Oil and Petroleum Products


Sofia, January 21 (BTA) - The National Association of Traders and Carriers of Fuels holds that the Act on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Involving Crude Oil and Petroleum Products, whose entry into force was postponed to July, from January, pending revisions, will not curb the shadow economy in the sector, nor ensure budget revenues, the Spokesman of the Association, Simo Simov, said Monday, speaking at a BTA-hosted news conference.


The businesses in the industry and those affected by the law are divided in their opinions about the law, which tightens requirements for small fuel retailers.

Simov explained in detail how the position of the Bulgarian Petroleum and Gas Association that close to one billion leva are distributed in the grey sector of the trade with petroleum products is ungrounded.

It has been argued that if there is contraband trade in fuels, the customs authority which oversees the produced and imported fuels, the National Revenue Agency, which controls the payment of fuels excise duties and VAT, and the prosecuting magistracy are to blame.

The National Association of Traders and Carriers of Fuels will maintain its readiness to go on strike if representatives of the Association are not invited in the working commission tasked with revising the act. The members of the Association threatened to block roads but said that their planned protests do not have political demands, nor seek to topple the government.