Bulgaria Finance Minister: PM Has No Vote on Alcohol Tax

The Chair of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Menda Stoyanova, informs the Blue Coalition and RZS are withdrawing their proposal to increase the alcohol excise. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, says it is unclear what will happen to the increase of the hard liquor tax.

Djankov, who is known to be a strong supporter of hiking up the excise on Bulgaria's traditional brandy “rakia,” stated Tuesday that he did not know how the Parliament will vote, despite earlier requests of Prime Minister and fellow GERB party member, Boyko Borisov, to not raise the alcohol excise.

“Borisov does not have the right to a vote,” Djankov is quoted as saying.

In the meantime, the rightist Blue Coalition and the conservative “Law, Order and Justice” (RZS) party, both formally supporting the Members of the Parliament from the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party announced they are withdrawing their proposal to increase the alcohol excise.

The information was reported by the Chair of the Budget Committee, Menda Stoyanova, who added their proposals about increasing gambling tax by 15% remain valid and had not been withdrawn.

The RZS leader, Yane Yanev, had met Wednesday with PM Borisov and they finalized the excise issues – to not touch the alcohol excise and increase the gambling one to 15%, Yanev informs, adding that in addition to GERB, the Blue Coalition and RZS, the MPs from the nationalist “Ataka” will also support the finalized measures.

On Wednesday Borisov gave stark instructions to MPs from his GERB party about increasing gambling tax by 15% to compensate for not raising the liquor one.

He also asked them to keep the alleviations for granting mortgage loans to young families wishing to purchase their first home.

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