Bulgarian Customs Chief Faces 'Contraband' Hearing

Former Finance Minister, Plamen Oresharski, says half of all cigarettes in Bulgaria are contraband. Photo by BGNES

The Members of the Bulgarian Parliament from the Budget and Finance Committee are holding Thursday afternoon a hearing of the Director of the Customs Agency, Vanyo Tanov.

Tanov will be questioned about the measures and the results from the fight against cigarette contraband in the last 18 months.

The hearing has been requested by the MP from the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and former Economy and Energy Minister, Rumen Ovcharov.

The Committee's Chair from the ruling Citizens of European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, Menda Stoyanova, declared the Customs have achieved the revenues that had been planned for them for 2010, but added:

"We have serious success in countering alcohol and fuel contraband. I cannot say this about cigarettes. I hope Mr. Tanov will present today an impartial analysis with more updated data than the one cited by BSP. Theirs is from the spring of 2010."

Former Finance Minister and Committee Member, Plamen Oresharski, from BSP, however, cited data form independent consulting agencies, showing half of the cigarettes in Bulgaria are contraband.

"We see new cigarette brands, until now unknown in Bulgaria. This is another indirect proof of wide-spread contraband, leading to lower revenues for the State. Meanwhile, Bulgarian tobacco makers complain of lower turnover," Oresharski says.

In the beginning of 2011, BSP informed Bulgaria has suffered losses in the amount of BGN 1 B from cigarette contraband.

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