Bulgarian PM Boiko Borisov Believes Smuggling, Corruption are Equally Harmful

Bulgarian Prime Minister put an equality sign between the terms corruption and smuggling.

''Corruption and smuggling are one and the same thing,'' said Borisov over a round-table entitled ''For Economy in the Light''.

In his view, EU-funded projects are always being monitored by a number of institutions, while this is not the case with smuggling. Borisov noted that specialized teams have been taking up the task of fighting smuggling. He said that it poses a bigger threat to the country than corruption.

Borisov added that it is namely the people engaged in smuggling who are working against the stability of the country, as their money then sinks into the ''grey sector'' of economy.

''We have tried using mobile teams that go around cigarette and alcohol factories, but the system is deeply flawed,'' the Prime Minister explained. He said that an electronic system has been implemented and put into practice. It involves representatives from various state institutions.

Borisov further announced that the ''grey area'' in economy has been reduced by more than a quarter so far.

''We are 15% ahead of Romania in terms of Eu fund absorption,'' he added. Borisov further noted that all the money spent from the budget are merely the ones collected from customs offices and taxes.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!