Bulgarian Hoteliers Protest today because of Unpaid Sums for Ukrainian Refugees

Hoteliers from the Southern Black Sea coast are protesting because of unpaid sums for the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees under the Program for the use of humanitarian aid for persons seeking temporary protection in Bulgaria. The protest is at 8:30 a.m. on the main Burgas-Sunny Beach road at the Ravda roundabout.

The state is not fulfilling its commitment under the program. The situation is critical, said Radostin Dachev, a hotelier from Sunny Beach, about the reason for taking extreme measures:

"Under the first program, there is partial non-payment for the months of March and April and no payment for May to any of the hoteliers. Apart from that, under the second program from June 1, when they accommodated them for 10 and 15 BGN, depending on whether with or without meals, no funds were paid. Colleagues take out bank loans to maintain their resorts and pay for electricity, water and food. It's intolerable!”

The protest will also be supported by Ukrainians, added Dachev. The dissatisfied did not rule out a partial closure of the road.

The Ministry of Tourism is processing a huge array of data on participants under the first Program for the use of humanitarian aid for persons seeking temporary protection. Applications with corrections and unreported overnight stays from previous periods are also being reviewed, as all payments for services rendered must be finalized by May 31 of this year, when the program expires, the department said in response. The goal, they point out, is to ensure that there are no damaged accommodations that participated in the Humanitarian Aid Program.

Control is carried out through lists provided by the State Agency for Refugees, the Border Police and the National Revenue Agency. It should be taken into account the fact that until April 15, the ESTI registers counted Ukrainian citizens through the individuals' passports. After this date, the personal number of the foreigner, by which the overnight stays are calculated, must be reflected. This circumstance required additional checks.

The documents for payment have been prepared by the Ministry of Tourism and it is only a matter of time after the decision of the Council of Ministers to transfer the amounts due to the hoteliers and accommodation facilities, they assure.

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