Bulgarian Business Wants Clocks to be Adjusted Only to Summer Time

Bulgaria introduced the Daylight Saving Time in 1979. Now business community in Bulgaria wants only the summer time to be applied. Employers have calculated that the direct and indirect damage from the seasonal setting of the clock forward or back amounts to about BGN 400 million per year.

Dobrin Ivanov, Industrial Capital Association: The Bulgarian industry is “ for” summer time. Changing the clock leads to more damages than benefits. People get ill more often, work less and do not feel comfortable. There is an Increase in heart attacks, strokes, accidents, occupational accidents. The damages resulting from the change of working hours amount to between BGN 300 and 400 million per year, he says.

Rumen Draganov, Institute for Tourism Analysis and Assesments: Tourism chooses the summer time due to the dynamics of our trips. We have a lot more time, one hour more, if we can say, for tourist attractions. And we have the opportunity for more leisure time and those who are engaged in other activities will be able to use their evenings for recreation and entertainment. Extra time in the evening, especially for restaurant owners, is exceptionally profitable. In all cases, this one hour is very important, Draganov added.