MORE THAN 30% OF FUELS SOLD IN BULGARIA ARE ILLEGAL OR OF POOR QUALITY

More than 30% of the fuels sold at the Bulgarian market are illegal - either with poor quality or with unpaid taxes, the Bulgarian Petroleum and Gas Association said on 9th of March.

According to the data, the main reasons for the formation of the illegal market are the lack of sufficient control by the state, departmental stations and corruption. According to the company, the first sign that a fuel is not legitimate is its price. Counterfeit products are much cheaper because excise duties have not been paid on them.

Data by the Bulgarian Petroleum and Gas Association shows that 54 tankers with illegal fuel entered the country in 2016 and the sale of petrol from 2006 to date has dropped by 1,700,000 tonnes. The association called for more stringent measures on the market, giving as an example the Czech Republic, where the authorities can seize a vehicle for filling it with illegal petrol.