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FinMin: Bulgaria Scores Big Success in Fight Against Smuggling

Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010

Bulgaria is successful in its fight against smuggling and ranks high among other European countries, the finance minister said on Tuesday.

“Our country is stronger than any shady affairs and smuggler channels,” Simeon Djankov said on the morning broadcast on the Bulgarian National Television.

The minister is confident that the success comes from the government's strategy and its persistence to follow it strictly.

“After all, there is smuggling in all Europe, due to the economic crisis. But Bulgaria is doing very well,” Djakov said, mentioning data from other European countries.

According to data that he cited, smuggled cigarettes in Bulgaria account for 29%, while in Lithuania the number stands at 60%, and in Germany – 19%.

The minister also said that the government's biggest success is the stability it has reached.

“This is important in order to get out of the crisis faster,” Djankov said, citing Monday's data, showing 40% growth in exports for April.

“Bulgaria has not seen such a growth in five years,” he said.

When asked about the check of Eurostat, Djankov said that they are happening in all the European countries.

“They had better come now and clear up any doubts. I am expecting them,” he said.

The European Commission announced last week it was sending an exploratory mission to Bulgaria to assess the reliability of the country's statistics, which were significantly revised in a short period of time "from a balanced budget to a deficit".

At the end of April Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said the previous Socialist-led government had kept them in the dark over BGN 2.16 B contracts, which pushed the 2009 deficit up from a projected 1.9% to 3.7% of GDP

In the first of its twice-yearly reviews of government finances in the 27-member bloc, Eurostat said the Bulgarian government's budget deficit was 3.9% of gross domestic product last year.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the country's former Socialist-led administration, saying the government has lied to the EU colleagues about the country's readiness for the euro zone, being unaware of this trap.

Source: novinite.com