Bulgaria is losing hundreds of millions of Lev due to the illegal trade of fruits and vegetables. Offenders failing to pay taxes undercut prices and badly affect the whole market environment, as reported by Vladimir Ivanov, Chairman of the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets.
There are about 2,000 rogue traders in the country who are most active in spring and summer. They sell goods without legal documents, thus failing to pay VAT, social security contributions and income tax. Their goods often reach retailers and are therefore everywhere in the retail market.
The activities of rogue traders are also harmful to Bulgarian producers, as they undercut prices and become unfair competitors.
The removal of rogue traders from the market is extremely important. The state is making efforts in this direction, but legislative changes are still needed. A solution may be the strengthening of producer associations. In this regard, the countries of Northern Europe are a very good role model.
The practice of uniting the industry is quite effective, as it reduces the amount of unfair practices in the chain, almost neutralising seasonal fluctuations, normalising the market and allowing traders to compete with skills, not tactics.
Another serious problem is the introduction of foreign agricultural products to Bulgaria under misleading conditions for consumers. "Currently, Albanian cucumbers are available in the Bulgarian market and there is no chance to tell them apart from the domestic product just by looking at their appearance," said Ivanov.
"Bulgarian and imported fruits and vegetables do not differ in appearance, so consumers should be informed about the origin of the goods," he recommended.
Source: expert.bg
