BIA: THE STATE SHIFTED SEPARATE COLLECTION OF WASTE TO BUSINESSES

Through a newly adopted ordinance on the matter, the State shifted separate collection of waste to businesses, Executive Chairman of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) Bozhidar Danev said for Focus regarding the obligation implemented for all companies, as of the beginning of this year, to collect waste paper, plastic, glass and metals separately.

"We are sure that the administration itself will comply with such provisions," said Danev. Thus, we are moving towards the introduction of heavy fines, as opposed to the provisions of another fundamental law - that all charges in the country should be determined based on the cost of these fees. "We're talking about fines. The State uses the fines tool in order to secure revenues to the budget and relevant Ministries," he said.

The Ministry of Ecology is taking a step towards monopolisation of the market for the companies that will collect the waste. "There are two fundamental missteps in two directions which will distort the entire business environment. What I can predict is an outflow of part of the foreign investors who intended to invest in Bulgaria. The reason is that such draconian provisions will not take us closer, but will take us away from the European Economic Area," said Danev. He also said that, according to this law, 264 municipalities should have regulations for separate waste collection, but such documents have not been adopted.