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Round Table
February 28, 2003
On February 28, 2003 the Center for the Study of Democracy
held a round table discussion on Dumping Practices, Contraband
and Corruption: Challenges and Solutions. The round table aimed
to encourage a public debate on the problems of illegal import in
violation of the Bulgarian and the European legislation and to
outline the necessary measures for limiting these practices.
Representatives of the Customs Agency, the Ministry of Interior and
experts from non-governmental and business organizations took part
in the discussion.
During the opening of the round table the Director
of the Customs Agency Mr. Assen Assenov, and later his
colleague Mr. Roumen Danev, Director of the Customs
Intelligence and Investigation Department at the Customs Agency,
highlighted the graveness of the administrative problems and the
necessity to improve the legislative norms. As an example Mr. Assen
Assenov pointed out the fact that there were 14 000 law violations
registered in 2002, e.g. 30-40 per day. He appealed to the other
institutions for a constructive dialogue on the problem.
Mr. Emil Tzenkov, Coordinator of the
Trafficking and Corruption Expert Group at CSD, underlined the
necessity for more precise legislative definition of these
problems.
Professor Dimitar Hadzhinikolov, Lecturer at the University
for National and World Economy, explained the antidumping duty
procedure and the ways for the real value of the goods to be
calculated.
Ms. Diana Marinkieva, Chair of the Association of the Light
Industry Companies, cited various data about the Bulgarian export
and the number of firms bankrupted in the sphere of light industry
(about 4000 for year 2002). She recommended a change in the Law for
Protection of the Competition and the tax laws because currently
80% of the Bulgarian firms in the light industry were operating in
the grey sector. In her opinion, the non-regulated import of cheap
goods was the main threat. Mr. Yordan Vassilev, Chairman of
the same association made several suggestions for solving the
problem - for example new requirements, future agreements about the
domestic market, establishment of an "average prices" nomenclature.
Mr. Ivan Galabov, Expert at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, suggested closer collaboration and online exchange of
information between the customs, police and taxation
authorities.
Ms. Detelina Krusteva, Director of the Economic Analyses
and Domestic Market Department at the Ministry of Economy, said
that a balance should be found between the preferences for the
Bulgarian firms and the restrictions for the importers, because
these would be in force for both sides in the same degree.
Particularly interesting was the speech of Mr. Volodya
Todorov, President of the Hat-Trick Enterprise, presenting
manufacturers' point of view.
At the end of the first session Mr. Assen Assenov
cited data about the import and duties gathered during 2001 and
2002. The comparison between these years was particularly
encouraging.
During the second session the phenomenon "parralel
import" was discussed, including the legislative acts which define
and prohibit the parralel import to Bulgaria. Mr. Damyan
Simeonov, Attorney-at-Law at "Boyanov & Co", Ms. Olga
Sirakova, Chair of the Bulgarian National Group of the
International Association for Protection of Intellectual Property
(AIPPI), Ms. Aneta Yurgakieva, Customs Investigation
Department, Customs Agency, Mr. Tihomir Bezlov, Senior
Fellow at CSD and Ms. Valya Tchilova, "A-Team" Advertising
Agency, took an active part in the discussion.
See the program
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