CSD Policy Brief No. 32: A Reinstating the Duty‐Free Trade at Bulgarian Land Borders: potential Setback in the Fight against Organized Crime and Corruption
CSD Policy Brief No. 32: A Reinstating the Duty‐Free Trade at Bulgarian Land Borders: potential Setback in the Fight against Organized Crime and Corruption

Author(s): Author Not Specified
Subject(s): National Economy, Economic policy, Penal Policy
Published by: Център за изследване на демокрацията
Keywords: CSD; CSD Policy Briefs; Center for the Study of Democracy; organized crime;corruption;
Summary/Abstract: KEY POINTS ››› In January 2012, a proposal to amend the Duty Free Trade Act was submitted to the Parliament by an independent MP (Emil Vasilev, formerly of the marginal opposition party Order, Law and Justice). The sole purpose of the proposed amendment is to allow for the reopening of the duty‐free trade outlets at Bulgaria’s land borders with non‐EU countries in the exact same format with the exact same operators as at the time of their closure three years ago; ››› The proposal is a major threat to border security, tax revenues and might undermine the stability of the state budget; ››› The reopening of the duty‐free shops would reverse the progress made in the fight against corruption, organized crime and excise goods smuggling and threatens to re‐kindle political corruption and clientelism.

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