Purchase Price of Bulgarian Tobacco Increased after CEDB Adopted Amendments to Tobacco Act

Source from:  Focus Information Agency  04/02/2014

Leader of the oppositional Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) party commented in a Facebook post on a statement on the part of Lyutvi Mestan, leader of the Movement of Rights and Freedoms (MRF), who today with met with tobacco producers.
 
"It is apparent Lyutvi Mestan caught from Sergey Stanishev [leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party] the skill to tell lies despite the fact that facts speak best for themselves," the post reads.
 
"How do they dare accuse the CEDB of the problems concerning the purchase of tobacco which they created on purpose? In 2012 the CEDB MPs adopted amendments [to the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act], which led to an increase of tobacco purchase prices for two years in a row. If you wish to make a comparison, in 2010 tobacco price was BGN 3-4 [per kg] and the purchase campaign started late again as a licencing regime was in force at that time. In 2011 after the adopted by the CEDB amendments to the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act the purchase prices increased to BGN 6. At the end of 2012 the purchase price became BGN 7.50 and the purchase campaign was over at the end of November or at the beginning of December," Mr Borisov wrote.
 
He accused the MRF of taking advantage of the problems tobacco producers are faced with and wanting to restore the licencing regime, which allowed the former Tobacco Fund to provide money to the MRF as tobacco purchasing companies paid bribes in order to be issued an operating licence. Enditem