Tobacco Subsidies Under Fire in Bulgaria

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 05/11/2010

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has denounced the subsidies being given to tobacco growers, according to a Novinite story. In a generally upbeat speech in which he said that Bulgaria was currently performing better in the economic crisis than was any other EU member state, Borisov described some of the measures his government was taking, including giving subsidies to tobacco producers and sustaining unemployment benefits, as "far-left". "We are exerting all efforts of the state system so that these people can survive in a time of crisis," he said. But he expressed dissatisfaction with the situation surrounding tobacco subsidies. Borisov said the government was allocating more than BGN100 million in tobacco subsidies, knowing that the same people would be facing the same problem next year. He blamed previous governments for having missed the opportunity to find other means of livelihood for tobacco farmers. Enditem