http://dfnionline.com/article/Duty-free-operators-urge-Bulgaria-to-reopen-border-shops-1861493.html
The Bulgarian government has been warned it has a final chance to stem contraband at the country’s borders by reopening duty-free shops operating in the region after the European Ombudsman upheld a complaint last month made by the Bulgarian Duty Free and Travel Retail Association (BDFTRA) against a report on duty-free by the European Commission in 2008.
A failure for it to act now would result in the European Union enforcing its own border solution, according to BDFTRA chairman Radostin Genov, who told DFNIonline: “The Bulgarian government has a last opportunity to hit the sale of contraband of tobacco, alcohol and petrol products by reinstating border duty-free trade in Bulgaria and giving official status to the travel-retail industry.
“The government is doing its best to fight contraband and has achieved some success in its attempts to decrease existing levels, but it has only one line of enforcement, Customs and interior police staff. It clearly needs to hit contraband hard and the only way of achieving this is by using economic methods, which means reopening the duty-free stores, the closure of which was confirmed as unfair last month in the final decision by the European Ombudsman responding to a complaint submitted by duty-free operator Panchatantra,” he continued.
In other developments in the rapidly changing border store market in Bulgaria, store operator Panchatantra has been approached by Turkish operator Setur Duty Free parent company Setur Koch to operate in joint collaboration on internal EU borders and to run border duty-free stores in Bulgaria, alone or jointly with the Bulgarian operator. Setur currently operates its own duty-free shops on the Turkish side of the border with Bulgaria.
Given the growing level of interest shown in the operator since it announced it was seeking a partner last month, Panchatantra asked the Bulgarian government to grant an extension of its contract to operate the premises on the Bulgarian border with Romania for another 15 years. The new contract would include permission to build a modern supermarket at each of the two check-points.
Read more about the duty-free developments at Bulgaria’s borders in the September 1 issue of DFNI.
Duty-free operators urge Bulgaria to reopen border shops
Bill Lumley
8-Sep-2011
Bulgarian duty-free association warns government it needs to act to curb contraband by reopening border stores
The Bulgarian government has been warned it has a final chance to stem contraband at the country’s borders by reopening duty-free shops operating in the region after the European Ombudsman upheld a complaint last month made by the Bulgarian Duty Free and Travel Retail Association (BDFTRA) against a report on duty-free by the European Commission in 2008.A failure for it to act now would result in the European Union enforcing its own border solution, according to BDFTRA chairman Radostin Genov, who told DFNIonline: “The Bulgarian government has a last opportunity to hit the sale of contraband of tobacco, alcohol and petrol products by reinstating border duty-free trade in Bulgaria and giving official status to the travel-retail industry.
“The government is doing its best to fight contraband and has achieved some success in its attempts to decrease existing levels, but it has only one line of enforcement, Customs and interior police staff. It clearly needs to hit contraband hard and the only way of achieving this is by using economic methods, which means reopening the duty-free stores, the closure of which was confirmed as unfair last month in the final decision by the European Ombudsman responding to a complaint submitted by duty-free operator Panchatantra,” he continued.
In other developments in the rapidly changing border store market in Bulgaria, store operator Panchatantra has been approached by Turkish operator Setur Duty Free parent company Setur Koch to operate in joint collaboration on internal EU borders and to run border duty-free stores in Bulgaria, alone or jointly with the Bulgarian operator. Setur currently operates its own duty-free shops on the Turkish side of the border with Bulgaria.
Given the growing level of interest shown in the operator since it announced it was seeking a partner last month, Panchatantra asked the Bulgarian government to grant an extension of its contract to operate the premises on the Bulgarian border with Romania for another 15 years. The new contract would include permission to build a modern supermarket at each of the two check-points.
Read more about the duty-free developments at Bulgaria’s borders in the September 1 issue of DFNI.
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