No sign of slower tax collection
The National Revenue Agency has collected BGN 6.4 billion as of March 17, 2023, which is BGN 752 million, or nearly 13% more than in the same period of 2022.
By mid-March, the budget revenues exceeded BGN 3.7 billion, which amounts to an increase of 9.8% on the first two-and-a-half months of the previous year.
The collected personal income tax totals nearly BGN 742 million, corporate tax - BGN 57.2 million, and VAT- BGN 2.6 billion. Even though the VAT rate has been reduced for some goods and services from 20% to 9%, the revenues in the budget have increased by 9%.
The agency published the data to counter accusations of inefficient or perhaps deliberate (under)-collection of tax, including some critical comments from former finance minister Assen Vassilev.
New solar farms grid mechanism
Longtime MP Delyan Dobrev (GERB) has told Capital's Energy and Power conference that Bulgaria has to connect certain new PV's so that they only work at night.
The energy expert said that a special connecting mechanism could be quickly introduced to allow the sale of solar energy only during the night hours, when there is demand and the grid is not oversupplied.
"According to the current plan, the electricity transmission network is full of production in the range from 8-9 in the morning to 5-6 p.m., when the solar plants produce. During the rest of the day, the network is not loaded because there is no sun. However, if we have a solar plant with batteries, then it can be connected and work only at nighttime hours in the rest of the day and offer the energy when there is free capacity for it," he explained.
Countering food hikes
An initial intention of demanding that food retailers inform the Commission for Consumer Protection if they put a markup on some goods exceeding 20-25% has been revised to 10%, according to Economy Minister Nikola Stoyanov.
The cabinet is searching for appropriate measures to counter the staggering inflation in food prices in the country, some of which are considered to be due to speculation.
"If we don't reach some agreement, we will impose a ceiling on markups. Initially, the idea was that this ceiling would be between 20% and 25%, now rather we are leaning towards 10%," he announced.
He added that within two weeks there would be clarity about the specific mechanism.
No sign of slower tax collection
The National Revenue Agency has collected BGN 6.4 billion as of March 17, 2023, which is BGN 752 million, or nearly 13% more than in the same period of 2022.
