Cabinet to regulate the prices of 22 goods, has yet to decide which ones
The state should regulate the prices of 22 essential goods, and enforce rules over markups and promotions, the Zhelyazkov cabinet proposed in a new draft law on the agri-food chain, presented by Agriculture Minister Georgi Tahov. Sanctions are also foreseen for violators.
The Council of Ministers will still determine the list of these 22 goods. The scheduled crisis measures will be in force for at least a year. "We as a government are obliged to take care of consumers. We will try to regulate 22 products out of over 5,000 products in the chains. The state is not against business. But we want to ensure a better environment for both producers and consumers," said Minister Tahov.
Another measure proposed is that chains with more than 10 stores are obliged to make 50% of product sales with Bulgarian goods.
Tuesday will be day of mourning for the Kochani tragedy
The government will declare Tuesday (March 18) a Day of National Mourning as an expression of solidarity with North Macedonia and the Kochani tragedy, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told journalists, after the fire at the Pulse nightclub, which killed 59 people and injured another 150 teenagers and young adults.
Zhelyazkov added that the state has provided transportation and accommodation for the relatives of the 14 victims who are being treated in Bulgarian hospitals. "There is no politics here, there is only compassion, empathy and solidarity. I believe that our peoples will put aside the hustle and bustle of everyday life so that we can be united on this day," Zhelyazkov noted.
Nationwide protests against animal cruelty continue
Mass protests against animal cruelty and demands for stricter punishments in cases of cruelty across the country continue after the arrest of two people in Pernik who earned money by torturing animals, which they filmed and sold online.
The protesters' demands are for fair and maximum sentences for the perpetrators, stricter laws and real punishments for animal cruelty, as well as increased control over online platforms that distribute such materials.
Two people - a man and a woman - have been detained in Pernik after they killed animals in a particularly cruel way. According to the prosecutor's office, the 26-year-old woman, originally from Pernik, is the main perpetrator, and a 35-year-old man is her helper. The two rented premises to film the videos. Gigabytes of video material of the torture of living animals were found on their seized computer and phone. Their barbaric activity lasted from September 2022 to January of this year: in a particularly sadistic way, they were found to have caused the death of guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, and white mice.
Cabinet to regulate the prices of 22 goods, has yet to decide which ones
The state should regulate the prices of 22 essential goods, and enforce rules over markups and promotions, the Zhelyazkov cabinet proposed in a new draft law on the agri-food chain, presented by Agriculture Minister Georgi Tahov. Sanctions are also foreseen for violators.
