site.btaUPDATED Further Fuel Hikes “By No Means Impossible” – Energy Minister

Fuel prices are rising depending on developments in the Middle East and stock market levels. “It is by no means impossible that they will continue to increase,” said caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov on Nova TV on Sunday.

Speaking about retail prices, which affect all Bulgarian consumers, Traikov said the government is managing, through a mix of discussions, invitations, and analyses, to limit price increases compared with other countries. He added that TV documentaries are expected soon on Romanians, Greeks, and Serbs coming to fill up at Bulgarian petrol stations. “Even if the increase is more limited, it is still significant, and unless hostilities suddenly stop, there is no prospect of prices falling,” he said.

Traikov noted that the government is moving to the next stage of its measures, which focuses on supporting the most vulnerable. Regarding the conditions for compensation under the measures, the minister said they have not yet been finalized but explained that they will be linked to the poverty line and whether the household owns a vehicle. “In my view, and according to the understanding of most decision-makers, this will be activated if the situation continues to be difficult or deteriorates sharply,” Traikov added.

The Energy Minister also commented on the possibility that the country could lose funds from the fourth payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, in response to a question about the failed attempts to hold a meeting of the parliamentary Energy Committee to consider amendments to the Renewable Energy Act. According to Traikov, the argument that a quorum could not be reached is “completely absurd.” He noted that he inherited the proposed legislative changes already submitted to parliament by his predecessor – filed on February 12, while he took office on February 19, with the deadline for adoption at the end of March. Traikov described his attempts and communication regarding the committee’s consideration of the amendments: “Over the following two days, after my intervention, there were three attempts to convene the committee. Clearly, there is time, but no willingness,” he said.