site.btaHauliers Say Government Signals Support after PM Meeting

Transport sector representatives said Tuesday their meeting with Prime Minister Rumen Radev at the Council of Ministers had largely met their expectations.

Some of the sector’s demands call for urgent action by regulators, the Financial Supervision Commission and the Commission on Protection of Competition, to investigate suspected breaches in the insurance market, as well as the introduction of fuel compensation mechanisms.

Dimitar Dimitrov, executive director of the Chamber of the Bulgarian Road Hauliers, told the media that Radev had been briefed on the sector’s problems. Dimitrov said hauliers had been assured that the scheme allowing leasing payments to be deferred would be in place by the end of the week.

“The most important thing for all of us is that support for fuel and toll fees will be included in the budget to be submitted next month. Support will be provided for the transport sector this year. This is the most important information we received,” Dimitrov said.

Dimitrov added that ways would be sought to ensure the aid reaches hauliers as quickly as possible. He said no protest action was planned at this stage.

“There is no protest at the moment. If these demands are met, there will be no need for a protest either,” Dimitrov said.

Yordan Arabadjiev, executive director of the Bulgarian Union of International Hauliers, said it was important for the sector to receive a clear signal from the government. “We received such a signal, and support for the transport sector,” he said.

Arabadjiev added that the meeting had also addressed the strategic importance of road transport for the Bulgarian economy.

“We believe the response we received satisfies the sector at this stage,” he said.

Hauliers’ representatives also noted that the mechanisms for delivering the aid have yet to be specified. One option is the use of the de minimis scheme, which has also been applied in previous sector support measures.

The transport sector has been pressing for urgent state support amid higher fuel prices, liquidity problems, toll costs and rising compulsory insurance premiums. Measures discussed in recent months have included postponing toll increases, state aid for hauliers, a mechanism to defer leasing payments and credit-insurance support for working capital.