site.btaMRF – New Beginning Proposes Tightened Controls on Illegal Fuel Market

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning (MRF – New Beginning) has proposed a set of measures to curb the illegal fuel market in response to newly released data showing that losses to Bulgaria’s state budget from unpaid excise duties and taxes on illegal fuel reached nearly BGN 600 million in 2024, the party said in a press release on Tuesday.

Among the key proposals is drafting a special regulation within one month that would require all vehicles transporting crude oil and petroleum products to be equipped with functioning GPS tracking devices.

According to the party, this would make it possible to clearly monitor the quantities of fuel delivered to refuelling points. The process would be further controlled through specialized software integrated into the electronic road toll collection system and through dedicated tank-capacity measuring devices provided and installed by the Customs Agency.

The proposed measure would allow the Customs Agency to track the movement of fuel transport vehicles and to control loading and unloading points, ensuring significant additional revenue for the state budget from previously uncollected excise duties and taxes, according to the party.

MRF – New Beginning argued that the proposed steps would not create a financial or administrative burden for businesses, as the necessary equipment could be funded by the state budget, while the expected additional revenues would far exceed the initial investment.