site.btaGERB-UDF: International Institutions Trust Spetsov as Special Administrator for Lukoil's Bulgarian Entities

GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva on Saturday commented on Rumen Spetsov's appointment as special administrator for Lukoil's companies in Bulgaria. She dismissed claims that Spetsov, who headed the National Revenue Agency until now, lacks the necessary experience for his new position.

Sacheva stressed that the international institutions trust Spetsov as evidenced on Friday by the swiftly obtained UK and the US sanctions waivers for Lukoil entities in Bulgaria. In her view, the special administrator will not act alone but with a team.

Sacheva said Spetsov's long career has involved oversight of the fuel sector, risk analysis and the fight against smuggling. As far back as 2001, he has been involved in controlling the supply chain for oil, gas and petroleum products.

Sacheva added that matters concerning the refinery's future fall outside the administrator's remit and will be decided at government level. "We want to ensure that people will not feel any disruption and that affordable fuel will be available. It is in Bulgaria's strategic interest that the refinery should be managed adequately," she said.

Her comment was prompted by Friday's statement by Continue the Change leader Assen Vassilev, who described the government's nomination of Rumen Spetsov for Lukoil Neftochim's special commercial administrator as "rather a bad joke". Spetsov was appointed to collect taxes, not to manage a refinery, Vassilev added, referring to Spetsov's appointment as Executive Director of the National Revenue Agency in 2021 when the government was led by Continue the Change and Vassilev was minister of finance.