site.btaBusinesses Report Unaligned Practices at Customs Checkpoints

According to 64% of businesspeople surveyed, unaligned practices exist at the customs checkpoints across Bulgaria. The findings were presented on Monday during the practical conference "Customs Officers in the New European Reality: Reform, Digitalization, and Responsibility" held in Sofia. The forum was organized by the National Organization of Customs Agents and the Pan-European Confederation of Customs Agents.

Bulgarian Industrial Association Deputy Chair Stanislav Popdonchev said that customs representatives stand at the centre of all processes and are not merely intermediaries, but strategic participants in relations between business and the administration.

According to him, when procedures are delayed, companies first turn to customs agents rather than institutions. Popdonchev noted that the greatest administrative burden comes not from complex cases but from everyday procedures. As an example, he cited imports of goods subject to veterinary or phytosanitary control, where the same documents are repeatedly requested by different institutions, including customs authorities and the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.

He said this results in delays of between 24 and 48 hours and, in the case of container transport, additional storage costs. Temperature-sensitive goods also face a risk of actual losses.

"A large part of these problems can be resolved relatively quickly through better coordination, clear internal rules and more effective communication," Popdonchev said.

He added that such changes could be implemented within months. "And this is perhaps the most important message from the business community: improving customs services does not start with laws, but with practice," he said.

According to the survey results, 69% of respondents are satisfied with the quality of electronic customs service systems, while 31% gave a negative assessment.

The survey also showed that 55% of companies had been informed by their customs representatives about upcoming changes regarding imports of low-value consignments through online platforms, while 45% said they had not received such information.