Legislative changes related to the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria are causing sharp controversy among political circles and the business community. Member of Parliament Martin Dimitrov from the PP-DB parliamentary group raises serious criticisms of the proposed mechanisms for price control.
In an expert commentary on national radio, the deputy describes the new texts as "scandalous", emphasizing the excessive powers granted to state institutions. Specifically, he questions the capacity of the Consumer Protection Commission to carry out large-scale monitoring of price levels nationwide.
A key point in his criticism is the proposed mechanisms for state intervention in identifying excessive price increases. According to Dimitrov, the proposed measures resemble practices from authoritarian regimes, including the introduction of artificial price ceilings and fixed trade markups.
As an illustration of the inconsistency of such an approach, the parliamentarian points to Croatia's experience. There, attempts at direct state control over market processes did not achieve the desired effect of containing inflation.
Among the controversial texts is the requirement for trade chains to report their prices to control bodies weekly. Although the idea aims to increase market transparency, Dimitrov defines it as an ineffective administrative approach.
The member of parliament is particularly critical of the intention to create state-owned stores. He categorically defines this idea as a "terrible stupidity", referring to the negative historical experience during the socialist system.
According to the parliamentary position, the only real regulatory mechanism is market principles. The draft law prohibiting price increases from August 8 until the end of the year is considered potentially discriminatory towards businesses.
Dimitrov warns of the risk of artificially dividing economic entities into "good" and "bad" players, which could disrupt normal market competition.
The deputy's overall assessment is that the proposed changes represent a dangerous interference in economic processes that may have counterproductive consequences.