Burgas: Weekly Price Monitoring with a Focus on Consumer Protection

The state is transitioning to weekly monitoring of the retail network in the Burgas region to ensure price stability and consumer protection following the introduction of the single European currency. The priority will be the protection of the elderly and residents of small settlements from attempts at fraud.

This was decided today at the first meeting of the Regional Coordination Center in Burgas, convened by the regional governor Vladimir Krumov in implementation of the instructions of the Council of Ministers, reported the BTA correspondent Stanimir Dimitrov.

Instead of the traditional periodic reports, institutions in the region are transitioning to a mode of constant coordination to ensure that the increase in prices of goods and services will not be allowed through speculative methods.

The regional governor ordered "Bulgarian Posts" to introduce special distinctive signs for their employees in order to eliminate the risk of citizens being misled by individuals posing as legitimate representatives of the state.

According to Krumov, the presence of institutions on the ground should be palpable to ensure the peace of mind of the most vulnerable social groups.

The pricing process will be monitored to compare current values with those registered as of December 31, 2025. Upon establishing discrepancies, the control authorities will require written evidence from the traders within five days of the objective circumstances that necessitated the change. The inspections are carried out jointly by teams from the National Revenue Agency (NRA), the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), and the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC).

Data for the first two weeks of January indicate that five violations have been established. According to the director of the NRA's territorial directorate in Burgas, Todor Todorov, the share of violations is below four percent, which is an indicator of a smooth transition and a lack of mass speculation. He emphasized that the administrative actions do not aim to sanction businesses but to maintain fair competition.

The Consumer Protection Commission reported over 1300 inspections for the last quarter of last year, and the teams continue to work on duty.

Vladimir Krumov also said that traders are a key partner, as they are on the "front line" in the process of currency change, but warned that control will be strengthened. As an additional measure, the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Burgas will provide increased police presence in the areas around the currency exchange facilities.

The composition of the Coordination Center includes the mayors of all municipalities in the region and the heads of the main control departments.