Municipal councilors in Burgas file a complaint about inflated prices after the introduction of the euro

Municipal councilors from Burgas have submitted a new signal to the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the Commission for Consumer Protection (CPC), requesting a comprehensive check of the adopted prices and local fees by the Municipality of Burgas and municipal enterprises in connection with the introduction of the euro. This was announced on his official Facebook page by municipal councilor Ivan Ivanov.

According to him, the signal was submitted jointly with municipal councilors Nikolai Zhelev and Stoyan Tsarev. Ivanov recalls that two months ago they warned that the changes in the prices of municipal fees and services were unjustified, with a number of them rounded up to their higher value in euros or directly converted one-to-one from leva to euros.

The NRA confirmed our position after it found the unreasonable increase in the price of the ticket in public transport and fined "Burgasbus" with 2600 euros, Ivan Ivanov points out. He adds that the expectations are for the check to also cover the dozens of other price changes adopted at the October session last year of the Municipal Council.

As examples of controversial increases, Ivanov points out the following cases:

• The fee for using a grave site for up to 15 years has been increased from 25 BGN to 25 euros, which represents a 100% increase.
• The ticket for the "Petya Dubarova" House Museum for students and pensioners has been increased from 2 BGN to 2 euros, or a 100% increase.
• The price of an audio guide for St. Anastasia Island has been changed from 5 BGN to 5 euros.
• The standard ticket for a visit to St. Anastasia Island has been increased from 18 BGN to 9.50 euros (18.58 BGN).
• The ticket for the Baths of Suleiman the Magnificent in "Aqua Calidae" has been changed from 6 BGN to 3.50 euros (6.85 BGN).
• The price of the ticket for St. Anastasia Island for people with disabilities has been increased from 9 BGN to 5 euros (9.78 BGN).
• The rental of the "Petya Dubarova" hall for 1 hour has been increased from 36 BGN to 30 euros (58.67 BGN).
• The visit to a demonstration SPA center in "Aqua Calidae" for 3 hours has been increased from 25 BGN to 13 euros (25.43 BGN), which according to Ivanov is a classic example of rounding up.

The introduction of the euro cannot and should not be used as a justification for hidden price increases, Ivan Ivanov emphasizes. He points out that the citizens of Burgas deserve honest, transparent, and reasoned decisions when determining local fees and prices.

BTA recalls that municipal councilors from the parties "Middle European Class" and "Revival" requested a reduction in the price of the ticket for public transport in Burgas, after the NRA, during an inspection at the beginning of this year, found an unreasonable increase in the price. The proposal has been submitted for consideration at an upcoming meeting of the Municipal Council this month and has been published on its official website.