Changes in Taxes and Fees: Reforms in Municipalities and Waste Collection Tax

New changes in the legislation on local taxes and fees are triggering reforms in several Bulgarian municipalities, provoking debates and the search for new approaches to determining the household waste fee. By the end of the current year, property owners and users in Blagoevgrad are obliged to declare the number of residents in their dwellings. At the same time, the capital and Varna are still working on the new mechanisms for calculating the fee, creating uncertainty and questions among citizens.

Until now, in Blagoevgrad, the household waste fee was calculated based on the tax assessments of the properties, which often led to injustices, according to local residents. With the entry into force of the new regulations, the municipality is introducing a new model that will take into account the number of people who actually live in or use a given property.

Metodi Baykushev, mayor of Blagoevgrad, explained the new approach: "The model chosen by us, as an administration, is that for the first two services the fee will be determined based on the number of users of the properties, and for the third the fee will be determined based on the area of each of the properties." He clarified that the first service includes waste collection and disposal, the second - treatment and disposal of waste, and the third - maintenance of cleanliness of the territory.

Reactions among citizens are diverse. Some express hope for justice, while others share concerns. One resident shared her dissatisfaction, emphasizing the injustice of the current system: "It's not possible.. For example, where I live, there is a 5-member family, I am alone, we pay the same." She stressed the need for clear rules: "Some kind of regulation must be put in place, to be known. That building, block pays that much, house pays that much."

In the capital, Sofia, the situation remains less clear. Days ago, information appeared that residents should submit declarations for the "Household Waste" fee by the end of September, which caused confusion. The municipality, however, clarified that this is not mandatory, and the introduction of the "polluter pays" principle is planned for next year.

Nadezhda Bobcheva, deputy mayor "Green System, Ecology and Land Use" of Sofia Municipality, stated: "If we are really moving towards the introduction of the principle from the first of January next year, we will most likely notify everyone and start a comprehensive campaign for re-declaration and it will be absolutely clear and I ask everyone to refer to the official information from the SO, and not to posts in neighborhood groups and information from home administrators, which would create additional tension." She stressed the importance of official information to avoid confusion and inaccuracies.

Even before the introduction of the new principle, the public debate concerns various aspects of the fee. Citizens express their views. Albena shared: "Maybe by the number of residents, because people create the garbage, not the square footage of the dwellings." Maria supported this opinion: "By the number of residents should be." Natalia expressed a personal position: "I am alone and I don't want to pay for the whole square footage."

Deputy Mayor Bobcheva added that the "polluter pays" principle has been planned for a long time, but there is a disadvantage that must be taken into account: "The truth is that the "polluter pays" principle has been planned to be introduced in Bulgarian legislation for many years and its main disadvantage is that it will redistribute the burden between businesses and citizens. That is, it will additionally burden citizens at the expense of businesses."

In Varna, residents are not yet obliged to submit declarations. The local municipality has created a working group that should determine how to calculate the household waste fee for next year. In this whole process, the public interest is focused on finding a fair and transparent mechanism for determining the fee, reflecting the real contribution of each citizen and business to the generation of waste.