7 violations found at 17 petrol stations in joint operation by tax agency, police and customs

Inspectors found seven violations in checks at 17 petrol stations across Bulgaria, the National Revenue Agency (NRA) said. The NRA, the Interior Ministry, the organised crime unit GDBOP and the Customs Agency are running the operation together, and an interagency coordination centre directs the work.

The checks covered sites in seven regions: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Ruse, Pleven, Haskovo and Pernik. On Monday the Interior Ministry reported earlier checks at 16 petrol stations between 5 and 7 October, which led to more than 8,000 litres of poor-quality fuel being pulled from sale.

The previous development: Over 8,000 litres of poor-quality fuel seized in checks at 16 petrol stations

Inspectors from the NRA's Fiscal Control directorate found the violations. At petrol stations in Karlovo and Haskovo they found three: no till receipt was issued, and there were irregularities in the documents and in the data filed when fuel is delivered and held at the site.

At sites in Ruse and Byala, the cash in the till did not match the amount shown on the fiscal device. The sites also had no special log for servicing the system that records sales, and no level gauge, a device that shows how much fuel is in the tanks.

Inspectors found three attempts to get round the law in two checks, in Knezha and Koynare. The cash in the till did not match the amount on the cash register, and a till receipt lacked a required detail. The sites use an electronic system with fiscal memory, but they have no up-to-date calibration certificate for the tanks, nor the calibration tables that go with it.

The traders must hand over more documents, and the NRA will analyse them in detail.

Earlier today the agency also announced 16 violations at five well-known Sofia restaurants, which Fiscal Control inspectors found yesterday.

At its meeting today the Council of Ministers approved extra spending in the Finance Ministry's budget: €4m for the NRA and €22m for the Customs Agency. The government says the money will pay for essential work on revenue collection and control at the two bodies.