The establishment of a unified electronic register between the National Revenue Agency, the Customs Agency, the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology (BIM) and the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Surveillance (SAMTS) is proposed by the Ministry of Economy (ME) as one of the measures offered by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov for the enhancement of the control over the quality of the fuels and the good working order of the measurement devices. “We need the creation of such a register because as at this time each of these authorities collects and processes the information in a different manner”, the Minister of Economy, Bojidar Loukarski, declared at a press conference in the Ministry of Economy. Deputy Minister Daniela Vezieva added that each institution which is related to the control over the petrol stations should see the data of the other such and the idea is that this should happen in real time.
The creation of a laboratory for testing and control of the measurement software is another measure, which in conformity with the words of Minister Loukarski will prevent the possibility for manipulation of the data supplied in an electronic manner to the National Revenue Agency. “At the moment there is no mechanism for exercising control over these data and we have doubts that what is sent to the National Revenue Agency does not correspond to the truth”, Minister Loukarski also stated.
Possibilities for misuse with the really filled up and reported quantity of fuel are created also because of the established legal terms for the implementation of repair activities and subsequent sealing by the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology. According to the current Ordinance there is a 7-day term after the performance of the repair, during which an application should be filed for sealing to the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology and the Institute should make the sealing within a 14-day term after the receipt of the application. The proposal of the Ministry of Economy is that the servicing activities should be implemented in the presence of an expert from the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology who shall place the seal and the sticker on the same day.
Minister Loukarski also indicated that the servicing companies at the moment do not bear any responsibility with regard to the control and the good working order of the measurement devices. “It is necessary to introduce a licensing regime for these companies”, he indicated.
Another measure proposed by the Ministry of Economy is serious increase of the fines at the establishment of a discrepancy in the quantity of the fuel. Minister Loukarski particularized that the proposal is that this fine should be in the amount of 10 000 BGN, with the present amount of 1000 BGN for repeated violation. The fine at first violation at the moment is 500 BGN.
The proposals made by the Ministry of Economy are on the basis of the current results from the regularly conducted inspections for the quality of the fuels and the good working order of the measurement devices. “These are inspections which are made systematically and continuously and we do not have in mind a campaign basis”, Minister Loukarski indicated. He explained that experts of the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Surveillance (SAMTS) investigated 1000 samples from the beginning of the year. Violations in the quality were stated with 7% of them related to the contents of bioethanol, sulfur and distillation characteristics. All the 22 000 measurement devices in the country were inspected for conformity in the quantities subject to control by the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology. The violations are below 1 % and there are such both in big (52% of all the violations stated) and in small petrol stations (48%). In 60% of the cases the violations are related to discrepancies in the quantities and in 40% to damaged seals.