Bulgaria's EconMin Proposing Tenfold Rise in Fuel Fraud Fines

File photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Economy Ministry is proposing to increase the fines for fraud at the fuel pump at least 10 times, Economy Minister Bozhidar Lukarski has said.

The fine now stands at BGN 500 (EUR 250) for first-time offenders. Repeated offence is punishable by a fine of BGN 1,000.

"It's ridiculous to have a fine as low as that, it can be compensated through fraud in a single day," Lukarsi said in an interview for 24 Chasa daily.

Recent inspections of meters at filling stations across Bulgaria revealed that the most widespread fraud involved readings of the pump meter that were higher than the actual amount of fuel put into a car's tank.

The most drastic fraud found during the inspections was 10% difference between the amount of fuel pumped into a vehicle's tank and the readings on the pump meter, Lukarski said.

 

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