Tax-Evasion Amounts to Euro 6 Billion Standartnews - 2003/5/28
In Bulgaria some 5 or 6 billion euro are circulating in the shady economy. Tax-evasions account for 30 to 36 of the GDP, shows a study conducted by the Democracy Research Centre (DRC), aired at a discussion "Criminal Economy and the New Challenges to the Anti-corrupt Reforms". The main sources of corruption are the administration, import and customs houses, said Ognian Shentov, director of DRC. To him, the cigarette smuggling made as much money as drugs did. The Financial Investigation Agency (FIA) had tip-offs about means of vague origin being legalized through privatization deals, Vassil Kirov, director of the Agency, said. He, however, declined to give particular examples. He commented that the bank sector was clear despite the attempts to legalize dirty money through it. Associated Professor Olga Teneva from the IM Academy backed the IM idea the money Bulgaria owes to the Paris Club to be allotted for combatting crime.