Parliament unanimously closed the State Oil Company

Unanimously, with 190 votes, the parliament finally voted in the second reading to close the state enterprise "State Oil Company" with changes to the Law on State Reserves and Wartime Stocks.

The first reading was yesterday, immediately after that the deputies started the discussion of the bill and the second reading in the hall, but due to the expiration of the plenary time, the discussion was interrupted and continued today - almost two hours, BTA reported.

The analyzes carried out show that the existence of the "State Oil Company" is completely unfounded from the point of view of the protection of the state interest, economic logic and the protection of the competitive fuel market in Bulgaria, states the former already official government and the initiator of the changes in its motives. The state enterprise's participation in the free fuel market is not conditioned by an identified "failure" in the market that would require state intervention, the reasons also say.

Within seven days of the entry into force of the law, the Minister of Economy and Industry opens a liquidation procedure, dismisses the members of the Management Board, appoints a liquidator and determines his remuneration, the parliament voted.

With other adopted texts, it was determined that the storage and protection of wartime stocks will be carried out by the State Agency "State Reserve and Wartime Stocks" or will be assigned by it through contracts to traders and organizations determined by the agency on a competitive basis.

Desislava Trifonova from GERB-SDS called the analysis of the inexpediency of the oil company's existence a "lie". She pointed out that there is a letter from the Ministry of Economy, from which it is known that the analysis was made verbally by an employee of the department. Is this serious on the part of an institution that wants the closure of a company, the only motive is political, she believes.

Instead of politicking, say does GERB want to have a "State Oil Company" and build 100 state gas stations. It would be a wise form of behavior to simply remain silent, recommended Yordan Ivanov "We continue the change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) in response.

If you believe that the "State Oil Company" helps more for competition in the fuel market, why did you from GERB-SDS in a committee vote for its closure, asked his colleague Martin Dimitrov, addressing GERB-SDS. For many years, GERB prevented it from being clear who owns the tax-excise warehouses in our country, we had to go to court and have him oblige the Minister of Finance to say who owns them, the deputy pointed out. Yesterday you said how nice the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) is because it imposed a fine on Lukoil at the end of its seven-year mandate, continued Dimitrov. But, according to him, this CPC was not effective. The truth is that real measures must be taken for competition in the fuel market, he emphasized. Dimitrov suggests that information on available storage capacity be published on the "Customs" website every day.

Radomir Cholakov (GERB-SDS) emphasized that the debate is fundamental - whether the state, as a state, has the right to do something or not. As well as does the state have the right to keep its own wartime stocks in its own warehouses or, in case of need, will it ask a private entrepreneur to give it its own, which is in its private warehouses. It is about whether this country has self-defense forces and where the market has reached a deviation, to intervene, he pointed out.

Two established, right-wing, parties have been arguing for two hours or more about who is more left-wing, said the leader of the BSP for Bulgaria parliamentary group, Kornelia Ninova. She stated that socialists are "in favor" of developing state ownership. Ever since there has been a government and a majority, there is not a single law on which you have not fought and voted differently, every day you give proof that this government is not a government that guarantees the security and stability of the state, but for money, immunities, omerta, she commented and wondered how these political forces would make changes to the Constitution together. One comes out of a crisis with solutions, Ninova explained.

The fact that we are arguing shows that the government is the result of a difficult political decision, said Hristo Ivanov (PP-DB). He added that changes in the Constitution are imperative and they will talk to any political force that decides to participate in the discussion, as earlier today the BSP said they will not participate in a conversation about a constitutional majority. The fact that we are arguing is the result of the political situation, not behind-the-scenes management of immunities and omerta, Ivanov pointed out. It is a fact, according to him, that the administration has reached a difficult compromise, as was the administration in which DB and BSP participated together.

GERB's idea for the oil company was good, Kiril Petkov's government sabotaged the company and supported Lukoil, said Stoyan Taslakov from Vazrazhdane. From the party will support the closure of the company, announced his colleague Dimo Drenchev.