Customs Agency employees to stage a protest against the relocation of its headquarters to Rousse

“Employees of the Central Customs Directorate of the Customs Agency will stage a protest in front of the Finance Ministry against the legislative amendments to the Administration Act, stipulating that the institution’s headquarters should be relocated to Rousse,” said Aneta Sharkova from the Organising Committee against the relocation, cited by Focus news agency. The protest procession will start at 17.30 hrs on Thursday from the building of the Customs Agency. Protesters have obtained permission for a two-hour rally beginning at 18.00 hrs in front of the Finance Ministry. “We have invited our colleagues from the Sofia Customs Office, the Customs Office at Sofia Airport, Executive Agency Maritime Administration and the National Revenue Agency to support us if they want to,” she said.

“The ultimate goal of the protesters is to cancel the relocation of the headquarters to Rousse. Now, we are attacking the amendments to the Administration Act, which are under draft and which will affect all State administrations. For this reason, we have invited officials from the administration to support us. These amendments will require subsequent changes to the Civil Servants Act, the Labour Code, the Administration Act, Customs Act and the Merchant Shipping Code. We are of the opinion that these legislative changes are unconstitutional and violate all human and civil rights,” commented Aneta Sharkova.

Customs officials hope to at least have a conversation with Finance Minister Simeon Djankov on Thursday, who has proposed the so-called “deconcentration of administration” - the relocation of administrative structures from Sofia to different Bulgarian cities. The State does not have the necessary financial resources for such decentralisation. “Revenues, as well as the stability of both the administration and the State are at risk,” Stefan Stefanov, an expert from the central customs administration, commented to BNR. He said he hopes that PM Boyko Borissov will be an arbitrator in the dispute between customs officials and the Finance Minister on the agency’s headquarters.

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