Bulgaria's accession to the European Union in January has presented it with new challenges. So Crown Agents, which for the past five years has been helping the country modernise its customs department, will now be working with the Ministry of Finance on the third stage of a reform programme.
The company will work jointly with the finance ministry to protect the interests of legitimate taxpayers by improving the tax culture, creating a better business environment, fighting unfair competition and generating more revenue for the country as a whole.
During the five years that Crown Agents has worked in Bulgaria, customs revenue has more than doubled. It will now extend this progress by minimising further risks to the national budget and so help to ensure the country's financial stability. In particular it will address value-added tax evasion, and tax fraud in general, introducing new risk analysis systems and improving cooperation between revenue administrations.
A contract that will run until the end of next year has been signed in Sofia between Finance Minister Plamen Oresharsksi and Crown Agents' Programme Director, Brian Banks. Ten permanent advisors will operate under the programme, with additional short-term specialists, working in close partnership with all the ministry's revenue agencies. The ministry itself will create close working relationships between the agencies to ensure the programme's total success.