A report in Bulgaria has revealed that the country is a centre for illegally imported goods and fraudulent business practices. The Centre of Social Practices in Varna performed a study that showed around $2.5 million of illegal imports enter the country on a daily basis.

The main markets where these goods are sold are Dimitrovgrad, Iiiyantsi, Veliko Tarnovo and the Central Cooperative Market in Varna. The prices at these markets are much lower than the normal shop prices. The Centre also found cash registers were rarely in use while double invoicing and fake documentation is common practice.

Speaking about the report, Evgenii Daynov from the Centre of Social Practices said that both markets and customs officials are to blame. According to Daynov, the report confirms the conclusions of the World Bank which earlier this year stated that Bulgaria is second (after Romania) in terms of the scale of the ‘grey economy’.