The proposal to fine individuals if they keep brandy produced by someone else is written in a contradictory way. This is the opinion of leading economists and financiers. The texts will be corrected, but this did not calm the owners of brandy cauldrons in our country, Nova TV reported.
The topic of homemade brandy caused serious reactions after it became clear that new proposals related to the production and provision of alcohol by private individuals are being discussed. Currently, the legislation allows a household to produce a certain amount for personal use, but the sale of homemade brandy is prohibited. The question is whether giving rakia to relatives, friends or neighbors could lead to sanctions in larger quantities.
“If I give you a bottle of apricot rakia, I am being very unkind to you, because the tradition in Bulgaria is to be hospitable and generous. According to the prepared changes, however, I will give you not rakia, but a 1,000 euro fine“, commented on the air of “Hello, Bulgaria” Sashko Pavlov from the National Association “Bulgarian Homemade Rakija”, who also owns a rakia cauldron.
According to him, such measures would affect not just the production of alcohol, but a tradition that is deeply connected to Bulgarian life. “Rakia has been brewed in our country for centuries. And now someone is trying to encroach on your domestic life, to enter your home“, said Pavlov.
According to him, however, the main problem that needs to be solved by the institutions is not homemade brandy for personal use, but the trade in alcohol of unclear origin. According to Pavlov, it is unlikely that people who produce brandy for themselves will start selling it. “Who would sell homemade brandy, which is significantly more expensive than the one in stores? It is enough to calculate how many grapes a liter of brandy comes from, how much the costs are and at what price you will sell it“, commented Pavlov.
He pointed out that in industrial production, a number of costs affect the final price - for production, labels, caps, bottles, transport, markup and profit.
The representative of the National Association “Bulgarian Homemade Brandy” announced that the producers are ready to first seek dialogue with the authorities, but in the absence of a result, they do not rule out protests - larger than those in 2017.
According to Pavlov, even then people from the industry were looking for information in other European countries about the way in which the production of alcohol by farmers is regulated there. “It turns out that fruit and grape producers have the right to brew 10 hectoliters of alcohol under Directive 8392 of the European Union from 1992. And this alcohol is for sale - they pay for everything, get certificates and sell it“, he pointed out.
According to financier Nikola Filipov, there is a contradiction in the proposed texts. “I read the law itself and it is really written quite ornately, it is not clear exactly what the legislator has in mind“, he explained. According to him, it is a completely legitimate hypothesis for someone to come and check your refrigerator.
Former Minister of Economy and Social Affairs Lidiya Shuleva clarified that the changes are aimed at the production of rakia on a commercial scale, and are not intended to harm people who produce homemade rakia for themselves.
„This rakia that people produce for themselves is usually double distilled, more carefully produced, but the rakia that is truly produced for commercial purposes is quite dangerous. And really, the focus should be on controlling the composition, and not so much on the quantity and excise duty,“ believes Shuleva.
And yet - how can we prove the origin of a bottle of brandy given as a gift?
“If they come to your place for an inspection and when you tell the “Customs“ Agency that it is from such and such a person and they check that he has paid the excise duty, there is no problem“, said Yordan Chorbadzhiyski, who is a member of the Board of the National Vine and Wine Chamber.