A drastic increase in the price of white goods in our country, which could reach up to 1000%, is coming very soon. The reason is the sharp increase in recycling fees that manufacturers and importers pay to recycling organizations. Experts in the studio of “Hello, Bulgaria“ on Nova TV sounded the alarm about this. According to them, the jump is unjustified and will hit both the pockets of consumers and the competitiveness of Bulgarian business.
Is it possible for stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines to rise in price drastically due to an increase in eco-taxes? The topic sparked serious debate after it became clear that recycling organizations want an increase in recycling fees between 700 and 1000%. For example, the product fee for a TV could jump from 5 to 40 leva, and for a microwave oven from 3 to 20 leva. For refrigerators, the increase will be 35-40 leva. According to examples given on the air, if until now the fee for a washing machine was around 2.20 leva, after the increase it could reach 45-50 leva, and for heavier appliances - up to 80 leva.
„The problem is that these eco-taxes, as they have acquired citizenship, are suddenly increasing by a very large percentage. And this cannot but affect prices for the simple reason that the eco-tax is part of the cost price. It is an expense and each such expense, such as electricity, raw materials, materials, labor, is included in the price“, explained Gabriela Chiflichka, Secretary General of the Association of Household Appliance Manufacturers APPLiA Bulgaria.
She also gave a specific example: a refrigerator that weighs about 60 kilograms will increase in price by 80 to 100 leva.
According to Vladimir Dimitrov from the Bulgarian Industrial Chamber, there are no clear arguments for such a jump.
“These fees are defined in a regulation on the order and size of product fees. Let's say that there is a ceiling and all operators, called recovery organizations, play in this range – from zero to one hundred“, explained Dimitrov.
He also said that the recovery organization is a legal entity that organizes the process, with traders placing the goods on the market on one side and waste processors on the other.
The industry is demanding that the state intervene by reducing the alternative state product fee.
“We want this state fee to be reduced by about 10 times, so that we can choose to pay it as a competitive way to exercise our obligations under extended producer responsibility“, said Chiflichka.
According to her, this is a temporary solution for a period of two years, in which all interested parties can build a fair and economically justified system that does not harm either consumers or businesses.