The MP from the parliamentary group of "Progressive Bulgaria" Yavor Gechev commented in the studio of "The Day Begins with Georgi Lyubenov" on current topics surrounding disasters, food prices, the work of institutions and the state of the state.
According to him, trust in institutions goes not only through control, but also through effective prevention and coordination between different structures.
Gechev emphasized that in the event of disasters and floods, the lack of a unified coordination mechanism hinders the state's response:
"With water, it is not a question of who owns the installation, because when it rains, it does not ask who is responsible for the given thing. That's why, in my opinion, there should be a unit that coordinates all actions regarding the entire chain."
Regarding food prices and the measures that the government is preparing against unfair trade practices, Yavor Gechev stated:
"In the modern world, the market economy is not quite market. And it is not market because we, the people, violate it. There is no purely free market. If there were one, everything would be wonderful."
According to him, the state does not have the ambition to directly set prices, but to "illuminate" the pricing chain:
"We did not set out to control the market, but rather to use the best European practices in terms of returning the market to its original state, because it is currently distorted."
He added that according to the institutions' analyses, there are serious problems in price formation:
"There are inexplicable formulations, how a product from wholesale to the counter can be raised several times.
Gechev stated that the government is prepared to confront unfair practices if business does not show readiness for partnership:
"What is not written is that we have been preparing for this debate for a very long time, that we know very well the models that are used in terms of price formation. We are not looking for an enemy. But if we don't have a partnership, if we don't have social commitment and responsibility towards the Bulgarian market, then there is a state."
According to him, the problem is not only in the large retail chains, but it is they who have the strongest influence on the market:
"The concentration of the large chains is really very high. That is, they have significant market power, with which they can influence the market in other ways."
Yavor Gechev also outlined some of the measures that, according to the government, should stimulate domestic production:
"We are currently preparing a description and possible subsequent activation of guarantee funds for Bulgarian production, on Bulgarian markets, including guarantee funds for liquidity."
He pointed out that subsidies should be tied to real production and presence on the market:
"In our program, we have very clearly written that subsidizing, encouraging measures should only be in relation to production that has entered commercial circulation, not just production, for the sake of production itself."
According to the MP, the biggest problem is the lack of transparency in the final price.
On the topic of corruption at the Ministry of Agriculture, Gechev admitted that there are problems, but stressed that systemic solutions are needed. He gave an example of food traceability and quality control:
"We have proposed a comprehensive register of traceability of the trade chain, i.e. what enters the country, where it is, where it went to retail."
According to him, such a system would allow for a faster withdrawal of dangerous foods from the market. The MP also added that there is no reason for mass fear among employees in the state administration.