VAT introduction on medicines dealt a heavy blow the pharmaceutical industry and all Bulgarian citizens, United Democratic Forces floor leader Nadezhda Mihaylova said during the parliamentary debates on the non-confidence vote against the Cabinet February 8. Mihaylova reiterated the opinion of the opposition that the chaos shows the Cabinet’s inability to coordinate its activities. She called on the governing coalition to take the responsibility for the consequences of their policy.

According to Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg the Cabinet of Simeon II National Movement has declared its good will to cope with the negative consequences as well as to introduce unpopular measures, in order to avoid the deepening financial crisis. He described the policy on medicines as a combination of mechanisms, aiming to meet the criteria on quality, efficiency, safety of production, medicines access and distribution.

The Cabinet’s work is dedicated to building a functioning state and the tax policy is subject to that aim, Finance Minister Milen Velchev said during the parliamentary debate on the non-confidence vote against the Cabinet, submitted by the United Democratic Forces February 4. He underlined that the tax policy is compatible with European Union standards and Bulgaria’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund. The imposition of VAT on medicines is a pre-requisite for Bulgaria’s EU entry, he added. Minister Velchev described the non-confidence vote as an irresponsible attempt at destabilization. In the opinion of Health Minster Finkov the Cabinet policy on medicines protects the patients’ rights and uses in the best possible way the financial resources.

The United Democratic Forces submitted in Parliament a request for holding a non-confidence vote against the Cabinet. The draft resultion has been signed by fifty MPs of the United Democratic Forces. Parliamentary debates on the non-confidence vote are to be scheduled between three and seven days after its submission. The vote is to be scheduled 24 hours later. The rightist opposition justified the non-confidence vote with the Cabinet’s medicine policy, which in their opinion has led to chaos in the pharmacies, medicine distribution and local manufacturers. They also voiced objections to the imposition of higher licence and property taxes.

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