A new initiative aimed at tackling unfair pricing and trade practices has been launched in Bulgaria. The online platform and mobile app Antispekula.bg allow citizens to report excessive prices and irregularities directly from their phones. The announcement came from Maya Manolova of the Izprav se.BG civil platform during a press conference at the BTA Press Club.

Manolova emphasized that the tool empowers consumers to intervene in cases where official statistics don't reflect the reality at the checkout. Citizens can send in reports - including photos and descriptions - about overpricing or questionable practices across various sectors such as fuel, medicines, services, bank fees, and mobile communications. Each report is marked on a national map, making it easier to identify problematic areas.

The platform is a joint effort by five civil society organizations: Izprav se.BG, the Federation of Consumers in Bulgaria, For Affordable and Quality Food, Your Voice, and the United Pensioners’ Unions. At the event, representatives demonstrated how users can install the mobile app straight from the official website - antispekula.bg - without needing to go through corporate app stores. The app requires no personal data, and reports can be submitted entirely anonymously.

Installation is simple. Depending on the phone’s operating system, users tap "Install" or "Share" in their browser and then choose “Add to home screen.” Campaign staff guided participants through the process on-site, highlighting the app’s accessibility and ease of use.

Emil Georgiev, chair of the Federation of Consumers, endorsed the initiative, noting that consumer oversight is essential at a time when state control bodies are stretched thin. “We welcome this effort - it gives us real-time input from the ground, which institutions urgently need,” he said.

Support also came from the youth group Your Voice. Its chair, Tanya Mircheva, questioned the credibility of official inflation figures and announced that volunteers have already begun tracking prices for specific products in large retail chains.

While the platform rollout is underway, organizers are pressing parliament to take legislative action. They’ve sent all parliamentary groups a draft of the so-called “Anti-Speculation” Law - another key element of the campaign.

In the meantime, Antispekula.bg has started publishing weekly updates on the price trends of basic food items, everyday goods, and fuels. The public can also submit price data and alerts directly through the platform, feeding into a growing database of consumer-driven oversight.