The Association of Soft Drinks Manufacturers in Bulgaria insists that holders of concessions for mineral water bottling should be granted an exemption from concession fees on exported volumes.

Zhana Velichkova, Chair of the Association, told Presa daily Monday that the aim of the step was to encourage export and improve the product's competitiveness.

She explained that a mere 1.5% of bottled mineral water production was being exported mainly because of the high costs.

Velichkova, as cited by investor.bg, made clear that mineral water bottling companies demanded that each company in the sector be subject to export potential assessment and that lowered requirements be introduced for the packaging of quantities earmarked for export.

She argued that the incentives would not allow companies to evade concession fees because the quantities were indicated by water meters.

She informed that the Association had been tasked by the Ministry of Environment and Water with drafting legal amendments introducing incentives for the industry.

Velichkova said that the amendments to the Waters Act were to be ready within a month so that they could be included in a set of legal amendments currently reviewed by Parliament.

Velichkova stated other demands of the Association, including that water bottling companies be freed from double VAT taxation and that they pay concession fees in BGN or EUR, not USD, and on the basis of the actual quantities of bottled water.

She informed that the Association had also sent a letter to the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism insisting that trade attaches advertise mineral and table waters in the EU and the Middle East.

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