Bulgarians might be led to think that they have not been getting value for money from the Customs Agency and from the large sums paid from the public purse to UK consultancy firm Crown Agents, hired to advise on customs reforms.

Perceptions in past years have been that only people getting value for money from some customs officials have been those who paid bribes to them.

While it is true that the two previous governments boasted of increased customs earnings, which may be ascribed to the implementation of some of the recommendations by Crown Agents, it has emerged under the current Government that scores of recommendations were not implemented. It is an open question as to why this was not done.

Now, in the interests of transparency, two of Crown Agents’ contracts have been made public, generating a stir among those media that long have been critical of the consultancy.
However, as reported in this issue of The Sofia Echo, the consultancy does not have power of implementation, only a role in recommending to the government of the day the best options available to it.

It is, at least, encouraging – as the story on our front page of this issue points out – that steps have been taken in recent months to clear out some of the rot from the Customs Agency, including through the device of requiring officials and candidate employees to sit tests to assess their suitability.

However, the fact remains that many recommendations are on the table for the Government to decide about implementing. Currently, there are those voices in opposition that criticise (and hope for their own dire failings to be forgotten) the current Cabinet for, they say, witch-hunting the former incumbents while taking no positive steps to improve Bulgaria and its economic situation.

It is clear that a start has been made on reforming the Customs Agency, however regrettable it is that years have been allowed to pass without this having been done. The Government has a chance now to push the process further forward, taking on board the advice available to it. If this is done, and done swiftly and thoroughly, Bulgarians may be persuaded that they are getting value for money.