The coalition decided to close duty free shops in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said on February 10. The decision was taken after criticism and suggestions of corruption in a recent interim report from the European Commission (EC).

The decision had been taken at a meeting of the leaders of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP) which took place after the meeting of the political council over the weekend in Hisarya, mediapool.bg said.

Previous reports of the EC had included the same criticism, mediapool.bg said.

The decision had been taken after minsters of finance, interior and foreign affairs had presented concrete information about the problem to the leaders of the coalition parties. Stanishev did not say what the concrete information that was presented was, while the work group that was to study the problem was expected to present its conclusion in about a month, mediapool.bg said.

"We took this decision because there were doubts, despite the fact that figures quoted by the media are far from realistic. What is said to be the amount of goods trafficked, is in reality higher than the turn-over of the duty free shops," Stanishev said. He said that the parliament and the coalition had a clear priority in tackling corruption.

The duty free shops will be closed after Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski proposes amendments to the law.

The intention was announced at a moment when the duty free shop owners were again accused by the EC of being the source of goods trafficking and corruption, mediapool.bg said. Branch organisation denied the accusations and said that Brussels had received incorrect data.