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SYRIZA MPs have submitted an interpellation to the Ministers of Finance, the Interior and Administrative Reconstruction, in which they inform of a large-scale smuggling of goods on the Greek-Bulgarian border.

According to them, the case concerns illegal imports of wood, heating stoves, cement, aluminium windows, flour, fertilizers and more. The left deputies indicate as the cause of the problem the cancelled checks at the border crossing points as well as the failure to carry out cross-checks of imports after Bulgaria’s accession into the EU on 1 January 2007.

The interpellation states that the representatives of different trade sectors in Greece often complain about the damage that they suffer due to the smuggling of goods "that takes place within the intra-community trade with the help of virtual or fake invoices and without any tax information and quality certificates. When there are such accompanying documents, both sides destroy them after the delivery of goods."

Because of smuggling, the Greek state is losing substantial revenues and the Greek companies in the same sectors are becoming victims of unfair competition. "Producers of biomass, heating systems, cement, aluminium windows, fertilizers and other producers are the most affected, because their earnings are steadily decreasing. In many cases, the drop is as high as 60% and all this directly affects employment."

The MPs cite as a typical example biomass producers. "According to the Greek Biomass Association, over 55,000 tons of pellets and 200,000 tons of firewood have been imported into Greece with virtual invoices. The Association has informed the competent Greek authorities that truck drivers have fake invoices that contain false tax information and invalid names of the recipients, which are subsequently destroyed. Customs checks have been cancelled after Bulgaria's accession into the EU and only drivers’ passports are now required. At the same time, the final recipient is not interested in obtaining a legal invoice for the purchase of fuel, thus supporting the whole system of tax evasion and smuggling."

SYRIZA MPs indicate that the situation is similar in sectors such as the production of aluminium windows that, in addition to the economic crisis and the standstill in construction is now threatened by the smuggling of goods. "As a result, the companies in Northern Greece have reported an 80% drop in turnover that has led to the closure of half of the firms for the production of aluminium profiles and 4 major factories for aluminium extrusion."