Caretaker government: Fuel price aid would reach about 1.38 million Bulgarians
When implemented, the system of compensation approved by the interim government on March 18 in the face of rising fuel prices will reach about 1.38 million Bulgarians at the lowest income levels, according to caretaker Labour and Social Policy Minister Hassan Ademov.
The system envisages payment of 20 euro a month to low-income individuals if the average fuel price is 1.60 euro a litre for three consecutive days.
There are three criteria for an individual to be eligible, Ademov said.
The first is income. Individuals who have an average monthly income of up to 652.41 euro gross – twice the poverty line for 2025 – will be eligible. Alternatively, data for 2024, when the average monthly income must be up to 537.88 euro, may be used, given that the process of submitting tax returns is not completed, he said.
The second criterion is that the individual must have a car – as owner, co-owner or lessee.
The third criterion is fuel costing 1.60 euro a litre for three consecutive days. Caretaker Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski said that the interim government is not committed to predicting whether or when this threshold will be reached.
The caretaker government has allocated 25 million euro for the scheme.
The funds will be provided through the Social Assistance Agency and be paid into individuals’ bank accounts without the need for those already registered with the agency to apply.
Klisurski said that the support system was based on three principles. These were that support should reach those most in need, be paid out quickly and easily, and be activated only when truly necessary.
Fuel prices would be monitored in real time by the National Revenue Agency on the basis of cash receipts.
On March 17, in a video posted on social networks, caretaker Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov explained how the interim government had arrived at the sum of 20 euro.
He said that calculations were that low-income people spent about 100 euro a month filling their tanks. On the basis of a projection that doing so could cost 120 euro, the sum of 20 euro was intended as compensation so that they would effectively pay the same as before.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28 have pushed up fuel prices.
In Bulgaria, according to the fuelo.net website, while the average price of a litre of A95 petrol was 1.25 euro on February 27, as of the morning of March 18 it was 1.38 euro.
While the average price of a litre of diesel was 1.29 euro on February 27, as of the morning of March 18 it was 1.52 euro, according to the website.
(Photo: Ramzi Hashisho/freeimages.com)
