Emil Dimitrov, the former finance ministry auditor known for his sensational disclosures of corruption in the customs administration, was appointed director of the Customs Agency on Monday. The nomination was made by Finance Minister Milen Velchev and was approved by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg.

Emil Dimitrov, 39, graduated from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in 1992. He majored in economics and domestic trade management and also specialized in public standards, corruption control, economic crimes, and financial police practice in the United Kingdom, Russia, Hungary and Italy. Dimitrov became popular a year and a half ago, after disclosing a series of financial abuses in the customs administration. He discovered an audit certificate that had been concealed since it was made in 1998. According to Dimitrov, the document contained evidence of offences that had inflicted a total loss of 30 billion leva to the state. The reliability of the audit results was challenged and Dimitrov was dismissed. He then headed the Civil Society Against Corruption organization.

Since the results of the June 2001 parliamentary elections were announced there have been widespread rumours that Dimitrov would become chief of the customs administration.

In a series of media interviews, he outlined the future priorities of the Customs Agency. Dimitrov said that an integrated information system must be introduced as soon as possible to keep track of the commodities entering the country and the customs duties paid for them in order to identify debtors. In parallel to this he explained that a database must be built to gather information from the General Tax Directorate, the courts' company divisions, and the customs administration.

The state has been losing $1.2 billion a year in unpaid customs and excise duties, according to Dimitrov. In his view, administrative reform must be carried out because he expects the existing structures to put up resistance. Dimitrov cited crime and corruption as the most serious problems; the second grave problem is the administration.

Dimitrov said he would push for changes in the Customs Act in the section related to the administration. He also wants to implement new rules for Customs Agency procedures in order to streamline the handling of mass consumption commodities and excisable and hazardous goods. He recommended the establishment of a new institution of financial police, which would bring together the State Financial Control, the Financial Intelligence Bureau and the customs administration.