12.08.2014

The Minister of Finance Roumen Porodzanov discharged Mr. Pavel Tonev as Director of the Bulgarian Customs Agency and appointed Mr. Vanyo Tanov who has the qualities and the experience to take this position.

This change is required by the reported lagging behind of revenue administered by the Customs Agency. Given the short time until the end of the budget year, it is imperative to take urgent and adequate measures to improve the quality of operation of the Bulgarian Customs Agency including effective control over excisable goods, reinforcing the fight against smuggling and more efficient cooperation with NRA and MoI bodies so as to improve revenue collection.

Mr. Vanyo Tanov was Director of the Customs Agency from 6 August 2009 to 22 August 2013. It is during his term of office that the Agency introduced some positive practices resulting in greater efficiency of the administration in implementing customs and tax legislation and in better revenue collection.

Mr. Vanyo Tanov was born on 22 September 1958 in the town of Montana. He finished the mathematics high school and graduated from the Angel Kanchev University of Rousse as an engineer in 1981. From 1985 to 2007 Mr. Vanyo Tanov worked in the system of the Ministry of Interior, taking all ranks from operations officer to major-general. He has been rewarded and promoted before the term set on many occasions. In 2004, a presidential decree awarded him the title of major-general of MoI. In 2005 he was appointed as Director of the National Combating Organised Crime Office (named Combating Organised Crime Directorate General later on) of MoI. He handed in his resignation in July 2007.

He has finished a management personnel training course in the Academy to MoI and has specialised at Secret Service (USA) and in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He has participated in international experts groups in the EU members and Russia on issues of terrorism and corruption.

He is married and has two sons.