There are almost 4,000 furniture companies operating in our country, but the lack of wood hinders production ᐉ News from Fakti.bg – Business

The gray zone, lack of raw materials and lack of labor are the main problems of the wood and furniture industry in our country, which is currently experiencing a collision. This sector generates over 3% of the country’s gross domestic product, but unless action is taken against unfair competition, many companies operating under the law are at risk of bankruptcy, the industry warns.

Furniture manufacturers without registered companies, workshops and machines have been working in our country illegally for years, without paying taxes, says Slavi Slavov, owner of a company producing upholstered and box furniture in Ruse, BNT explains.

“They call him, they cut them, he comes to you with hand tools, he drills, he does the work, he costs money, there is no receipt, there is no insurance and we have no fight against this gray zone,” thinks Slavi Slavov. – owner of a furniture company.

That is why the furniture industry insists on more adequate actions from the state.

“We should follow the example of Germany. You have no right to be an electrician or a furniture carpenter there if you don’t have the qualifications,’ says Slavov.

There are nearly 4,000 furniture companies operating in our country, but the lack of wood hinders production. For the third year now, the Branch Chamber has been struggling with unsustainable management of forest areas.

“We have reached absurd situations of importing wood from Austria. It’s worth using the forest. It serves a social, economic and recreational function. You have to take care of it, of course cutting is part of this maintenance,” explained Daniela Petrova: – executive director of the trade chamber of the wood and furniture industry.

There are also fewer and fewer people willing to work in furniture workshops.

“The salary does not fall below two thousand BGN. It’s not the pay that’s the problem. Everyone prefers to work on something light – influencers, clips and the like,” said Nikolai Ivanov, manager of a furniture company.

“There is still a myth that we are in dirty workshops where people work with saws. Massive people are not aware of how automated and robotic our industry is,” concluded Simona Slavova.

Modern machines in this company have replaced 50 employees in recent years, and productivity has increased by 40 percent. However, Nikolai Ivanov’s company will rely on employees from Nepal and Bangladesh to fulfill orders, which go mainly to Romania and Greece. The first foreign furniture manufacturers will arrive in August.