About 74,500 citizens and representatives of organizations sought assistance, protection or help from Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva in the past year, the annual report on the ombudsman’s activities, submitted to the National Assembly, shows.

The number of complaints exceeds 15,000, which is a record in the 17-year history of the institution. "It is a sad record that clearly showed us that people are experiencing more and more difficulties to meet even their most basic needs -  food, medicine, to pay their bills for electricity, water, heating," the ombudsman commented.

Citizens most often complain about violated consumer rights related to water supply, electricity distribution companies, mobile operators, banks, collection companies. Next come complaints about social rights, education and health care, followed by violated property rights and economic freedom.

Translation by Al. Markov