Belarus’ Customs hailed leader in reforms, modernization

MINSK, 12 March (BelTA) – The World Customs Organization (WCO) believes the customs service of Belarus to be the leader in reforms and modernization. The statement was made by WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya at the annual session of the Development Committee at the WCO HQ in Brussels, the press service of the State Customs Committee of Belarus told BelTA.

Belarus was invited to take part in the final phase of the Columbus program. The program envisages international evaluation of results achieved by a customs service. Experts are expected to arrive in Belarus in April 2012 to make the evaluation.

Taking part in the Columbus program, the Belarusian customs service has made substantial steps to get closer to international requirements. Belarus acceded to the international convention on the simplification and harmonization of customs procedures. The best practices of foreign customs services are implemented in the Customs Code of the Customs Union and the draft law on customs regulations of Belarus.

Belarus has deployed an electronic declaration system that minimizes time and money costs of foreign trade participants and optimizes the employment of customs personnel. A computerized system for digital preliminary notification about transported commodities has been commissioned. Customs control relies on a system for analyzing and managing risks.

The institution of authorized economic entities (those who comply with customs laws in a bone fide manner) is being expanded. They are granted several simplifications. The Belarusian customs service works together with state administration agencies to implement the one stop principle. It is designed to enable a barrier-free environment for businesses: it facilitates, reduces the number of existing administrative procedures and refuses to introduce new ones, reduces costs of customs clearance.

At present information exchange between customs and customs, customs and business, customs and state administration agencies is widely used in Belarus. With this in mind the secretariat of the World Customs Organization has invited Belarus to be part of a global information network of customs services, in particular, for the sake of working out the procedure for information sharing required for cargo transportation by rail between the European Union and the Eurasian community countries.