Baku, Azerbaijan, June 19
By Tural Garajayev - Trend:
Reforms aimed at digitalization of customs procedures are necessary from the point of view of the EU business community to realize the intentions of Azerbaijan to become an international center for trade and logistics, reads the report of the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce on the basis of a survey among European companies operating in Azerbaijan about the business climate in the country, Trend reports.
European companies highly appreciate the improvement of the e-declaration system and the preliminary declaration of goods. This, to a certain extent, simplified customs procedures and limited direct contacts with customs officials, and, as a result, corruption was minimized.
Along with this, despite significant success of these mechanisms, during the interviews and closed group discussions, the need for further steps was noted to simplify customs procedures, increase functionality and facilitate the use of the e-declaration system.
Due to the complexity of electronic forms and the requirements for filling them out, companies in many cases have to use the services of customs brokers. At the same time, many argue that preliminary submission of a voluntary declaration to the customs authorities, designed to speed up the passage of goods through customs, in fact, doesn’t accelerate the process.
The companies participating in the survey also believe that it is necessary to ensure the full functioning of the “green corridor” regime introduced in February 2019. Despite the improvement of the system, EU companies do not have enough information about the rules and procedures of this initiative. For this, customs authorities should work closely with business representatives.
A sustainable strategy in the fight against counterfeit goods is needed. According to survey participants, counterfeit goods are the main threat that harms the prestige of the brand, and is also dangerous for customers and their loyalty.
According to one respondent, border control systems are still weak. To prevent the import of counterfeit products, customs authorities should take more decisive measures.