BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan will implement a number of new projects next year, Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Shahin Baghirov said within Trend News Agency's "Relevant with Sahil Karimli" project.
"The tasks we have set for the current year have been solved in 11 months. However, the development process should be continuous, and the work that we will realize in the coming years actually began this year. We have a lot of plans for next year. In general, a multifaceted work is underway. In addition to the creation of perfect infrastructure and equipment, of course, the applied tools themselves must be new, flexible and based on digital solutions. We have created a system of digitalization in the customs sector that is completely human-independent, that is, independent of the decision of any customs officer. It is built on a system based on relevant legislation and data-driven clearance decisions. We will start applying it next year," he noted.
The сhairman noted that Azerbaijan has already developed an automated risk management system based on artificial intelligence. The creation of this system was based on the skills and knowledge of employees working in the customs system of Azerbaijan. Entrepreneurs following the principle of volunteering will be able to deliver their products to the territory of the country more freely and conveniently - directly from the border checkpoint to their warehouses.
Baghirov also emphasized that another issue that is on the agenda and that the SCC regularly develops is related to customs value.
"We have repeatedly reported about it in the media. However, what the business world is really interested in is the correct formation of customs value. You may have noticed that occasionally in the press and at other business events, business representatives say things to the customs authorities. But we have resorted to methods used in world practice to make it absolutely perfect, completely correct and fair. The determination of customs value in Azerbaijan is not based on the subjective decision of any individual, but is determined using appropriate data sets. In addition, travel and insurance costs are taken into account for visitors, on the basis of which customs payments are calculated and transferred to the state budget. This is an extremely open and transparent system," he said.
According to him, the SCC does not face a number of other difficulties in determining the destination of the goods themselves (in determining the codes of goods and their classification).
"We worked on this process many years ago. Now anyone can identify goods by using the appropriate supporting tools to correctly identify the code of a particular item they are importing or exporting. At the same time, we know that in the customs system, there is the institution of customs representatives. Thus, customs representatives, acting as intermediaries between business representatives and customs authorities, take their work to a more serious level. Since they represent their business interests to customs authorities, they should be more professional and competent. In this direction, we are also working on holding special courses with customs representatives next year, analyzing their relevant, hence, certification work and working out the issues of their activities based on their certificates," he added.
Baghirov noted that in addition to this, the SCC plans to introduce different processes to increase citizens' satisfaction next year.
"Here we are basically announcing that our "Smartport" information system application will be used for delivery of goods bought from different countries through express mail and express shipments to the territory of the country in advance. The mobile application will allow to receive information about the requirements for import of a particular product into the country even before it is brought into the territory of the country with another product. Thus, consumers will be able to find out in advance whether a particular product needs permission from the relevant government agency, i.e. whether a license is required for it," he emphasized.
"In addition, the application will provide information on the customs valuation of the purchased goods. In other words, information about the amount of customs payments will be available when the product is imported into the territory of the country where the purchase is made. This will also be useful information for citizens before making a purchase in any retail network," he said.
Baghirov emphasized that the committee's activities in the field of logistics are actively developing.
"We aim to improve the efficiency of product delivery by partnering with new logistics companies, ensuring rapid fulfillment of requirements. We are also speeding up customs processes through pre-processing of information and data. These improvements will not only make logistics processes more efficient, but will also result in significant acceleration," he added.
Shahin Baghirov said that in general, the customs system and customs service will become more transparent by 2024 and beyond.
"We can say that they are citizen-oriented, aimed at meeting the needs of the citizens and supporting entrepreneurs. It was mentioned that in general, service delivery is aimed at further strengthening and growing the economy. As an institution, the Customs Service will adopt more efficient practices. Here, it is also necessary that Customs officers themselves improve their knowledge and skills. In this area, we are conducting exercises across the country. We are working individually with each officer, studying their needs to be more informed and to increase their motivation. In this way, they can work more efficiently and the processes will be carried out in a quality manner," he said.