Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 22 / Trend M. Aliyev /
The Azerbaijani parliament adopted a new draft of the customs code in the first reading today.
The new customs code meets the world standards, head of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy Ziyad Samadzade said.
"The code provides for applying the information and communication technologies in the customs system. It will allow countries wishing to cooperate with Azerbaijan to improve the quantity and speed of document circulation, Samadzade said.
This will help to increase the trade turnover, he said.
The management system currently used in Azerbaijani customs is one of the best in the world, Samadzade said.
MP Ali Masimli said that establishing a new customs code is an important requirement of time.
The code has been prepared at a sufficiently high level with the participation of foreign experts.
Adopting the new customs code is important from the standpoint of Azerbaijan's fulfillment of obligations taken for joining the WTO. The document was drafted in a more extended form and in accordance with international standards compared to the previous code," Masimli said.
The existing customs code was adopted in 1997.
Adopting the new customs code will create favorable conditions for strengthening the material and technical bases of the customs system and customs infrastructure in accordance with modern requirements. It will increase state budget revenues and widely apply the measures for tariff and non-tariff regulation of export-import operations. It will also accelerate Azerbaijan's accession to the WTO and fully apply automatic control in the customs system. Moreover, it will increase the efficiency of customs control, improve and develop the customs tariff policy, increase the role of customs in ensuring the economic security of the country, strengthen the fight against crimes in the area of customs, and increase the role of customs in the socio-economic life.