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Using IT in customs - main direction for Azerbaijan Customs Code

Business Materials 28 June 2011 13:11 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 28 / Trend A. Akhundov /

The use of information systems and technologies in customs is a major direction of the new Customs Code of Azerbaijan, adopted by the Azerbaijani Parliament last week, the Head of the Legal Department of the State Customs Committee Sanan Mukhtarov said in an interview published in the "Gomruk" edition.

"Moreover, the main objectives of the Code are the protection of economic security, the interests of Azerbaijan's national security, and cooperation with state agencies and officials," Mukhtarov said.

Mukhtarov said that in accordance with international practice, the Code provides for new rules on customs offices, authorized economic operators, classification and methodology for evaluating goods, information exchange, protection, electronic information systems of customs bodies, compilation, verification, correction, summary cancellation of importing and exporting, customs, and simplified declarations.

"The new rules concern the secure export of goods approved by customs bodies, customs tariffs, tariff classification of goods, preferential and non-preferential source of the production of goods, rules of writing off debt on the import and export of goods, customs debt, security, customs evaluation, international parcels, special customs procedures, re-loading of goods, and transportation of goods, " Mukhtarov said.

Moreover, related are the characteristics of transporting goods through a customs border via pipelines and power lines, management, evaluation and risk analysis, customs audit, export oversight, conducted by the customs bodies, information systems, technologies in customs, electronic model of customs procedures, entry and departure of people and vehicles from the territory of the customs, implementing the principle of "single window" and a number of other issues by the customs bodies.

Mukhtarov said that a number of existing rules was placed in line with international norms, standards, and existing legislation.

"They concern customs brokers, customs duties, their return, customs regimes, customs clearance, customs control, the investigation and operational-search activity conducted by customs bodies, international cooperation between customs bodies, etc.," Mukhtarov said.

Mukhtarov said amendments to the draft Code after the second reading were largely technical, and it was brought into line with the Law on normative legal acts.

"As part of the changes, the period of considering administrative complaints on activity or inactivity of customs officials and deciding on it reduced from 30 to 15 days, but this period may be extended by the head of the customs authority, which considers other complaints for 15 days before indicating whether additional documents and materials are required," Mukhtarov said.

According to the new draft Code, people who violate the requirements of the customs legislation must submit the accounting documents on transactions where the infringements were revealed, covering the three-year-period before submitting a notification by the customs bodies. Earlier, documents were to cover a five-year period, Mukhtarov said.

"Moreover, the obligatory retention period of customs duties has been reduced from five to three years," Mukhtarov said.

Taking into account the proposals of experts and world practice, the Code included a new Article 325, describing the rights of declarants' and their representatives during customs examination, as they bear responsibility for goods and motor vehicles.

The existing Customs Code was adopted in 1997.

Adopting the new Customs Code will create favorable conditions for strengthening material and the technical basis of the customs system, creating the customs infrastructure in accordance with modern requirements, increasing the state budget revenues, widespread use of measures for tariff and non-tariff regulation, export-import operations, accelerating Azerbaijan's membership in the WTO, full use of automatic management in the customs system, increasing the efficiency of customs control, improving and developing the customs tariff policy, increasing the role of customs in ensuring the economic security of the country, strengthening the fight against offences in the customs area, increasing the role of customs in the socio-economic sector, bringing the tools of customs regulations into conformity with international means, simplifying the rules of registration of export-import operations in trade and economic relations, and other measures.

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