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Belarus’ Customs to expedite clearance of essential commodities for domestic consumption

Yuri Senko

MINSK, 2 April (BelTA) – The clearance of essential commodities intended for domestic consumption will be expedited at the Belarusian border, BelTA learned from Chairman of the State Customs Committee Yuri Senko on 2 April.

The official said: “We are considering the possibility of clearance of individual commodities as part of the release for domestic consumption procedure. In other words, we will clear the freight right at the border. Such shipments will be able to travel from abroad directly to the intended recipient without having to drop by a customs clearance station inside the country.”

In his words, the new procedure will be applied to commodities, which are not subject to additional checks. Categories of such commodities have yet to be determined. “Those will be primarily essential goods, medical goods, foods,” the head of Belarus’ Customs explained. “We should enable conditions for unhindered and fast transportation of such goods across the border.”

Yuri Senko added that the Belarusian customs service had already created green corridors for clearing essential goods, which are transported via Belarus to other countries, on a priority basis.

Speaking about performance of the Belarusian customs service as a whole, Yuri Senko noted that the amount of freight they have to clear at the border increased by several percentage points in January-March 2020 in comparison with the same period of last year. The Belarusian customs service cleared some 400,000 shipments. “In other words, trade works, including transit shipments. Import to Belarus’ territory increased by 4%, which is good. It had an impact on the customs fees the customs service collects for the benefit of the country’s budget,” Yuri Senko pointed out.

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