30 May 2007
Lukashenka approves draft Belarusian-Russian agreement on through transit of goods
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, by his May 29 presidential edict, approved a draft Belarusian-Russian agreement on the through transit of goods as the basis for negotiations, said the press office of the Belarusian leader.
According to the press office, the draft agreement specifies the procedure of issuing transit permits by the parties' customs departments, and the procedure of establishing the date and destination of deliveries. Legal entities ranked as "customs carriers" would be entitled to carry goods via the territory of the other country without customs escort and without security of customs duty payment.
The draft agreement specifies the collection of custom duty payments, and the enforcement of outstanding payments.
It also provides for the exchange of information about goods moved vis the other country. The parties would also share data about issued transit permits, transit completion, documents confirming customs duty payments, customs offenses, and money transfers.
Alyaksandr Shpilewski, chairman of Belarus' State Customs Committee (SCC), was authorized to negotiate and sign the agreement, which is expected to boost the transit of Russian shipments via Belarus.
As SCC Deputy Chairman Uladzimir Hoshyn told reporters on Wednesday, the accord will be signed within the next few days.
According to him, the document is, in a way, an equivalent of the European Transit Agreement. The Belarusian customs would recognize Russian customs documents and financial guarantees in the amount of customs duty, excise tax and VAT, and the Russian customs will reciprocate, Mr. Hoshyn said. The financial guarantees are needed to prevent losses by the other party in the event of the loss of a shipment, he explained//BelaPAN
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