On February 5, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting devoted to reforming Uzbekistan’s foreign trade system, the presidential press service said in a statement.
The current unsystematic state of affairs has been leading to difficulties for foreign trade. This is evidenced by Uzbekistan rank in the Ease of Doing Business of the World Bank in the index Trading across borders - 152-place among 190 countries.
In many countries, customs authorities receive information about the cargo before it actually arrives at the border, which speeds up the passage through control. In Uzbekistan last year, out of 416 thousand declarations, only 344 were prepared before cargo arrived. Advance notification about cargo was carried out in 98% of cases of carriage by road and is completely absent when transported by rail.
The President instructed to establish a system in which control is exercised not at the border, but before the arrival of cargo at the border or after items are released for free circulation within the country.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the administration system: now import and export control of 1836 types of goods is carried out simultaneously by three departments, as a result of which import-export document registration is extended for weeks.
Customs, veterinary control, quarantine, sanitary inspection, standardization and environmental services are indicated on the need to change working methods and see their main task in supporting exports.
He pointed to the importance of introducing a system in which, if it is impossible to quickly calculate the customs value of goods, a frim can pick up the goods by paying the approximate cost, and the difference will be returned or paid later.
The President set the task to the Ministry of Finance and the State Customs Committee to draft a new Customs Code, improve the structure and administration of customs authorities with the involvement of foreign experts.
The President noted the need to eradicate corruption and trafficking in goods by minimizing the human factor through the introduction of digital technology. The movement of imported products from the border to the final consumer should be controlled by customs and tax authorities through a single electronic system. For example, you can link customs declarations with electronic invoices and online cash registers, he suggested.
The head of state instructed the responsible persons to fully digitize the process of issuing permits and conclusions of laboratory testing, and to introduce an automated risk analysis system.
The meeting discussed the reduction of the transit time of goods through border points.
“The analysis shows that over the past three years, the number of people crossing the border with neighboring countries has doubled, the number of vehicles has almost tripled. However, the existing infrastructure can barely handle these numbers,” the statement said.
The President instructed to equip the border posts with modern technologies and set up a situation center by October 1. He also pointed out that it is necessary to introduce a “one stop” system when checking goods at border crossing points with neighboring states.
He noted that foreign trade control departments need to closely interact and exchange experience with foreign colleagues, set up testing laboratories in Uzbekistan and arrange for the goods shipment accompanied with modern permits.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of harmonizing national legislation with international treaties in the field of customs, sanitation and epidemiology, transport, standardization, veterinary medicine and quarantine to simplify the processes of foreign economic activity.
The President also pointed out that the education at the Customs Institute is lagging behind the modern standards.
