Belarus ratifies agreement with Tajikistan on mutual trade promotion

The MPs adopted the bill “On ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on the Mutual Trade Promotion System” at a sitting of the ninth session of the House of Representatives of the seventh convocation on 25 January, BelTA has learned.

The bill was submitted to the House of Representatives by the Council of Ministers on 13 January. The document is designed to ratify the agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on the mutual trade promotion system, signed in Dushanbe on 11 October 2022.

The agreement defines the basic principles for transmitting information about the movement of goods and means of transport in accordance with technical conditions for the exchange of information between the customs authorities of the two countries, the national legislation of Belarus and Tajikistan, norms, standards and recommendations of the United Nations, the World Customs Organization, and also international best practices for information exchange.

Under the agreement, the customs authorities of Belarus and Tajikistan will exchange information about the movement of goods and vehicles as part of the mutual trade promotion system. Participants in foreign economic activities, to which the mutual trade promotion system will apply, will receive priority in customs operations (customs clearance) at checkpoints, simplification of customs formalities, where possible, including the allocation of separate lanes to reduce clearance time, and the non-use of customs inspections, except when the risk of violations of customs legislation is identified.

“The bodies authorized to implement the agreement are: the State Customs Committee of Belarus and the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan,” member of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Policy of the House of Representatives Irina Polyakova said.

The adoption of the draft law will increase the efficiency of customs control and will contribute to an increase in trade between the countries.