The New Edition of Uzbek Customs Code in Focus

Within the latest report made by the President of Uzbekistan at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers devoted to the further deepening of socio-economic reforms and development of the state, the efforts to be invested in this sphere were outlined in the form of the most important priority tasks to be accomplished for the whole year. In line with a number of other legislative documents, the new edition of the Customs Code still is provoking the interest of a wide public for the heated debates and discussions as to how successfully implement the mentioned legal document to maintain the further growth in the sector.

Customs regime is one of the main institutions of contemporary customs law of Uzbekistan. Anyone who has dealt with foreign economic activity knows that the starting point of any relations with a customs agency is the selection of an appropriate customs regime.

When filling in the customs declaration, one indicates to what regime envisaged by the customs legislation the goods and means of transportation belong to. This is a determining factor in the selection of the appropriate legal procedure of administrative, tax- or currency-related nature that should be applied to the goods transported across the customs border of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The absence of a structured systemized legislation regulating the customs regimes hampers the strengthening of legality in customs affairs, has a negative affect on the development of foreign economic relations of Uzbekistan, and in the end slows down the dynamics of foreign trade.

In this regard, the objective set for the New Edition Customs Code Project being implemented at this time is to provide clear regulations as regards the application of customs regimes and provision for their compliance with the international standards and norms.

As a part of the measures to improve the new draft of the Customs Code, a joint UNDP and State Customs Committee Project on "Improving the system of customs administration in the Republic of Uzbekistan", a meeting of the Expert Council to be held at the conference hall of Grand "Orzu" Hotel. The Expert Council is to discuss the provisions of the new edition of the Customs Code regulating customs regimes, the project's press-release says.

The aim of the event is to provide an opportunity to discuss the purposes of each of the customs regimes envisaged in the draft of the new Customs Code, the existing conditions and measures of foreign trade regulation of Uzbekistan, commonly accepted international norms regulating customs regimes (Kyoto Convention, etc), the identification of the aspects that can become potential obstacles on the way to efficient activity of foreign economic activity entities.

Uzbekistan Today, htpp://www.ut.uz