The Federal Customs Service (FCS) is going to expand the practice of simplified control procedure of vessels at sea ports, without physical inspection by officers on board arriving ship, an FCS official told PortNews.
Deputy head of FCS Ruslan Davydov, speaking on the sidelines of Russian conference of top regional customs officers in Novorossiysk, said to implement the initiative it is necessary to cooperate with other regulatory agencies, including the Federal Border Guard Service of Russia.
The session was devoted to the improvement of customs procedures at the country’s boarder crossing points. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Transportation, headed by Deputy Minister Viktor Olersky and stevedoring business representatives and Russian shipping companies. After the meeting, the Ministry held a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on improving the interaction between regulatory authorities in sea and river ports.
Victor Olersky noted that today about 80% of vessels arriving at Russian ports enjoy simplified inspection procedure. In most cases customs officers do not come on board the vessel before it docks at the port and the inspections were primarily initiated by Boarder Guard Service officers, the official said citing captains of the ports.
"I expect that in the near future we will find some solutions with the Border Guard Service and will be able to continue to move forward in terms of improving the procedures of state control,” said Deputy Minister. “But this is less about the customs."