Belarus Abbreviates List of Goods Subject to Mandatory Convoying :: Charter'97 :: News

In line with the government order No. 381 Belarus has shortened the list of goods (non-food alcohol-containing products) subject to mandatory convoying, from 38 to 12 commodity items, told the head of the department of customs control of the State Customs Committee of Belarus Syarhei Barysiuk, Interfax informs.

“The governmental order allows cutting down mandatory convoying of cargoes with non-food alcohol-containing products during its transit transportation, as it contains only 12 commodity items now,” S. Barysiuk said. He noted that the list which was in force since 2005 contained 38 commodity items.

As said by S. Barysiuk, cutting down of the list would allow transport operators to reduce costs of transit of goods through the territory of Belarus. It would add to attraction of Belarus as a transit country. He also noted that according to the document, most perfumery, household cleaning products, and sterilizing agents packed to 1 litre consumer containers are axed from the list. According to S. Barysiuk, in 2006 about 5% of vehicles transiting through Belarus were subject to mandatory convoying by special Interior Ministry detachments.

Representatives of the State Customs Committee has also noted that in January-March this year the volume of automobile transport transit via Belarus increased by 30% as compared with the first quarter of the year 2006.