USAID BRITE welcomes the recent Government decision with regards to simplifying customs clearance for businesses and supports the Customs Service in the implementation of the initiative

USAID BRITE welcomes the recent Government decision with regards to simplifying customs clearance for businesses and supports the Customs Service in the implementation of the initiative

• 08.06.2015

The Customs Service of Moldova has reduced the number of documents that importers and exporters must present for the clearance of goods. According to the Government-approved amendments effective since May 22, only three types of documents are required to accompany a customs declaration:

the invoice, transportation documentation (e.g. CMR) and any permits related to the types of goods (e.g. certificate of origin or compliance certificate). Supplementary documents may be requested based on risk selectivity: that is, for the declarations directed to the red and yellow lanes. Until today, according to Doing Business, at least 11 types of documents were required for the clearance of goods at import and 9 types at export.

Having been involved in drafting the relevant normative acts and elaborating the recommendations for implementation from the early stages of this initiative, USAID BRITE is now supporting the Customs Service to develop the implementing mechanism in line with international practice to ensure the intended facilitation is achieved. This will also include a communications campaign targeting the Customs Service staff, customs brokers and economic operators.

"This is a significant achievement of the Customs Service that should have an immediate and positive impact on cross-border trade, according to Kelly Seibold, Chief of Party of USAID BRITE. This is also indicative of the Customs Service\'s gradual shift to an emphasis on voluntary compliance and post-clearance controls, which we have supported and will continue to support."

In this respect, it is worth noting that the Customs Service has introduced the Blue Lane – a customs channel that allows for documentary verifications but also the immediate release of goods into free circulation, a move that will further facilitate trade. The Blue Lane will be piloted by the Customs Service at the beginning of June 2015 and launched nationwide in July of this year.

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