Head Of Customs Committee For Strengthening Role Of Customs

The September 11 events revealed the need to strengthen the role of the customs service and the law-enforcement departments attached to it for maintaining the state security, the head of the State Customs Committee Mikhail Vanin said at the International Economic forum session in Moscow . According to him, currently the major tasks of customs include creation of "a normal foreign trade of Russia and providing for the full collection of customs duties." Vanin pointed out that the share of customs payments had been constantly growing in the Russian budget, increasing from 25% to 39% over the past five years. The daily income of the federal budget from customs payments is around $100 million, which is 200% increase in a 5 years period. The Customs Committee head underlined that the forthcoming entry of Russia into the World Trade Organization assigned new tasks to the Russian customs. There is, in particular, a need for updating the legislation and bringing customs regulations up to world standards. Vanin stressed in association with this that the Customs Code currently being worked out would help to realise of this task. He pointed out that Russia was discussing the Code with its Western partners who have positively appraised it. Vanin asked for the document to be ratified by the Russian parliament at the earliest opportunity.