The service has streamlined import procedures, so duty revenues came 29 per cent up last year, as against 2002, even though car imports shrank by 20 per cent, announced Elchin Safarov, in charge of the federal customs revenue board.
The Customs Service is fighting underhand imports, on the verge of smuggling, and monkey business with declarations, so a simplified customs value check procedure will concern, as before, only major import batches from one manufacturer, added Mr. Safarov.
Characteristic of last year was a corporate import increase, and shrinking retail imports by private persons. Close on 90 per cent of new cars were imported by authorised dealers represented at the conference, Customs Service PR say in a press release.
Unorganised commerce was further shrinking last January into March. Despite that, Russian car imports rose by 17 per cent against the first quarter-year 2003 to indicate a growing public demand for new foreign-made cars, the release points out.
