Rada adopts law on ‘customs visa-free regime’

The Verkhovna Rada adopted law No. 7420 amending the Customs Code of Ukraine for joining the convention on a common transit procedure of May 20, 1987 and participating in the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), which is used by the contracting parties to the convention – the so-called "customs visa-free regime."

Some 275 MPs voted for the document.

"The law brings Ukrainian customs legislation closer to that of the European Union. In particular, it improves the current standards in terms of simplifying customs clearance for reliable enterprises, granting the status of a financial guarantor and ensuring the payment of customs duties," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal commented on the adoption of the law on Telegram.

According to him, the changes also involve the introduction of a European complaints mechanism and the continued digitalization of customs, which will speed up its passage and reduce corruption risks.

"The further conclusion of a "customs visa-free regime" with the EU will allow Ukraine to introduce real-time exchange of customs information on transit cargo with 36 countries, special transit simplifications, simple and equal conditions for financial guarantors," the head of government said.

The convention unites the countries of the European region (the EU, the EFTA, Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia), which have introduced uniform rules for all contracting parties for declaring and controlling the transit movement of goods using NCTS.

"With God's help, we will launch it from October 1," Danylo Hetmantsev, the head of the relevant parliamentary committee, said on Telegram after the adoption of the law.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua