The Custom Broker Is a Strategic Partner

26.06.2007 (18:39)

The institution of customs brokers proved as the reliable ally of participants of foreign-economic activity. The basic efforts of the state and market players should be concentrated to make work of intermediaries more effective, in particular, to pass to modern technologies - electronic declaring and preliminary informing. Participants of a round table «The Russian market of customs-logistical services: problems and development prospects» came to such a conclusion. The round table was organized by magazine "RZD-Partner" in Moscow.

After the meeting of the Federal Customs Service which took place in April, the position of the intermediaries of customs services market has become worse. First Vice Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov told that the institute of customs brokers should be liquidated. However there was a reasonable question: why were so many measures taken to develop such a subsector (which develops well enough by itself), if the First Vice Prime Minister puts the question on its liquidation. Is the subsector required?
 
Lyubov Morozova, the deputy general director of the company «International customs broker» is sure that “the customs broker is the strategic ally of the participant of foreign-economic activity”. Cooperation with the competent intermediary which can assume all customs operations and responsibility for their qualitative discharge is favorable for the companies gambling on their profile business. L.Moroz notes that the developed countries choose the way of active development of institute of customs brokers. Why does Russia turn back?

Andrey Fedoseev, general director of «Zoll.ru» supposes that the qualified intermediaries proved their viability and expediency from the various points of view. The deputy chief of department of customs-broker activity of OAO «Russian Railways», the major-general of customs service Vsevolod Titov affirms that today customs activity in Russia is impossible without participation of broker structures. Operation on border is very specific work, demanding certain knowledge and skills in the sector of economy, the legislation, the finance and banking. The most efficient is the situation in which the customs operations are provided by professionals, who also provide targeted services required by the participants of the foreign economic activity. And the chief of department of perspective technologies and dataware of the customs control of Central administrative board of the organization of the customs control of RF Federal Customs Service (FCS) Alexey Drushlyakov notes that it doesn’t matter to FCS as to an executive body from whom to take declarations, but the quality of their filling in is important.

Konstantin Piskun, the moderator of a round table, the market expert and analyst of the "Partner Logistic" company touched upon another aspect: is it reasonable to bring legislative norm according to which all customs declarations will be accepted only from brokers? Such method is impossible, experts consider. «Participants of foreign trade activities should have a choice», supposes L.Moroz. On the other hand the companies-cargo owners which are undergo customs procedures by themselves make errors which would never be made by professionals of customs business. V.Titov agrees with this point of view: cargo owners can pass the border by themselves if they carry goods of one and the same type but if the cargoes a different, it would be better for them to apply to a specialist.

The general lines of discussion became clear: brokers are necessary, and the branch develops in the positive way. But what causes displeasure of the authorities? The answer is obvious - the “grey” brokers are the cause for the federal budget to receive less payments. And receipts from customs, by the way, make less than a half of incomes of the state treasury. That is why the state is so interested in the theme. What shall be done with the grey participants of the market?

The answer to this question was also unanimous, differing only in details. The general opinion of experts is that: the market will adjust the level of its "whiteness" by itself, its transparency and legality will raise. The cargo owner chooses the company he wants, and he knows which schemes it uses, A.Drushlyakov noted. And, as in any other case, the cargo owner counts benefit and costs. «We can offer more services though our services are more expensive», - A.Fedoseev speaks. And L.Moroz adds that the use of cheaper, but at the same time more risky services, shows immaturity of the market. However the market develops and it will be profitable to work legally (this tendency already exists) then a life of all participants of foreign trade activities, brokers and customs service will become simpler.
 
by Ivan Stupachenko
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