Miory Regional Executive Committee
On September 20, employees of customs authorities celebrate Customs Day. Today, the customs service is stable and confident in its capabilities. There is much to be proud of and many goals to strive for.
Notably, just during the first half of 2024, the total amount of customs and other payments remitted to the budget increased by nearly 60% compared to the same period in 2023.
Reducing the clearance time for goods is one of the priority tasks assigned to customs authorities. Ninety percent of import declarations are processed within one hour, and 91% of export declarations are cleared within five minutes.
To ensure the fastest possible processing, the Vitebsk Customs employs modern technologies. The operation of the Electronic Declaration Center has yielded positive results. Compared to the same period in 2023, the number of vehicles released for free circulation for personal use has increased nearly threefold.
Law enforcement officers of the Vitebsk Customs have identified over 2,000 administrative offenses in the first eight months of 2024 alone. More than forty criminal cases have been initiated, both by the customs authority and by other law enforcement agencies based on customs materials. Over the past three months alone, customs officials have intercepted the import into the EAEU territory of more than 180 kg of hashish concealed in the spare tires of a freight vehicle, 39 firearm cartridges hidden in personal belongings, a highly dangerous psychotropic substance—amphetamine—concealed in a mobile phone case, and cultural artifacts.
Customs officers in the Vitebsk region are consistently open and attentive to the needs of the seriously ill, veterans, social shelters, and centers for children with disabilities. This is confirmed by their expressions of gratitude.
It is worth noting that this year we welcomed the first graduates of the "Customs Affairs" program from the Faculty of Law of Polotsk State University named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk into our ranks. These are 13 young and well-trained specialists!
The traditional starting point in the work of every young employee of the customs authorities is the solemn swearing-in ceremony. On the eve of their professional holiday, 20 young employees of the Vitebsk Customs, alongside their colleagues from other customs houses, took an oath of loyalty to the Motherland at the Brest Fortress. Approximately 170 employees of the customs authorities participated in this large-scale and significant event. The oath was administered by the heads of eight customs houses of Belarus.
On September 20, a ceremonial assembly was held at the Vitebsk Customs, where Customs Head Sergey Linkewich, expressing his gratitude, presented state awards and various forms of commendation. On this day, more than 20 employees of the Vitebsk Customs received their well-deserved awards.
In conclusion, Sergey Linkewich expressed sincere gratitude to his colleagues for their hard work, resilience, diligence, and perseverance, as well as for their dedication to duty for the benefit of the Motherland! He also expressed special respect and appreciation to the veterans of the customs service who laid a solid foundation for the modern customs service of the Republic of Belarus.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by