OREANDA-NEWS. On Thursday, April 21, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman chaired a meeting on upgrading the customs in line with the standards of the European Union, simplifying customs procedures and opportunities to increase revenue from customs duties.

The meeting was held with the participation of Chairman of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine Roman Nasirov, Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine Olena Makejeva, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleksandr Sajenko, Director of the Customs Control and Clearance Department of the State Fiscal Service Olexii Vasylenko, Director of Administration of Customs Payments Department Alina Danchenko, the acting Director of Combating Customs Fraud Department of the State Fiscal Service Ihor Reznik, Deputy Director of the Tax, Customs Policy and Accounting Methodology Department/Head of the Customs Policy Department of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine Oleksandr Moskalenko.

The participants of the discussion emphasized the need for full legalization of customs procedures, the upgrade of electronic systems and the elimination of human component. In this regard, the interlocutors tackled possible ways of liquidation of corruption schemes.

"Neither our country nor me personally are satisfied with the situation at our customs", stressed the Prime Minister.

The Head of Government emphasized that according to expert data, not less than 20% of all payments, those being carried out at the customs, are the source for illegal earning. As a result, annually the State budget of the country loses about UAH50 billion. At this, the deficit of the Pension Fund of Ukraine makes up UAH 80 billion, said Volodymyr Groysman.

"For me it's obvious – the smugglers, the customs officers, who are dishonest, take away from pensioners the opportunity to get decent pension, take away from the state the opportunity to develop its economy and force us to seek ways for external borrowing. And I consider it totally unacceptable," he stressed.

"The task is crystal clear – at the maximum for a quarter, for three months, to build a qualitative system of risk management, to eliminate shadow schemes, to ensure efficient monitoring and provide for technical means at border checkpoints, to build an effective feedback with the border service and other law enforcement agencies", said the Head of Government. It is also important to remove the ground for corruption, he urged.

The participants of the meeting outlined priority areas in retrofitting the Ukrainian customs, inter alia: simplification of customs procedures, bringing the procedures into line with European standards, infrastructure development, modernization, transfer of services to electronic format, launch of a single window system and improving the exchange of information with foreign colleagues. Among urgent objectives is the appointment of chairman of the customs service. In this context, Volodymyr Groysman said: "The candidate to the head of customs must be a professional and hardliner".

On the outcomes of the discussion there were defined core measures to ensure the implementation of the customs reform, in particular: to improve the automated risk management system, to introduce the automatic distribution of declarations and surveillance over customs procedures, as well as to launch the single window system. In addition, a decision on the establishment of the customs attach? of Ukraine in China was adopted.

The Prime Minister instructed within two weeks to find a solution aimed at improvement of the automated risk management system. "We have to approve it and find a resource to launch the system," he said.

Moreover, Volodymyr Groysman commissioned to set up a working group to trigger video recording of customs clearance procedures.

"We have developed the plan. Now it is time for the implementation of this plan”, said Volodymyr Groysman. “Our activity will result into the improvement of the climate and increased budget revenues. We have taken the decision - everyone will pay into the Budget honestly, and nobody will earn from it".