The President took part in the work of the Board of the PMR State Customs Committee. The discussion of the results of the activities of customs authorities was held via videoconference. The reporting period is 2024. The main speaker was the PMR State Customs Committee Chairman Valentin Grabko. He divided the final analytical information into eight thematic blocks reflecting various areas of the department's activities.
Characterizing foreign economic activity, the head of the committee noted that the losses that economic agents of Pridnestrovie suffered as a result of the collection of import customs duties by the customs authorities of Moldova amounted to almost 13.2 million dollars. The situation was aggravated by the banking blockade, due to which, duty-free trade with the EU became impossible among other things. Another acute problem is the blocking of the export of products unreasonably classified as "dual-use", which led to the disruption of contracts and the loss of sales markets. Foreign trade turnover fell by 21%. Imports fell by 27%. Total trade turnover with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, primarily with Russia, decreased by 45%. Exports to the Russian Federation decreased by 53% and amounted to only 3% of the total. Customs payments to the budget amounted to almost 925 million rubles. This is 5% more than a year earlier. The growth was observed only in excise duties (+23%). Export and import duty revenues are in the negative, compared to 2023, by 1% and 3%, respectively. At the same time, the state continued to provide benefits to economic entities and citizens: the total amount of preferences in collecting customs duties amounted to 11 million dollars (this is 6% more than in 2023).
The speaker focused on the measures taken to improve customs administration. The Chairman drew attention to the close interaction with economic entities, including when forming the tariff grid. For example, it was noted that when changing the import customs duty rates, proposals from Softshoes LLC, Moldavian Metallurgical Plant OJSC, Vek LLC, Electromash NP CJSC, as well as agricultural producers, were taken into account.
Speaking about the implementation of the Electronic Customs project, Valentin Grabko reported that since March 1, 2024, all goods transported by legal entities have been declared electronically. 300-400 electronic customs declarations are processed per day. 126 thousand over the year (30% more than the year before). The possibility of automatic registration and automatic release (without the participation of an inspector) significantly reduces the processing time. The declaration takes no more than two minutes. The average time for export processing is 8 minutes, 1 hour for import. 93% of respondents noted that the declaration process has been significantly simplified during the survey. Speaking about the development of customs services, the Chairman of the State Customs Committee drew attention to the new resources posted on the agency's website and actively used by users. He reported that 867 people sought online consultations with lawyers during the year, 24-hour hotline received1183 calls (six of which only were complaints), legal department specialists answered 1372 calls, more than 700 written requests were reviewed, and 26 people visited the leadership of the State Customs Committee in person. The State Unitary Enterprise "Customs Broker" continues its work, facilitating effective and comfortable interaction between participants in foreign economic activity and customs authorities.
Individual entrepreneurs moved goods worth more than 19 million dollars and filed more than 18 thousand declarations during the year. The main checkpoints through which individual entrepreneurs moved goods were "Bendery (Chisinau)", "Bychok", "Bendery (Caushany)".
Measures are being taken on a systematic basis to improve the customs infrastructure. Inspection points have been built at the Bychok, Bendery (Caushany), and Glinoe customs checkpoints, and similar construction has begun at the Rybnitsa Bridge customs checkpoint. Everything is ready at the Vadul lui Voda customs checkpoint to launch a platform with cargo platform scales – commissioning work is nearing completion. The speaker focused on the improvement of the Bendery (Chisinau) customs checkpoint. A third of the republic's entire cargo flow passed through it last year. Increased demand required an increase in throughput capacity. Valentin Grabko spoke about the infrastructural changes at this checkpoint.
The head of the department highlighted the law enforcement activities of the State Customs Committee of the PMR as a separate block. 1649 administrative violations were identified (56% more than in 2023). The anti-smuggling units seized 32859 packs of tobacco products, 279 disposable electronic cigarettes, 3410 ml of liquid for electronic cigarettes, 238 cartridges for electronic cigarettes, 70.7 kg of sturgeon caviar. More than four million rubles were collected from violators in the form of fines, another 777 thousand are customs duties. Nine cases of smuggling and illegal storage of narcotics were revealed. About 4 kg of drugs, almost 400 grams of potent substances, about two hundred electronic cigarettes were seized from circulation.
Work to provide staff for customs authorities and improve the professionalism of State Customs Committee employees is underway. Valentin Grabko spoke about the educational programs in which employees of the department participate – both in the territory of Pridnestrovie and abroad. At the same time, the negative dynamics of staffing of departments has been noted for several years. The staffing of the State Customs Committee of the PMR is 79.4%, in the Dubossary customs office – 68%, in Bendery – 71%, in Rybnitsa – 81%, in Tiraspol – 83% in general. Staff turnover is 13.9%. In the reporting period, 68 applications from candidates were received, 38 of them were satisfied. The average age of a customs officer is 41 years. 73% of the personnel are men, 27% are women. Having heard the report of the Chairman of the State Customs Committee, the Prosecutor of the PMR Anatoly Guretsky voiced comments and proposals, focusing to a greater extent on law enforcement activities. The Chairman of the Government of the PMR Alexander Rosenberg emphasized the economic component in his speech.
The President of the PMR Vadim Krasnoselsky highlighted the fiscal function of customs, and recommended intensifying activities aimed at improving customs legislation, emphasizing that in order to promptly identify legislative gaps, it is important to be in constant contact with civil society and economic entities among other things. Speaking about the existing legal "loopholes" in the customs sphere, the PMR President emphasized that their elimination is the immediate task of the employees of the State Customs Committee. He aimed at constantly improving the qualifications of personnel, recalling that a good educational base has been created in the republic. Among the specific instructions that Vadim Krasnoselsky gave during the meeting of the Board of the State Customs Committee was the intensification of work on expanding the customs checkpoint "Bendery (Chisinau)".
The President spoke not only about internal factors, but also about external ones. He devoted part of his speech to the destructive actions of Moldova, which negatively affect the economic situation of Pridnestrovie, emphasizing that the ongoing blockade and refusal to negotiate are counterproductive and directed against the citizens of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
The President recognized the work of the State Customs Committee of the PMR for 2024 as satisfactory, emphasizing during the discussion the necessity of paying attention to the problematic aspects identified.
