Customs: “Global Laws Prohibit Import Of “Diesel” Cars Less Than 3 Years’ Old”

The Director General of national Customs Services Mr. Mohamed Ouaret on Wednesday stated that the customs procedures proposed in the framework of the draft financial law for 2020 is meant to reconcile the provision of greater and wider facilities for economic dealers with efficient customs control in a bid to protect the national economy.

Mr Ouaret said during a hearing before members of the Finance and Budget Commission of the National People’s Assembly allocated to the General Directorate of Customs that reconciling the two tasks (facilitation and control) is “the most difficult role to be played by the Customs Department”.
According to Mr Ouaret, the difficult financial situation now gripping the country requires reconciling the two tasks through sustained work in order to achieve the country’s major financial balances without resorting to indebtedness.

According to the same official, all the customs procedures proposed in the draft finance law for 2020 aim to “raise the collection of resources and ease customs procedures for customers as well as to hark back to some of the procedures that have been amended during the past years”.

These proposals included amendments to the articles of the Customs Law, customs duties and articles related to smuggling crimes, penalties and fines, as well as exemptions from customs duties, he underlined to this effect.

The head of the customs sector added that the management of the institution is working according to the possibilities as it has to tighten control more, stressing that the attainment of 100 per cent of the all-out control “does not exist across the world”.

He also indicated that “customs assistance is used mainly through accurate information, which establishes a correct basis for monitoring operations before the use of detectors”.

With regard to the scope of customs, the same official explained that the relevant draft law has been thoroughly examined by the Ministry of Finance and the Government, adding that it will be submitted to parliament shortly for final endorsement.

With regard to the proposal to allow the import of used cars under three years’ old, Mr Ouaret said that “negotiations in the framework of Algeria’s bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) compels it not to import cars running on diesel fuel”.

Moreover, he stated that all the proposed customs procedures aim at increasing the collection of resources and facilitating customs procedures for customers, in addition to returning to some of the procedures that have been amended during the past years, notably with regard to the post-reconciliation between the customs administration and the economic agent.

The Director General of Customs referred to the re-inclusion of post-reconciliation within the customs law, which allows the trustee administration to collect funds for the public treasury.

This procedure allows for the disposal of goods seized at the level of customs services, in addition to the collection of significant amounts of money paid by the trader who committed the violation for the benefit of the public treasury, he added.

The same official expressed his desire to enable the customs services to establish as a civil party against fraudulent economic dealers before justice to resolve the litigations.

The same official revealed that most of the regulatory provisions of the new customs law have been prepared, with the remaining 13 out of the 77 articles to be shortly wrapped up.

According to Mr Ouaret, the customs administration is working through the circulation of an information system for management and follow-up towards the transition to a flexible digital system that contributes to simplifying administrative procedures and lessening friction between the customer and customs services.

He underscored in the same context, Quote: “The less contact between customs and economic dealers the less corruption and less suspicion,” Unquote.