The BizProtect website received an alert from "Varnal" LLC, which reported that it was concerned about the collective cargo, for which only Ararat Customs and Urban Terminal provide services in Armenia. Armenian businessmen lose almost 1.5 days to be able to clear and receive cargo. The businessman wondered whether the businessmen could register at their nearest or convenient customs office and receive the cargo at their convenient customs office at their discretion. 

He was troubled by the fact that, despite the price increase, they now pay $ 4 per kilo instead of the previous $ 2.5-3, lose almost 1-1.5 days, pay for the truck and have to face the customs officer’s whim what document he would require further. Sometimes a businessman has to pay double tax on Saturday for the formulation. 

The business representative suggested making the customs register possible through an app as a solution.

BizProtect’s expert team examined the issues raised by the alert, and submitted a letter to the Chairman of the RA State Revenue Committee David Ananyan, asking to answer the questions submitted by the business and provide and provide clarifications on further actions related to the customs registration process.

In response to the inquiry, the State Revenue Committee responded that in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation, the goods imported to the Republic of Armenia are subject to declaration in the territory of the customs house-department in whose service area the mentioned goods are located. The committee noted that this did not in any way limit a person's possibility to transfer goods from one customs authority to another through the “Customs Transit” customs procedure and to declare the goods in the mentioned customs authority.

The letter also referred to the payment of $ 4 per 1kg for the goods mentioned by the reporting person, as well as the request for additional documents from a customs officer. The Committee informed that the declarations for goods are submitted by the declarant and at the time of its verification it sometimes is necessary to examine additional documents to confirm the information provided, which may result to a request by the customs officer, and in this case the declaration process may take 1-1.5 or more days, and the amount payable for the goods is calculated according to the declaration and the method used to establish the customs value.

As for the solution of the problem presented by the whistleblower, the State Revenue Committee added that the proposal is acceptable and that work is being carried out both to separate the formulation of collective cargoes and to create an opportunity to register in the online domain for customs service.

The BizProtect.am website operated by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (ALA) is a whistleblowing platform targeted at corruption and any other issues, risks and issues that impede business activity. This site also provides opportunity for anonymous alerts. Appropriate steps are being taken to verify the authenticity of these reports and provide solutions.