MINSK, 28 November (BelTA) - For the first time in six years, Belarus has posted its EAEU import customs duties surplus, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian State Control Committee Andrei Lobovich told reporters, BelTA has learned.
In 2021 about $13.5 billion in import customs duties were credited to the budgets of the EAEU member countries. It was 20.5% more than in 2020. For the Republic of Belarus, this amount is distributed in accordance with the quota, which is determined for all countries participating in the Eurasian Economic Union. For Belarus, it is 4.86%. And it is worth noting that in 2021, for the first time in the last six years, the Republic of Belarus received more from the distribution of import customs duties than it sent to the budgets of other countries. Belarus had a surplus of about Br108 million."
Import customs duties are a fairly significant source of revenue for the Belarusian budget, the deputy chairman noted. "In 2021, their share was 6%. The trend towards a surplus in the distribution of duties that emerged in 2021 continued in 2022," he said.
Authorized persons of the supreme financial watchdogs of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia) held a video conference call on 28 November. The meeting participants took stock of the progress in the joint inspection of compliance of the authorized bodies of the EAEU member states with the protocol on the procedure for the distribution of import customs duties (other duties, taxes and charges with equivalent effect) in 2021. The inspection took place in 2022.
Monitoring measures were carried out in each of the EAEU member states. They included the study of how the authorized bodies of the EAEU member states fully and timely transfer amounts of import customs duties, as well as how the authorized bodies comply with the norms of distribution of import customs duties established for each EAEU state. The monitoring was conducted by the ministries of finance and treasuries of the EAEU member states.
The inspection showed that in 2021 the authorized bodies of the EAEU member states generally ensured compliance with the procedure for the distribution of import customs duties among the EAEU member states. According to the results of the joint monitoring measure, no violations were found in the Republic of Belarus. Separate violations were recorded during the inspection of the authorized bodies of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
In 2021, the distribution of import customs duties was calculated as follows: 1.22% for Armenia, 4.86% for Belarus, 6.955% for Kazakhstan, 1.9% for Kyrgyzstan, and 85.065% for Russia.
