Text 8. 1. The challenges faced by Customs administrations today

 

International trade significantly contributes to the economic growth of the state. Customs administrations, playing a vital role in international trade, are mandated to control the cross-border movement of goods and thereby safeguard national interests. In recent decades the rapid development of world trade has brought new challenges¹ for Customs administrations.

 

The role of Customs in the 21st century has evolved in many respects. Customs authorities are responsible for such diverse tasks as immigration control and the enforcement of commercial policy through the implementation of preferential trade agreements, the operation of quotas and the application of restrictions, public health and safety legislation, quarantine controls, currency controls, counterfeiting and piracy legislation and the collection of external trade statistics. These are just a few areas in which Customs administrations are now becoming increasingly involved. Trade demands for additional services such as deferred payment of duty have also had their effect on Customs.

 

The application of all Customs responsibilities has led inevitably to the complexity of Customs regulations. The range of goods and services is constantly expanding. Consequently Tariff books and procedure manuals are becoming significantly more detailed. Officials, who in the past applied a fairly simplified tariff schedule specifying Customs duties on a limited range of goods, are now faced with the increased complexities of tariffs based on the Harmonized System.

It is becoming increasingly difficult in some countries for Customs officers to be aware of all existing regulations affecting importations. This has led to a lack of uniformity in the application of the law. It provides increased opportunities for the circumvention of Customs law and produces an ideal environment for the spread of practices such as irregular payments. Customs can expect an increased workload from increasing international trade and traffic.

The problems of smuggling, particularly drugs, continue to rise in many parts of the world. Fraud and evasion of duties have become even

 

¹ Challenge – something that needs great mental or physical effort in orderto be done successfully and therefore tests a person's ability.

 

more acute problems in developing countries. The increase in organized crime and terrorism has placed a great responsibility on Customs Services globally to provide effective and efficient controls which establish and maintain the economic security of the Nations they serve. In this respect a common challenge shared by all Customs administrations is to facilitate legitimate trade, which is an engine of sustainable economic development, without compromising Customs controls.

 

Every trade transaction involves at least two Customs interventions – one at exportation and the other at importation. Accordingly, Customs Services around the world and the business community meet a million times each day. It is clear therefore that the manner in which Customs Services conduct their business has a substantial impact on trade efficiency. A common challenge for Customs administrations is to develop and maintain good relationships with business.

 

Governments throughout the world recognize the value of Customs Services in their national economies and realize that the service being provided by Customs is one they cannot easily dispense with.

 

As a result, Customs Services around the world are re-examining the way they operate and deal with their customers. The challenge is to facilitate the international trade process at a minimum cost to economy, and without compromising the collection of revenue or the protection of the community from illegal cross-border movements of goods.

 

EXERCISES

 

I. Match the words from the text with their corresponding definitions.

 

1. diverse a. keep from happening, hinder

 

2. manual b. getting round a law, rule

 

3. to facilitate c. to put off to a future time, postpone

 

4. fraud d. very different from each other

 

5. to prevent e. give force to, make effective

 

6. revenue f. a handy book for use as a guide,

 

reference, etc.

 

7. to afford g. grow, become greater in size,

 

amount, etc.

 

8. to defer h. do without

 

9. regulations

 

i. amount of work

 

10. to increase

 

j. help, assist; make easy

 

11. circumvention

 

k. criminal deception, cheating

 

12. to dispense with

 

l. make an imitation, copy in order to

 

deceive

 

13 enforcement

 

 

m. strong influence

 

14. workload

 

n. rule, order, law

 

15. impact

 

o. income

 

16. to counterfeit

 

p. give, supply

 

 

II. Fill in the gaps to make the sentences complete. Choose from the list below.

 

a. irregular payments

 

 

f. collecting duties and taxes

 

b. Customs regulations

 

g. increased workload

 

c. the Harmonized System

 

h. trade transaction

 

d. the international trade process

 

i. substantial impact

 

e. national economies

 

j. budget increases

 

 

1. The traditional Customs responsibilities of … still remain with us.

2. The application of all these added responsibilities has led to an increase in the complexity of …

 

3. Officials are now faced with the increased complexities of tariffs based on …

4. It produces an ideal environment for the spread of practices such as …

 

5. In most countries there is little likelihood of major …

6. Customs Services will be expected to meet the … by better organization, modernization and new technology.

 

7. Every … involves at least two Customs interventions.

8. It is clear that the manner in which Customs Services conduct their business has a … on trade efficiency.

9. The challenge is to facilitate … at a minimum cost to the economy.

10. Governments throughout the world recognize the value of Customs Services in their …

 

III. Match left to the right to find synonyms.

 

1. responsibility a. offence

 

2. impact b. manuals

 

3. uniformity c. code

 

4. regulations d. effect

 

5. affect e. rise

 

6. opportunity f. duty

 

7. law g. consistency

 

8. violation h. counterfeit

 

9. increase i. chance

 

10. forgery j. influence

 

IV. Insert the right words. Choose from the list below.

 

1. traffic 11. the enforcement of commercial

 

policy

 

2. (to) deal 12. increased workload

 

3. fraud 13. (to) operate

 

4. (to) realize 14. (to) recognize

 

5. exportation 15. tariff books

 

6. space travel 16. evasion of duties

 

7. collecting duties and taxes 17. importation

 

8. immigration control 18. the micro-processor

 

9. international trade 19. procedure manuals

 

10. preventing smuggling 20. the increased enforcement

 

problem

 

1. The traditional Customs responsibilities of (a) and (b) still remain with us.

2. Some Customs authorities are responsible for such diverse tasks as

(a) and (b) through the implementation of preferential trade agreements.

 

3. Customs can expect an increased workload from increasing (a) and (b).

 

 

4. Customs Services will, therefore, be expected to meet the (a) and (b) by better organization, and improved techniques including computerization and new technology.

 

5. Customs Services around the world are re-examining the way they (a) and (b) with their customers.

6. (a) and (b) are becoming significantly more detailed.

7. (a) and (b) will become even more acute problems in developing countries.

 

8. Every trade transaction involves at least two customs interventions – one at (a) and the other at (b).

9. Governments throughout the world (a) the value of Customs Services in their national economies and (b) that the service being provided by Customs is one they cannot easily dispense with.

 

10. Things which we regard as commonplace today, world-wide telecommunications via satellite, (a) and (b), were scarcely conceivable just a few decades ago, also the world has changed from the Customs' perspective.

 

V. Complete the sentences using the Present Simple, Present Progressive, Present Perfect or the Past Simple form of the verbs below. Some verbs can be used more than once.

 

meet	become	have	begin
face	re-examine	change	involve
know	rise	lead	be
apply	be faced	recognize

 

1. Now Tariff books and procedure manuals … significantly detailed.

2. Governments also … to see the danger of inefficient Customs Services. As a result Customs Services around the world … the way they operate and deal with their customers.

 

3. Every trade transaction … at least two Customs interventions – one at exportation and the other at importation.

4. Lately the problems of smuggling … in many parts of the world.

5. In the past officials … a simplified tariff schedule.

 

6. We realize that the world … rapidly.

 

 

7. A few decades ago we … little about many things which now we regard as commonplace.

 

8. Trade demands for additional services … their effect on Customs.

9. These are just a few areas in which Customs now … increasingly involved.

10. Customs Services around the world and the business community … a million times each day.

11. In 1983 after the completion of the HS many countries … to work out their new tariffs based on the HS.

 

12. It is clear that the manner in which Customs Services conduct their business … a substantial impact on trade efficiency.

13. Now it … difficult in some countries for Customs officers to be aware of all existing regulations affecting importations.

 

14. Governments throughout the world … the value of Customs Services in their national economies.

15. The application of all these responsibilities … to an increase in the complexity of Customs regulations.

16. As a result, this … to a lack of uniformity in the application of the law.

 

17. After the HS was introduced many countries … with the increased complexities of tariffs.

18. In recent times the world … from the Customs' perspective.

19. Fraud and evasion … never … such acute problems to developing countries as now.

 

20. Customs authorities … many problems connected with the increased complexities of tariffs based on the HS.

 

VI. Study the chart and speculate about: the major challenges affecting the performance of the Belarusian Customs Service and the improvements recently seen in the activity of our Customs Service. Add your own ideas.

 

What improvements have been seen lately in the Belarusian Customs Service in terms of:

 

ü collecting more revenue;

ü detecting more smuggling or a reduction in smuggling and fraud, because of greater compliance;

 

ü better targeted training and technical assistance, and thereby better value for money;

 

ü better planning and performance measurement?

 

What are the major challenges affecting the performance of the Belarusian Customs Service?

 

 

money

 

trade

barriers

 

acquiring

managerial

 

talent

 

keeping

pace with

new

 

technologies

 

 

legislation and

government inflation intervention

 

 

Customs Service

 

Of the Republic

Of Belarus

 

organization

structure of the

Customs Service

 

lack of

professionalism

 

 

 

 

 

Study the following words and word combinations from the text.

 

strain	напряжение, нагрузка
seamless	беспрепятственный, плавный
to call for	требовать
advance information	предварительная информация
administrative burden	вый
административная нагрузка
capacity building	наращивание / создание потенциала
sustainable capacity	усто ч	потенциал
to deem	сч тать