The International Trade Center (ITC) and the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan introduced the first Commentary to its Customs Code thanks to the support of the Ready4Trade Central Asia project funded by the European Union (EU).
The Customs Code of Tajikistan defines the legal, economic and organizational basis of all customs-related activities, aims at protecting the country’s economic security and ensures the rights of the Tajik citizens, business entities and state bodies.
The Customs Code has undergone a number of changes and gained some additions since its original adoption in 2004. Nevertheless, it was missing a key part until now: the Commentary, which details the official interpretation of the Customs Code’s articles, and which has just been published.
According to ITC Tajikistan, to mark this milestone, the new Commentary was presented during a launch event on November 25, 2020 in Dushanbe in front of the public and private sectors, as well as the international donor community.
A dedicated group of experts supported the efforts of the Customs Service in drafting this important addition; ITC's contribution included among others the proofreading, editing, translation and publication of the document. The Commentary, developed and published both in Tajik and Russian, unifies the interpretation of the Customs Code’s articles.
The head of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Mr. Khurshed Karimzoda, stated that “the commentary will allow customs officers to apply the norms of the customs legislation of Tajikistan both quicker and more accurately. It will also enhance access of foreign businesses to official and reliable information on customs procedures in our country”.
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Tajikistan, Ambassador Marilyn Josefson, highlighted the significance of this achievement for the Tajik businesses sector, as well as an import step towards strengthening the number of European businesses operating in Tajikistan.
Pierre Bonthonneau, ITC Trade Facilitation Adviser, added that “it is important to note that publication of the Customs Commentary to the Customs Code is consistent with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement transparency principles.”
The group who developed the Commentary included a number of university professors, and will thus also serve as additional teaching material in the higher educational institutions of Tajikistan.
An electronic version of the Commentary will be available on the official website of the Customs Service where it will be downloadable for free.
With the project ‘Ready4Trade Central Asia’, the European Union (EU) and the International Trade Center (ITC) are joining forces to contribute to the overall sustainable and inclusive economic development of Central Asia by boosting intra-regional and international trade in the region. Beneficiaries of the Ready4Trade Central Asia project include governments, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular women led enterprises, and Business Support Organizations (BSOs). The project operates in 5 countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
