Starting tomorrow, total customs control will be introduced at the Estonian-Russian border. What will actually change? How will the full inspection of goods and personal belongings of passengers take place?
- The transition to total control will be smooth
- No additional resources will be involved in the inspections
Starting tomorrow, total customs control will be introduced at the Estonian-Russian border. What will actually change? How will the full inspection of goods and personal belongings of passengers take place?
The head of the customs control department of the Tax and Customs Department (MTA), Voldemar Linno , answered questions from rus.Postimees live.
Excerpts from the conversation :
– Is everything ready for the introduction of total customs control? What will actually change?
– Let me clarify that tomorrow we will begin a smooth transition to full customs control. The main change is that every person crossing the border will have contact with a customs inspector. The customs officer will ask various questions, inspect the passenger's luggage and, if necessary, decide on a more thorough check of the goods and things being transported. Increased attention will also be paid to vehicles crossing the border – cars, buses and trucks.
– That is, first of all – a conversation, and based on its results – further actions?
– Exactly. The first contact is very important. Based on this, it will be possible to assess how truthful a person is in his answers, whether he can hide something, etc. Further decisions will be made on an individual basis.
– How many additional forces and resources have been deployed to implement enhanced control?
– We do not attract additional resources. We had to reconsider our tactics a little, and at the moment we are already confident that we can make do with the available resources.
– Since additional forces have not been deployed, is it expected that the queues at border crossings will increase many times over?
– We predict a certain increase in queues at the border, but it will not be total and will not lead to any other consequences. We will respond promptly to any increase in queues. There is no need to worry about having to stand in line for weeks. It’s too early to say exactly how long the border crossing will take. Trial days showed a slight increase in queues.
By September, the vacation period will end, so the flow of people crossing the border will decrease significantly. The transition to enhanced control will occur smoothly and without consequences.
– Customs predicts a decrease in the load on the border by September, but tomorrow is August 8. Will there be a collapse at the border?
– No, because the transition to enhanced control will be smooth. We will respond promptly to changes in the situation and will not allow collapse. Strengthening control will take place at all border points simultaneously, since we have one border and one neighbor. The methods will also be the same.
– Will there be a mirror reaction from the Russian side? Can we expect strengthening of control by Russian customs officers?
– Control by the Russian Federation has always been unhurried and thorough. However, the goals of these controls are different. Estonia has only one goal: to prevent the export of sanctioned goods to the Russian Federation. The goal of the Russians may be completely different: on the contrary, to facilitate the passage of sanctioned goods across the border. In this case, it is difficult to predict what they might do, but the fact remains that until now they have worked and are working in their own way.
– Will it be possible to transport personal items across the border – for example, iPhones, which are also considered sanctioned goods?
– A product becomes sanctioned when it is transported for the purpose of sale or transfer to another person. You can take personal items needed for travel with you. There is no complete embargo on iPhones.
– What is the situation with the transportation of cash?
– There is no specific amount allowed for transportation. However, it should be understood that banknotes in circulation in the EU are generally prohibited from export. The exception includes only those amounts that are necessary for travel. Namely, when paying for a hotel, tickets, etc. In all cases, the relevant evidence must be presented to the customs officer.
Practice shows that people often bring money to give to relatives, pay for treatment, and make purchases. The export of money for this purpose is excluded.
If the rules are broken out of ignorance, you can get off with a warning. If intentionally, then prerequisites arise for initiating a criminal case.
– In the event of enhanced control of loaded trucks, who will unload and load the goods?
– Unloading and loading goods is a last resort. We have many other control tools: visual inspection, interviewing the driver or cargo representative, education, etc. Based on the results, decisions are made whether the goods need to be unloaded. The law stipulates that the unloading must be carried out by a representative of the carrier or the declarant of the goods. That is, if, at the request of customs, the goods have to be unloaded, the declarant will have to provide an unloading service.
– Will there be more identified violations of sanctions?
– As practice shows, strengthening control in any area leads to an increase in detected violations. However, this has a temporary effect, as people gradually begin to realize that there is no point in taking risks and engaging in illegal activities.
This year we have already identified about 4,700 violations, mostly related to passengers. They were committed, as a rule, out of ignorance, without any malicious intent. Few major violations were recorded. And it pleases!
– Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi recently noted that everyone crossing the border will face the Estonian state and bureaucracy, and everyone will benefit – both the EU and Estonia. Explain how the gain will be measured and how scary the Estonian bureaucracy can be?
– Bureaucracy is not as scary as it seems, and the gain is measured by the fact that the risks of transporting goods that help the Russian Federation keep its military machine afloat and directly kill the inhabitants of Ukraine will be reduced.
More details in replay!
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Postimees Studio: How long will crossing the Estonian-Russian border take? Photo: PM
- How many police forces and resources are involved in the inspections?
- Will control be strengthened at all border points at once?
- What does a complete search of goods and personal belongings mean?
- To what extent will the border lengthen?
- Is it possible to transport personal items, for example iPhones?
- What is the purpose of total customs control?
- Will there be more identified violations of sanctions?
- Will the flow of people crossing the border decrease?
- Will it be possible to avoid a collapse at the border?
