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New Customs Code of Belarus to Simplify Work of Customs
Services and Traders
The State Customs Committee has submitted the new version of
the Customs Code to the Government. The document is to be forwarded to the
Parliament by November this year.
The new version of the Belarusian Customs Code will simplify
the work of customs services of Belarus and companies involved in foreign
trade. The key advantages of the new version of the Code are the large
number of direct action legal regulations, favorable conditions for traders
and upgrade of the new code to international law standards.
The new version of the Code provides a detailed outline of
duties and rights of foreign trade entities.
The new code facilitates the work of business entities
involved in foreign trade and recognizes the priority of economic factors.
For instance the current Code obliges traders to submit customs declarations
within 15 days, which is an administrative measure, while the new version
cancels this enforcement procedure.
The new Code should also assist to set up an advanced
approach, including the possibility of electronic declaration of
commodities. The system of risk evaluation that is part of the new Customs
Code is expected to simplify customs procedures.
Belarus' Industrial Output Up By 9.7 Percent
Belarus’ industrial output rose by 9.7 percent on the year in
January-August, 2005.
Engineering and metalworking companies’ output rose by 14.5
percent in the period. The output of companies engaged in a fuel sector
increased by 8.8 percent. Chemical and petrochemical companies’ production
increased by 5.1 percent and ferrous metallurgy companies’ output rose by
9.1 percent. Construction materials companies’ output rose by 8.9 percent
and woodworking and pulp-and-paper companies’ production went up by 7.2
percent.
The light industry’ output rose by 4.6 percent, while food
industry’ output increased by 13.9 percent.
The profitability of sold goods amounted to 16.4 percent in
January-August 2005, up from 16.1 percent in January-July 2004. The net
profit of Belarus’ industrial companies rose by 60 percent in effective
prices in January-June, 2005 with PPI rising by 13.4 percent in the period.
Belarus' Agricultural Sector Continues Its Growth
Belarus’ agriculture output increased by 2.7 percent in
January-August 2005.
Agricultural companies of the public sector increased their
output by 6.6 percent in the period while the output of private farms
decreased by 5.3 percent.
The decrease in the growth rate to 2.7 percent in
January-August 2005 from 11.6 percent in January-July 2005 is explained by
early grain harvest in July 2005. As of August 1, 2005 a total of 1.1
million tones of grain have been threshed, three times above the figure as
of this date last year.
Also, structural changes in agriculture were behind the
decline. The share of livestock farming in the gross output declined to 52.9
percent in January-August from 71.3 percent in January-July, while the share
of crop growing rose by 47.1 percent from 28.7 percent.
Sales of fattened cattle and poultry rose by 13 percent in
the period to 527,300 tones. Milk output increased by 16 percent to 2.941
million tones, and egg output rose by 12 percent to 1.251 billion.
The profitability of sales in January-July reached 10.6
percent against 7.8 percent in the same period in 2004.
As of August 1, there were 107 loss-making agricultural
companies in Belarus, or 5.3 percent of the total number, compared with 24.9
percent a year ago.
Belarus Retail Turnover Increased By 18.8 in
January-August 2005
Belarus’ retail turnover, including the public catering
sector, went up by 18.8 percent in January-August 2005 while the increase
was projected at 13 percent in the period.
Retail sales increased by 9.1 percent, while catering
companies’ sales rose by 14.1 percent.
Belarus-made consumer goods accounted for 80.6 percent of the
retail trade turnover. The share of Belarusian foodstuffs was at 87 percent,
Belarusian non-foods at 70.7 percent in retail trade.
In January-August 2005 the share of private companies in the
total retail turnover was at 81.4 percent, up by 1.2 percentage points,
state companies 16.3 percent, down 1.6 percentage points, while the share of
foreign companies stood at 2.3 percent, up by 0.4 percentage points.
Customs Committee Denies Measures to Centralize Car
Imports
State Customs Committee of Belarus will not initiate measures
to centralize imports of cars, deputy chief of the SCC Vladimir Goshin said.
“The centralization is out of the question. To add a
provision about some company that enjoys the exclusive right to import cars
via free customs warehouses means to infringe on rights of other players.
Such things will not pass a legal review” Vladimir Goshin said commenting on
rumors that the state plans to centralize car imports using the system of
customs warehouses that belong to one operator.
State Customs Committee is going to take steps to change the
rules of the game for car dealers in order to equalize import terms for
legal entities and individuals and legalize grey import channels.
Belarus to Tighten Liability for Illegal Oil Products
Sales
The government of Belarus prepared amendments to the
Administrative Code that envisage tightening of liability for illegal sales
of oil products imported from Russia. This measure is in line with the draft
bill that is to be included into the agenda of the autumn session of the
Belarusian Parliament to consider in the first reading.
The standing commission for budget, finances and taxes of the
House of Representatives of the Belarusian Parliament decided to recommend
including the draft into the session agenda.
The document introduces severe sanctions. For instance, the
violation of new rules may lead to fines between 100 base units and 200 base
units and confiscation of fuel. Earlier, fuel was confiscated without fines.
A repeated violation within 12 months may entail fines between 200 base
units and 300 base units, confiscation of fuel and transportation vehicles.
Earlier, sanctions for repeated violations were not defined.
Russian fuels are cheaper, that is why some companies and
individual entrepreneur tend to import illegally fuels from Russia.
Belarus' investments in Fixed Capital and Construction
Up By 20.6 Percent
Belarus' investments in fixed capital and construction
increased by 20.6 percent in January-August 2005.
Of this amount, state companies’ own funds including loans
raised by 18.8 percent, private companies’ funds increased by 21 percent,
and foreign companies’ funds went up by 18.5 percent.
In 2005 capital investments are expected to be increased by
17.5 percent.
Belarusian Tobacco Factory NEMAN Announces Equipment
Supplies Tender
Belarusian tobacco factory Neman, which is situated in the
city of Grodno, has announced a tender to buy cigarette producing, packing
and labeling equipment. Both Belarusian and foreign companies may partake in
the tender.
The factory plans to purchase facility to wrap cigarette
packages into polypropylene film, acetate filter producing and packing
facility, and equipment to pack 84 millimeter filter-tipped cigarettes into
hard packages. Besides, the factory intends to buy labeling equipment and
output meters.
The documents regarding supply requirements may be received
until September 30, 2005. The packet of documents may be received at the
factory’s administration.
The program envisages purchase of 11 equipment units worth
1.3 million euro, including a facility for filter production worth 500,000
euro, for packing cigarettes into hard packages worth 300,000 euro. Besides,
the factory plans to modernize the filter assembly unit for 27 millimeter
cigarettes worth 100,000 euro.
Belarus’ total annual consumption of cigarettes is estimated
between 17.5 billion and 18 billion units. Neman is capable of making 15
billion units a year.
BELARUSBANK Signs Loan Deals with German Banks to
Finance Companies
Belarus’ largest commercial bank Belarusbank has signed a
number of loan agreements with German banks totaling 10 million euros to
lend to Belarusian companies.
The largest creditor is AKA Ausfuhrkredit-Gesellschaft mbH,
which will provide about 6 million euros in loans to finance equipment
supplies to Belarusian Metal Plant. Also, five deals with Bankgesellschaft
Berlin AG have been signed to finance supplies of beet harvesters worth
about 4 million euros. Besides, the bank signed a framework cooperation
agreement with Dresdner Bank AG.
Belarusbank’ loan portfolio went up by 12.9 percent in
January-July, 2005. Loans to companies increased by 2.2 percent and loans to
individuals rose by 33.8 percent.
PRIORBANK Plans to Transform Branch Network
Belarus’ largest private bank Priorbank (RZB group) plans to
start transforming its branches into banking services centers from October
2005.
These centers will provide all banking services except for
crediting and operations with securities. Credit issues will only be
considered in the central office.
A personal manager is to be assigned to each client to
coordinate loan conditions, collect documents and carry out financial
analysis, which means there will be fewer links between clients and the
bank.
In line with Belarus’ banking standards, clients of the bank
will have to change account numbers because they are connected with branch
codes. The bank services 510,000 clients, including state agencies, small
and medium companies and corporate clients.
Raiffeisen ZentralBank Osterreich AG Issues $20 million
to Lukoil-Belarus
Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG (Austria) and the
company Lukoil-Belarus owned by the Russian NK Lukoil signed a one-year loan
agreement worth $20 million in Minsk for Lukoil to finance hydrocarbon raw
stock supplies for the Belarusian oil refineries.
Foreign company Lukoil-Belarus has been representing
interests of Russian company Lukoil in the Belarusian market since 1992. The
company is engaged in oil trade, oil refining on commission at Belarusian
oil refineries, wholesale and retail trade in oil products using oil storage
depots and refueling stations, running a proprietary network of oil storage
depots, refueling stations, and special automobile transport.
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