Download New e-Silkroad

New e-Silkroad
Georg-Dieter Gotschlich
Consultant
Former Senior Customs Official
Benefits and Obstacles
CONNECTION BY ROAD
Possible
Easy
Fast
Safe
Benefits
• Faster Trade between Countries of Europe
and Asia
• Internal Development
• Cost effectiveness
• Getting closer
• Safer Transport
• More International Cooperation
Obstacles
• From Poland to China: 4 Borders to cross
• Controls at borders everytime entering and
leaving
Poland
Belorussia
Russia
Kazakhstan
China
• 8 controls
Obstacles
• Uncoordinated actions of Government
Services
• High fees and Tariffs
• Bad Roads and slow railways
• Different interests of States
• Restrictive Regulations and Rules
• Often Change of carriers and
• Reloading at Borders
Solutions
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Abolish Borders like in EU, not possible
Apply Rules of CIS, seems not possible
Use Information Technologies and
TIR, means 2 controls Poland/China
Introduce Facilitation Measures on basis
of
- International Cooperation and
- Use of Best Practice Models
Situation
within European Union
–No Borders
–Internal Market
–Existing EU Transit System + TIR
–New IT Transit System NCTS (Pilot –
with participation of Switzerland)
This does not apply yet for Poland,
Hungary, Slovenia and other new EUMembers, but will soon do. Not however
for other e-Silkroad Countries
Situation
in
CIS Countries
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Easy crossing of Border via
CIS - Customs Transit System
Legally in Force
In all Countries between Poland and China
Along the e-Silkroad
However not operative and applied
Some Country details:
RUSSIA
• Use of IT Progressed
• Major Difficulties with frequent changes of
laws and regulations
• Lack of training for frontier officials
• Bad Relations with Trade, Transport,
Business
• Corruption
Some Country Details:
BELORUSSIA
• Presidential System
• No continuity
• Difficulties to find out, what are rules,
tariffs to be applied
• Scarcely use of IT, if at all for tariffs
• Corruption
Some Country Details:
UKRAINE
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Recently very positive developments
Young active personnel, willing to change
IT progressively used
Internationally active
Some Country Details:
Moldova
• Was ready for real democracy
• Consequence of bad economic conditions and
country-split in two parts:
• Reinstallation of Communist Powers and
• Stop of transition to free economy
• No IT really applied – under progressive
Development at least up to government change
• Corruption
Some Country Details
KAZAKHSTAN
• Open for positive developments
• President applies active policies to open for
Silkroute
• Specific EU Program for Transit Facilitation
• Many economic Customs procedures applied
• Use of IT by Satellite
• Preparation of extensive IT program under way
• Integrity is rising in fight against corruption
Border
KAZAKHSTAN/CHINA
• Change of railway system
• Except for some kilometers trucks cannot
pass into neighboring country
• Reloading in both directions for most
lorries and many railway cars
• Different documentation
• Change of transport documents
Some Country Details
ASERBEIDJAN
• Tries to modernize in context of EU
TRACECA Program
• Extensive fight against Corruption
• Wealthy higher Society because of Oil
• Very high interest in rising trade
Some Country Details
USBEKISTAN
• As result of war close relation to West
• Difficult borders with Afghanistan
• Intensive Customs Program with EUTRACECA
• Tashkent wants to modernize
Apply already available
Customs Facilitation
Measures
Like for instance:
• Juxtaposé joint Controls with one BCP
• One Stop controls
• Use traffic separation
• Improve communications with neighbors
Conclude agreements
Use already available
Information Technologies
• If all Countries participate
• As a first step to introduce new e-Silkroad
• IT measures like Diskettes, Cards, E-Mail
systems etc
• For transfer of data
• Would immensely facilitate Border
Crossing
Apply existing TIR System
• Applicable for Trucks/Lorries
• Trucks must be pre-inspected and agreed by
Customs
• Organized by international Organization
• On basis of international Convention
• In which Countries must be members
• All Countries along e-Silkroad are
• But: Seldom applied, preventive high cost
• Safe TIR with IT like Kazakhstan
What to do further ?
• Search for (other interim) results
• Avoid re-inventing the wheel
• Discuss and agree with parties concerned
in the countries
• Ensure findings acceptable by the
agencies, the WCO and by the EU
Commission
In the long run……
FACILITATION in GENERAL I
FACILITATION in GENERAL II
FACILITATION
must be balanced by
ENFORCEMENT
• Risks for national Budgets, Public Order,
Health etc.
• Risk by even more use of facilitated Silk
Road in EAST WEST Direction for Drugs
Yearly Production of 4500 tons of
Heroin in Afghanistan again
Transport mainly via Landroutes
Intensify Risk Analysis RAS
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Principles
Training
Local Start
Central office working method
Communication
Feedback
Further Actions
• Many Programs by EU and US in Region
• Additional action to bring together high
ranking customs officials of the region
• with Chinese and Western Officials
• With support of EU, WCO, WTO
• To promote Information Technologies
• for E-Silkroad (Like in Safe TIR)
So it needs….
GOOD WILL of all Countries along the eSilkroad and ASSISTANCE by the WEST
Cooperative and trained personnel
ACTIVE Facilitation and Enforcement
COOPERATION with Trade, Transport
Industry and all other Business
And, often forgotten……….
SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE