Deputy Finance Minister on New Customs Regulations

“As a result of the recent decision, each company will be put under the equal conditions,” noted Tsotne Kavlashvili, Deputy Finance Minister of Georgia, while commenting the changes, made in the statement of the Georgian Finance Minister regarding “the approval of instructions on the movement and declaration of goods on the customs territory of Georgia”.

Kavlashvili stated that the given decision is related with ensuring the competitive business environ on the one hand, and fulfilling the obligations undertaken within the scope of the Association Agreement on another.

“The policy of our government in terms of tax policy, as well as structural reforms, has been serving for the improvement of the business environ across the country over years, introducing the equal conditions for all businesses, being among one of the main preconditions for it. 217 companies have been benefiting from the preferential conditions in case of tax payments so far. 30 days had been allocated as the tax payment time for them. With this decisions, the mentioned companies will also be introduced with same conditions along with small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, it is important that we have an obligation, our customs procedures and regulations to be harmonized with the EU customs legislations. This decision is yet another step forwards in this regards,” noted the Deputy Finance Minister.

He also said that the business subjects, affected by the regulation shifts, were given reasonable timeframe for adaptation with the new rules. Kavlashvili stated that the importers of non-excise goods were allocated 30 days, while the ones, importing the excise products were given 10-day limit.

Translated by Ketevan Kvaratskheliya