15 May 2013

In May 2013, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) started the implementation of a regional, ?3.7 million EU-funded project titled ?Support to the Creation of an Electronic System of Pre-arrival Information Exchange between the Customs Authorities of Belarus and Ukraine (PRINEX)?.

This 2.5-year project consists of two major components: i) capacity building activities (study visits, trainings and workshops) and ii) development of a reliable and secure pre-arrival information exchange system between the customs bodies of Belarus and Ukraine. The project is implemented in close partnership with the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Belarus (SCCRB) and the Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine (MRDU) within the framework of the EU Eastern Partnership?s Integrated Border Management Flagship Initiative (EaP IBM).

As a result of the project?s implementation, the customs pre-arrival information exchange system at the border between Belarus and Ukraine will be installed and activated at the designated border crossing points and SCCRB / MRDU headquarters. This electronic system will allow economic actors in one of the partner countries to submit electronic declarations to the corresponding customs authorities (when exporting  goods to the other partner country), and electronic transit declarations (while transiting through the other partner country), as well as to send electronic pre-arrival (preliminary) information letters to the customs authorities of the other partner country in case of exporting, or to the customs authorities of any third country in the case of transport via transit.

The PRINEX system will, inter alia, i) facilitate customs clearance procedures, ii) reduce the lines of vehicles at the border and related expenses due to  traffic delays, iii) improve service delivery and living quality for the local border population, iv) increase the transit attractiveness of the entire region, v) make customs control more effective and cross-border movement more dynamic. Moreover, the system will also create an additional barrier against smuggling and help combat organized crime, as well as contribute to smoother traffic passage through the Belarus-Ukraine border.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Andrei Zaitsev, PRINEX Project Coordinator, IOM Minsk

E-mail: azaitsev@iom.int

Tel: + 375 44 761 61 81