Vice PM orders to streamline customs clearance procedures

Kazakhstan’s Vice Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov instructed the Customs Control Committee of the Finance Ministry to streamline customs clearance procedures, Newskaz.ru reports. “To perform an import-export transaction, a business entity has to interact with up to 15 public bodies, submitting up to 40 documents. I am expecting concrete proposals to streamline the procedures”, Mr. Kelimbetov said. “The Customs Committee is to introduce electronic exchange of information with all the other public bodies. This is something to be borrowed from the experience of the Tax Committee”, the Vice PM said, adding that “the major point is to simplify obtainment of permits for businesses and minimize the human factor”. Kazakhstan has been ranked among the top 50 world economies in the Doing Business 2012 report, compiled by the World Bank and its private-sector lender the International Finance Corp. The ranking places Kazakhstan 47th among 183 countries in a study assessing business regulations in ten areas such as starting a business, protecting investors, resolving insolvency, and trading across borders. Mr. Kelimbetov reminded that Kazakhstan was ranked 181th among 183 countries in the trading across borders category: “an export transaction in Europe normally takes 27 days, whereas in Kazakhstan it takes 81 days”, he said.