The draft Customs Code was carried in the second reading by the votes of 55 MPs on August 13.  According to the Government, which is the author of the draft, the new Customs Code is designed to unify, modernize and optimize the customs legislation and to adjust it to the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova through the Association Agreement with the European Union, IPN reports.

The Government said the document will improve the quality of services provided by the Customs Service to business entities, will increase the data protection level, will reduce the costs and delays determined by the declaring of goods and will diminish the risks of fraud and corruption through the online monitoring of customs operations.

The new Customs Code systematizes the customs legislation and will include the current Customs Code, the law on the customs tariff and the law on the bringing of goods into and out of the Republic of Moldova by private individuals. This has 11 titles divided into chapters and sections and over 1,000 pages.

The new Customs Code of the Republic of Moldova was drafted during three years by different teams of governmental institutions, including of the Ministry of Finance and the Customs Service, in concert with experts of the World Bank. The document complies with the provisions of the European Union Customs Code, being coordinated with specialists of the European Commission.

Vadim Fotescu, a member of the Shor Party’s parliamentary group, said the bill was not adjusted to the realities in the Republic of Moldova and is adopted for the sake of adoption.  There is a risk that chaos will be created not only in the investment projects expected in Moldova, but also in the whole economic activity. Therefore, the Shor group abstained from voting on it.

The draft Customs Code is to be given a third, final reading and is to take effect on January 1, 2023.