Revenue Service rejects reports on customs procedure change, says sanctioned goods subject to “strict control”
The body rejected a report by TV Pirveli that claimed export of expensive vehicles into Russia and Belarus - two countries targeted by international sanctions for the war in Ukraine - had only been subjected to restrictions recently. Photo: Mikheil Gvasalia
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Georgia's Revenue Service on Wednesday denied reports that said customs procedures had been only recently changed by Georgian authorities to ensure enforcement of international sanctions on Russia and Belarus, stressing “strict control” was in place to ensure their enforcement.
The body rejected a report by TV Pirveli that claimed export of expensive vehicles into Russia and Belarus - two countries targeted by international sanctions for the war in Ukraine - had only been subjected to restrictions recently.
It called the report “another lie and misinformation”, in reference to periodic media reports claiming failures in Georgian authorities’ enforcement of the sanctions, and said “no changes” had been made to related regulations.
[T]ransit, export and re-export are carried out in full compliance with international rules and regulations, and there is no evidence to the contrary”, it said.
The Service also said all types of goods included in the list of sanctions had been subject to “strict customs control” by domestic agencies since the imposition of the fourth package of sanctions on Russia, which banned export of luxury goods - including luxury cars and motorcycles - from G7 member states to Russia and Belarus.
The Revenue Service of the Georgian Finance Ministry on Sunday responded to media reports alleging an import of sanctioned goods to Georgia from a Russian company [under sanctions imposed by the international community against Russia] and elucidated that the sanctions did not refer to the company, its owners or shipment.
The Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Veterinary Control Division of the Customs Department of the Revenue Service, as a result of the inspection, has returned 42 tonnes of potatoes, imported from Russia, back to the country from the Kazbegi customs checkpoint due to non-compliance with food safety requirements, the Service said on Wednesday.
Georgia's Revenue Service on Friday "categorically and with full responsibility" declared the media report on Wednesday that cited the Czech Ambassador as saying Czech-made products had been exported from Georgia to Russia in a circumvention of international sanctions as "false information".
The Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia on Thursday dismissed reports by several opposition-minded TV channels on alleged problems in monitoring of international cargo shipments and provision of border crossing procedures at the Kazbegi checkpoint on the Russia-Georgia border in the north of Georgia.