Disagreements among Belarusians concerning customs work - survey results
The State Customs Committee of Belarus recently shared the results of a survey conducted among Belarusians, shedding light on the public's perception of the Customs Service. The main concerns appear to revolve around efficiency, transparency, and regulatory issues, although the detailed concerns and suggestions from the survey are not explicitly stated in the available search results.
According to the survey, a total of 1517 people participated, with 87% finding the understanding and application of customs legislation straightforward. An impressive 93% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of the customs officers' work, and nearly 76% rated the work of customs officers positively.
However, the survey also highlighted some areas for improvement. A reduction in border crossing times is a desire shared by many respondents, with some suggesting increasing the throughput capacity as a potential solution. The respondents also expressed a keen interest in the reopening of currently inactive checkpoints.
The survey results, posted on the Telegram channel of the State Customs Committee, included open-ended questions for respondents to provide additional feedback. The data suggests that delays and bureaucratic inefficiencies in customs processing, transparency and corruption risks at the customs, complexity and clarity of customs regulations, tariffs, and fees, and fair treatment of importers and exporters are the potential concerns.
To address these concerns, suggestions include increasing transparency and simplifying procedures, improving digitalization and automation of customs processes, enhancing training and accountability of customs officers, and reducing corruption by stricter controls and audits.
It is worth noting that while no direct survey results detailing Belarusians' views on their Customs Service are found in the search results, these points remain general expectations rather than confirmed findings.
The survey also revealed that 86% of those surveyed consider the quality of information systems and technologies used by customs authorities to be high. However, low ratings from some respondents were linked to prolonged border stays and queues, indicating room for improvement in these areas. This figure is significantly higher than that obtained in the previous survey, suggesting a positive trend in the Customs Service's performance.
Each suggestion received by the customs service will be analysed and, where possible, implemented. The customs service is committed to improving its services and addressing the concerns raised by the public.
- The survey reveals that a significant number of respondents are interested in improving the efficiency of the customs service, particularly reducing border crossing times, which could potentially be achieved by increasing the throughput capacity.
- To ensure fair treatment and transparency in business and finance, the suggested improvements include increasing transparency, simplifying procedures, and enhancing accountability and training for customs officers, with a focus on reducing corruption risks.
