The General Customs of the Republic (AGR) reported that during the year 2022 a total of 4,826,776 passengers transited the Cuban borders, which led to a gradual increase in the operations carried out by that agency.
In this sense, 4,854,647 dispatches to natural persons were made in said period, 93% in shipping operations, and 71,988 dispatches of foreign trade operations, according to the data handled in a note published by the newspaper Granma.
Yamila Martínez, General Director of Customs Processes of the AGR, said that the program was consolidated Authorized Economic Operatorwhich has eight certified entities and another four in the process of achieving it.
He also indicated that in this aspect priority is given to users of the Mariel Special Development Zone due to the economic importance that this enclave has for the development of the nation.
Added the directive that a follow-up is maintained on the tariff benefits granted by the Ministry of Finance and Prices and the positive impact it has had on the population, in addition to maintaining the simplification of the steps in the retention process and implementation of the passenger notification document in Spanish and English, as well as the use of the declaration form in digital format.
The customs official highlighted that, before the implementation of Resolution 175 “Rules for non-commercial imports carried out by natural persons and the list of reference values”, the infractions were around 38%, an indicator that is currently in the order of 8%.
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aim Granma that the AGR’s work system was strengthened with the improvement and updating of the risk management and control system, its procedure and the implementation of the modifications in the non-commercial dispatch; also in the delivery without the presence of the recipient and the new regulations for the importation of merchandise by natural persons.
Dailyn González, deputy chief of the AGR of the José Martí international airport, in Havana, pointed out that the relaxation measures for non-commercial import operations, carried out by natural persons, together with technological development and the preparation of officials, ” have allowed 88% of the passengers arriving at our air terminals to transit through the green channel (passengers who have nothing to declare, free of customs duties, can leave the air terminal without physical control of their luggage)” .
Customs increases confrontation with crimes
During the past year, Cuban customs increased the detection of violations as a result of the risk management and control work carried out.
refers Granma that at that time 17,354 infractions were registered. A total of 1,005 were security detections and 149 drug operations, of which 17 were international traffic, with a higher incidence by air.
The publication highlights that the detections of the smuggling line decreased, which corresponds to the flexibility measures implemented for importation by natural persons and the new forms of management.
The customs official at the Havana airport explained that the levels of detection and effectiveness of control actions have increased, locating 132 incidents in the first quarter of this year, linked to the security line, one of human trafficking and 11 made of contraband.
He highlighted that in this period 13 cases of drug traffickinga figure that equals the results achieved at the end of the previous year.
