Deputies of the Majilis (lower house) of the Parliament of Kazakhstan adopted a law on the ratification of an agreement between the governments of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic countries (OTS) to create a simplified customs corridor.
The agreement between the governments of UTC member states was signed in Samarkand in November 2022. "As part of the agreement, the concepts of a "simplified customs corridor" and "commercial operators". The simplified customs corridor is an electronic system aimed at the advance exchange of information on goods transported in trade between these countries, open for use on a voluntary basis, which can be used for all modes of transport, says the conclusion of the Committee on Finance and budget of the Majilis.
Commercial operators are persons who provide reliable information about goods and vehicles, participate in the simplified corridor and carry out customs procedures in accordance with the provisions of the agreement. Commercial operators within the simplified customs corridor will have advantages: priority customs clearance at checkpoints; simplified customs formalities, including separate lanes to reduce clearance time; lack of customs inspection at checkpoints. After the entry into force of the agreement, the customs authorities of the countries will organize and implement a pilot project lasting six months.
After adoption by the Majilis, the law on the creation of a simplified customs corridor for OTG will be submitted for consideration in the Senate (upper house) of the Parliament.
The Organization of Turkic States was established at the initiative of Kazakhstan in 2009. The OTG Secretariat is located in Istanbul. The organization currently includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.