RUSSIA, July 19 - The Acting Director of the Federal Customs Service reported on its performance, including expanded checkpoints in eastern and southern Russia, as well as the service’s digital transformation.

Excerpts from the transcript: 

Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Davydov, As the President has noted, the Federal Customs Service is making a substantial contribution to the country’s economic security. Of course, your agency is now fulfilling a highly important function and forming the budget in extremely complicated conditions when Russia is facing greater sanctions pressure. 

  We have accomplished a lot towards simplifying customs clearance procedures under a plan of high-priority action to facilitate economic development in the context of foreign pressure. As you know, many decisions have been adopted in this regard, and this has considerably facilitated customs clearance procedures in these complicated times. We have also simplified technical import regulation procedures. 

Please tell me more about the service’s performance recently. 

Ruslan Davydov: Mr Mishustin, Indeed, this year, the Federal Customs Service has continued the work that was launched last year under the guidance of the Government and yourself. 

We have been working in several directions. 

As you have said, efforts to simplify and expedite customs clearance formalities were our first task. This involved a high-priority procedure for clearing socially important goods, as well as those required for the special military operation. In all, we cleared over 7 million tonnes of such goods.

More to be posted soon...