33 years guarding the economic interests of the Republic of Belarus

On September 20, customs officers celebrate Customs Officer Day. Today, the customs service is stable and confident in its capabilities. It has something to be proud of and something to strive for.

For example, in the first half of 2024 alone, the amount of customs and other payments received by the budget increased by almost 60% compared to the same period in 2023.

Reducing the time for goods clearance is one of the priority tasks facing customs authorities. 90% of import declarations are processed within an hour, and 91% of export declarations are processed within 5 minutes.

Vitebsk customs uses modern technologies for maximum rapid clearance. The work of the electronic declaration center has shown a positive result. Compared to the same period in 2023, the number of vehicles released for free circulation for personal use has almost tripled.

Law enforcement officers of the Vitebsk customs have detected more than 2,000 administrative offenses in the first eight months of 2024 alone. More than four dozen criminal cases have been initiated, both by customs and by other law enforcement agencies based on customs materials. In the last 3 months alone, customs officials have intercepted the import of more than 180 kg of hashish hidden in the spare tires of a truck, 39 rounds of ammunition for firearms hidden in personal belongings, a particularly dangerous psychotropic substance – amphetamine, found under a mobile phone case; and cultural valuables into the EAEU territory.

Customs officers of Vitebsk region are always open and attentive to the needs of seriously ill people, veterans, social shelters, and centers for children with disabilities. Their grateful feedback confirms this.

It should be noted that this year we have welcomed the first graduates of the "Customs Affairs" specialty from the law faculty of PSU named after P.U. Sukhoi. This means 13 young and trained specialists!

The traditional starting point in the work of every young customs officer is the solemn taking of the Oath. 20 young employees of the Vitebsk customs, along with their colleagues from other

Customs officers took an oath of allegiance to the Motherland in the Brest Fortress ahead of their professional holiday. Approximately 170 customs officers participated in this large-scale and significant event. The oath was administered by the heads of 8 customs authorities of Belarus.

On September 20, a solemn assembly was held at the Vitebsk Customs, where the Head of Customs, Sergey Linkevich, presented state awards and various forms of encouragement with words of gratitude. On this day, more than 20 employees of the Vitebsk Customs received their well-deserved awards.

In conclusion, Sergey Linkevich expressed sincere words of gratitude to his colleagues for their hard work, resilience, diligence, and perseverance, and for their dedication to the cause for the benefit of the Motherland! He expressed special respect and recognition to the veterans of the customs service who laid a solid foundation for the modern customs service of the Republic of Belarus.