At the insistence of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atamken", the Government is taking urgent measures to resolve the situation on the Kazakh-Russian border

As more than a hundred of trucks, loaded with goods in transit to Kazakhstan, have stuck on the Russian-Kazakh border. In violation of the agreements reached in the framework of the EAEU and the Customs Union, they are subject to full customs inspection and suffer losses.

The National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken" held a regular press conference on the situation. This time with representatives of the responsible government agencies.

"Taking into account the fact that until today the situation with Kazakh carriers, which got stuck at checkpoints on the Russian-Kazakh border, has not changed, NCE "Atameken" invited the public authorities to hold a joint briefing to clarify the situation. NCE continues to receive complaints from carriers who, on the instructions of the customs authorities of the Russian Federation, are still at temporary storage warehouses where they await for an inspection", - said the managing director, director of the department of economic integration NCE RK "Atameken" Dana Zhunusova.

Journalists were shown two videos that carriers sent by whatsapp. "Pskov region, Pytalovsky district, transpass “Ubylinka”. There was conducted a complete inspection: complete discharge, a full counting. Now, two intermediate customs: moved to the city of Rzhev, Tver region. They inspected the cargo. We arrived to Samara again, they made us to use temporary storage warehouses – another counting of goods, the total discharge – it all these services have to be paid for. There are no conditions no, no refrigeration units", - says the entrepreneur behind the scenes, filming the process.

The Union of Transport Workers of Kazakhstan "Kazlogistics" confirmed the fact of complaints of Kazakh carriers on customs authorities of the RF.

"The current situation influences not only the use of the TIR Carnet (TIR) ​​transit, it also affects the whole possibility of transit through the territory of the Russian Federation. If before the FCS limited only the action of the TIR Convention, that today Kazakhstani carriers even if they use the system of guarantee, the customs officers do not take into account the certificates that were issued by Russian companies "ROSTEK" and "Arsenal". All the same, they are stopped and forced to undergo an inspection, "- said the acting General Director of the Union Dmitry Milishihin.

Curiously, before all the problems with transit through the territory of the Russian Federation amounted to the use of TIR Carnets and "sanctioned" goods. But today, the customs authorities of the Russian Federation has stopped all carriers, regardless of the type of security and the nature of the cargo. At the same time employees of FCS detain wagons, following only to Kazakhstan.

Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Integration of the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan Yerlan Absatov reported that on the eve of the matter was the subject of a special meeting under the chairmanship of the head of MID RK Aset Isekeshev.

"We have sent two petitions to the Federal Customs Service and the Ministry of Transport of Russia. The Foreign Ministry, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia also joined us. Customs officers now directly conduct negotiations with the FCS. Yesterday there was held a telephone conversation with the executive secretary of the Ministry with the deputy head of the Federal Customs Service, and he asked for a day to clarify the situation", - he said.

"According to incoming reports from drivers, Kazakhstani vehicles continues to wait at the border. Downtime is approximately 5-7 days. For example, today one driver called and said that he is waiting as of September 6. The queue moves slowly, he is still 33rd", - added E.Absatov.

Reporters were waiting for the domestic customs to say a word. And it didn’t take too long. Deputy Head of the Customs Control Committee of the State Revenue Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nuraliev, said that next week in Minsk will be held the joint meeting of the Customs Union, "where the situation and all questions will be discussed".

It is quite strange, because last year the two parties agreed on the transit of sanctioned goods to Kazakhstan. In May of this year, customs officers in Kazakhstan formed a list of  bona fide carriers for the carriage of goods included in the sanctioned list, whose trucks were free to follow to our country. According to the Kazakh customs, the list was handed over to the Russians in May of this year. Since then, the fate of this document is unknown ...

Returning to the subject of the briefing, Dana Zhunusova noted that representative office of NCE in Moscow is now also trying to get official comment from FCS.

During the conference another carrier - Andrey Ultakov from Uralsk contacted her. Through the loud speaker option on the mobile phone, he told reporters about what is happening at the border.

"Our car comes from Ukraine with a cargo of household accessories. For the fourth day we are kept on Novokuibyshevsk transpass - near Samara. Everyone is undergoing a full inspection. There are 100 or 150 machines on the wait list, riot police has arrived. All the drivers are forced to go to Togliatti, which is 150 kilometers away, in connection with the fact that the Russian customs authorities can’t cope with the traffic. Drivers have no money, there have to pay 15-20 thousand rubles to heavy weight lifters - all at our expense. And plus 5 thousand rubles for each day of storage at the temporary storage warehouses", - he said.

"No one says anything, citing to some inner order. Now we suffer huge losses. They will charge me for the inspection, warehouse, and I suffer the losses, because I will not deliver the cargo on time", - said the indignant businessman.

According to the head of the transport company, the driver has no money, but "only enough diesel fuel to drive to Togliatti, and then he does not know how to return to Kazakhstan".

According to the Department of  Economic Integration NCE, a situation is brought to an extreme. Many drivers, transporting perishable foods to Kazakhstan, complain on spoilage. Inconsistency of storage conditions, negligence when unloading-loading, endangers the integrity of the goods. And we can only guess what losses will suffer carriers and consignees of our country.

Every day the drivers' of trucks continue to send to "Atameken" acts of the customs inspection of vehicles, which have been registered at Samara customs checkpoint and the notification on the conduction of the customs inspection, the invoice for the payment of the loading / unloading of goods in the bonded warehouse, waybills stamped by the customs authorities of the Russian Federation on the establishment of the route.

There is no point to deny the fact of detention of Kazakh transport on Russian customs check points. The National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken" requires the state bodies of Kazakhstan and Russia immediately to resolve the conflict, which poses a threat of serious economic losses for both countries, and most importantly - the loss of confidence in the idea of ​​economic integration.