BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 1. The establishment of
Trade Facilitation Centers provides an important legal framework
for the development of the Middle Corridor, chairman of the
Azerbaijani Parliament’s Committee on Economic Policy, Industry,
and Entrepreneurship, Azer Amiraslanov said, Trend reports.
He made the remark during the first-reading discussion of a bill
amending the Customs Code at today’s plenary session of
parliament.
The MP stressed that one of the main objectives of the proposed
bill is to expand logistics and transit capabilities:
“In today’s world, Azerbaijan’s geographical location provides a
significant strategic advantage. However, this advantage must be
supported not only by infrastructure but also by legal and
institutional mechanisms. Therefore, the draft simplifies transit
procedures, ensures the continuity of the logistics chain, and
strengthens the coordination of services with mechanisms such as
the Trade Facilitation Center. This creates an important legal
framework, in particular, for the development of the Middle
Corridor, the effective functioning of the East-West and
North-South routes, and serves to enhance our country’s transit
potential,” he added.
“Strengthening mechanisms for the enforcement of customs debts,
along with improving fiscal discipline, contributes to the
fulfillment of obligations to the state budget,” he noted.
The committee chair also noted that initiatives to expand
electronic procedures are viewed as progressive, innovative changes
in the customs system:
“In this draft, digitalization is not merely a technical issue
but a key element of management philosophy. Electronic document
management, data exchange, and automated processes, especially the
expanded use of electronic declarations, accelerate the customs
clearance process, increase transparency, reduce the human factor
and corruption risks, and minimize administrative costs, "he
added.
