BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 19. Azerbaijan is
set to impose fines for the import and export of unprocessed
diamonds without the approval of the relevant state authority,
Trend
reports.
This measure is included in a draft law discussed today at a
meeting of the Legal Policy and State Building Committee of the
Azerbaijani Parliament, which proposes amendments to the
Administrative Offenses Code.
Under the draft law, individuals could face fines ranging from
550 to 750 manat ($323.5-$441.1), officials from 1,000 to 2,000
manat ($588.2-$1,176), and legal entities from 1,500 to 2,500 manat
($882.3-$1,470) for importing or exporting unprocessed diamonds
without the opinion of the designated authority.
The draft also amends the Law on Precious Metals and Precious
Stones, defining unprocessed diamonds as raw, simply carved,
fragmented, or broken diamonds identified according to the foreign
economic activity nomenclature codes by the relevant state
authority.
Once adopted, the law will also establish rules for state
control over the import, export, use, circulation, accounting,
storage, and tracking of unprocessed diamonds, including
certification requirements under the Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme (KPCS).
