Photo from UNIAN
The task is to build a new agency that operates strictly in line with the law.
Tax payments in July-October 2019 increased by 2.4% or $106 million year-on-year, says head of the State Customs Service, Maksym Nefyodov.
Responding on Facebook to an allegation voiced by the President's Office chief, Andriy Bohdan, claiming revenues from customs have fallen significantly, Nefyodov wrote: "Here is the dynamics of customs payments while our team is creating a new customs. At the same time, the value of taxable imports has decreased by 0.8% (gas and oil prices have been falling on world markets). So who's launching the myth that 'Nefyodov is underperforming'?"
The head of customs added that on October 30, there was an "interesting discussion" at the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Tax and Customs Policy.
"Now there's confrontation – we either implement a systemic reform at customs and sack the old team (the first 500 officers are already getting ready to go) or 'don't rock the boat and apply the same methods that were out there before.' This confrontation is accompanied by loads of such myths. Just think who might profit from this," Nefyodov said in his post.
He added that his task is to build a new agency that works strictly in line with the law.
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"My task is plain as a rock – to build customs, which would abide by the law, not by phone calls, which would enjoy public trust, adequately paying its employees – but also punishing inadequate officers in its ranks. It must work quickly and invisibly for clean importers and exporters," the head of customs wrote.
"I know for sure that most committee members share this vision. And only standing together can we defeat the corruption hydra," he added.
As reported earlier, on October 31, in an interview with the Ukrayinska Pravda, Head of the President's Office, Andriy Bohdan, said that his office is consulting with Valery Khoroshkovsky, in particular, on customs operations. He also noted that Nefyodov has been "underperforming", adding that he "strongly believes" in him.