Azerbaijan customs understated import of Belarusian matches 12 times

Azerbaijan annually burned about 1,900 tons of matches. A comparative analysis shows the taxes payable on their import were underestimated at least four times.

Matches traditionally come to Azerbaijan from the Republic of Belarus. The Statistical Office of the country (http://www.belstat.gov.by/bgd/public_compilation/index_527/) with reference to the customs agency reported an increase in the export volume of matches to Azerbaijan by $ 232 200 in 2013. According to the Belarusian customs, in the past year the Land of Fire imported 1 174 tons of matches for $ 2 189 300 from Belarus. The Azerbaijan Customs has registered this item to a slightly lesser extent – 1 169.3 tons, but underestimated the value of the goods 11.8 times. This product was declared on the local customs in the amount of $ 185,300.

It is noteworthy that in 2012 from Belarus to Azerbaijan there were delivered 1 298 tons of matches (National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus - Ed.). Then the product was designed at the Azerbaijani customs for $ 365,700.

The cost of a pack of matches in Azerbaijan remains unchanged for at least 5 years - 2 gepiks (1 cent = 0.78 gepiks).

For comparison, the data on imports of this product in Georgia and Armenia; according to the statistics agencies of these countries, in 2013 the supply costs of importing matches were $ 2,029,700 and $ 1,055,600, respectively.

Note that matches are imported also from Russia and other countries. In 2013, the Azerbaijan Customs issued 523 tons of Russian-made matches for $ 81,600.

For the first nine months of this year, the official volume of imports of matches into Azerbaijan amounted to 1 232.8 tons ($ 337,200), including from Belarus - 854.3 tons ($ 175 100) and the Russian Federation - 233.4 tons ($ 69 900). -- 08B-