ECA Field Notes for Practitioners Belarus: Enhancing Border-Crossing Time Release Studies to Support Trade Facilitation Reforms By Gagik Gabrielyan, Clayton Kerswell, Irina Shemshenya, Aliaksandr Abrashkevich May 2017 In Partnership With ECA Field Notes for Practitioners ©2017 The World Bank Group 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org All rights reserved. This volume is a product of the staff of the World Bank Group. The World Bank Group refers to the member institutions of the World Bank Group: The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Devel- opment); International Finance Corporation (IFC); and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which are separate and distinct legal entities each organized under its respective Articles of Agreement. We encourage use for educational and non-commercial purposes. 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All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2422; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. 2 May 2017 Acknowledgments The World Bank Group’s Business Regulation and National Quality Infrastructure Project in Belarus wishes to thank the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for their generous support in funding the Project’s activities. The authors would like to also thank and acknowledge Lisa Kaestner, Practice Manager, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice in Europe and Central Asia; Irina Niederberger, Senior Private Sector Specialist; Victoria Tetyora, Private Sector Specialist, Violane Konar-Leacy, Private Sector Specialist, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice in Europe and Central Asia, for their valuable comments and peer review of this document. 3 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners Border-crossing time release studies are powerful tools for analyzing trade logistics and measuring the performance of border agencies. Insights from a border-crossing study can help in designing and accelerating trade facilitation reforms. Preparing and car- rying out an effective study is a challenging exercise in itself, as it involves sensitive data, and complex multi-agency and cross-country relationships. The border-crossing time release study for commercial cargo undertaken by the World Bank Group’s Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice team in Belarus in 2015 is an example that provides important lessons that may be useful for other countries. Belarus is a member of Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), bordering three EU countries (Poland, Lithuania and Latvia), Ukraine and Russia. As such, the country is strategically located for in- ternational transit trade. With the aim of boosting the country’s transit role, the Government of Belarus is undertaking several infrastructure development projects and regulatory reforms aimed at trade facilitation. In parallel with physical infrastructure (“hardware”) development, it is important to address “soft” aspects of trade, such as regulations and trade procedures. Thus, the Government undertook a “two agencies at the border” reform with the goal of reducing the number of agencies at the border to only two, namely Customs and the Border Police. Belarus’s efforts were supported by the World Bank Group (WBG), including the World Bank’s Transit Corridor Improvement Project (TCIP), which is financing the modernization of the transit Corridor-M6 Minsk-Grodno, and the Belarus Business Regulation and National Quality Infra- structure Advisory Project of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) with the aim of im- proving trade procedures. In this context, the border crossing time release study (BCTR study) was designed by these two WBG project teams, and implemented in close cooperation with the State Customs Committee of Belarus. The data collection was undertaken by the Belarus State University contracted by the IFC advisory project. The BCTR study was to serve as: (i) a baseline for performance measurement of border agencies in trade facilitation; and (ii) a tool for identifying bottlenecks in the border-clearance process and designing possible regulatory, operational, and physical infrastructure improvements to address them. The study took place at three border-crossing points (BCPs):  Berestovitsa – Bobrowniki (Belarus-Poland)  Bruzgi – Kuznitsa Belostotskaya (Belarus-Poland)  Privalka – Raigardas (Belarus-Lithuania) 4 May 2017 Designing a tailor-made border-crossing time release study The BCTR study measurement method applied in Belarus was a customized, hybrid method combining elements of various international methodologies, such as the Time Release Study of the World Customs Organization (WCO), and driver-based surveys, with some modifications and additional elements. Driver-based surveys In these surveys, truck drivers are given a questionnaire to be completed as their trucks/cargos undergo border controls and cross the border. The survey makes use of a numbered question- naire (data sheet) for every truck, with boxes to be ticked by border authorities and/or drivers for every control measure. Data sheets are given to drivers at the entrance point (when trucks join the queue at the exit country border-crossing point [BCP]) and collected at the exit point (when trucks depart from the entry country BCP). This method has already been used in various forms in (and by) many countries and organizations, for instance:  The Laufzettel exercise, originally used in the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia). Laufzettel means “routing slip or circulation sheet”. This method has subsequently been used in other countries (Norway, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Greece, and FYR Macedonia).1 1 References to Laufzettel can be found in various EU  Time-cost study, applied in East Asian countries by the United Nations Economic and Social documents, e.g. “Guidelines Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). for Integrated Border Management in the  Truck-by-truck survey, applied in a number of countries by the WBG, e. g., India and Pakistan. Western Balkans”, http://ec.europa.eu/ enlargement/pdf/ WCO Time Release Study (TRS) financial_assistance/ cards/publications/ibm_ A Time Release Study (TRS) is a well-known and internationally applied study method devel- guidelines_en.pdf oped and endorsed by the WCO for, “… measuring the actual performance of Customs activities as they directly relate to trade facilitation at the border…”.2 2 For TRS methodology, see “Guide to Measure the Time The TRS collects data from Customs’ computerized systems and through questionnaires. Ques- required for the Release of tionnaires move with the drivers and are completed by the drivers/border agencies, as with the Goods - Version 2”, WCO, 2011. driver-based surveys. Compared with driver-based surveys, a TRS is more sophisticated and detailed, requiring more formal involvement of the Customs authorities. While the TRS covers control by all border agencies, it mostly focuses on Customs control. It does not normally in- clude details of other border agency control operations (sanitary and phytosanitary [SPS], trans- port, conformity assessment). Studies via Cross-country Electronic Systems of Data Exchange Examples of such systems are: (1) the SEED3 system, an intra-regional system linking Customs 3 Systematic Electronic authorities in the Central European Free Trade Agreements (CEFTA); and (2) NCTS4, a Europe- Exchange of Data, http:// www.eu-seed.net/pages/ an-wide system, based on electronic declarations and processing, to provide paperless and SEEDMaintenance.aspx better management, and control of transit across Europe. It involves all EU Member States and the EFTA. These systems can be used to study, monitor, and compare border-crossing times. 4 New Computerized Transit System, http://ec.europa. However, they usually focus on Customs procedures and provide only general information eu/taxation_customs/ about border-crossing times, limiting their usefulness in the deeper analysis of border-crossing resources/documents/ processes. annex_i_transit_brochure_ en.pdf 5 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners Belarus BCTR study In addition to drivers and border authorities, the Belarus BCTR study included independent observers at the BCPs, and made use of data from Customs’ computerized system and from questionnaires (based on truck plate numbers). The important features of the Belarus BCTR study were:  Inclusion of independent observers for data collection.  The design of the data sheets, including the structure and content (in addition to the drivers’ data sheet, it included observers’ data sheets for key locations and actions).  Greater emphasis and detail on other operations in addition to Customs control procedures.  Coverage of the border-crossing zone from both countries’ sides. This combination of participants, data-sheet design, and data The participation of independent observers sources enable important cross-checks of time stamps to be was a critical element in ensuring the studied, as well as ensuring comprehensive and detailed cover- comprehensiveness, accuracy and age of border-crossing processes and steps. objectivity of the measurements. Independent observers were located at pre-agreed positions in the BCPs (see Annex 1 and the table below) and recorded the time of trucks passing through the stages of clearance (on Belarus, Polish, and Lithuanian sides). In general, the number and positioning of observers at a BCP vary depending on the objectives of the study, and the organization and sequence of clearance procedures, as well as the physi- cal layout of the BCP. In the Belarus study, seven observers were involved in the data collection on the outbound flow, and eight observers on the inbound flow. Of these observers, two were positioned in the territory of Poland/Lithuania to collect data on the time of entry and departure from the adjacent BCP. Overall, 19 observers were involved in studies at three BCPs. The num- ber of observers was higher on the Belarus side, given that the study aimed be conduct a more detailed analysis of the process on the Belarus side. An important feature of the Belarus BCTR study was the sim- Splitting and customizing data-collection plification and splitting of the data sheet into several smaller sheets helped to simplify the data-collection data sheets, based on the characteristics of the border-cross- process, reduce mistakes and bias, and ing process, the physical layout of the BCP, and the movement capture more critical details about border of trucks in the BCP zone. Subsequently, all data from the data agency control actions. sheets were incorporated into a single matrix. (See Annex 1 for the flowchart and time stamps of the border crossing process, and Annex 2 for data sheets.) The table below shows the data collection sheets used for the inbound traffic. These simplified data sheets and the positioning of independent observers provided several advantages to the Belarus study, in particular:  Data collection was easier from a practical viewpoint. Shorter data sheets were easier to complete and manage, while observers could avoid moving back and forth with data sheets and instead could focus on specific operations at their position. Also, drivers no longer had any data to record.  The probability of mistakes and bias in the data-collection process was reduced. Using one long and complicated data sheet circulating with a driver involves a greater risk of mistakes, and bias by the driver and border authorities in recording the actions and time. Drivers often confuse various types of inspections, do not make distinctions between types of physical examinations, and/or do not indicate time accurately. Splitting the data sheets meant that driver involvement could be minimized (or actually eliminated in the Belarus case). 6 May 2017 Data sheet Data coverage Carried and completed by General information: truck number, consignment number, product Driver, and completed by border au- Data sheet #0 characteristics, point of destination, time of weighing, and types thorities. It moved with the driver. and times of controls by border agencies. Waiting time in the queue and the time of entering the exit coun- Observer #1, located at the entry into Dada sheet #1 try (Polish) BCP. the Polish BCP. Observer #2, located at the exit from Data sheet #2 Time of departure from the exit country’s (Polish) BCP. the Polish BCP. Observer #3, located at the entry point Data sheet #3 Time of entry into the entry country’s (Belarus) BCP. into the Belarus BCP. Start and end times of controls, as well as the intensity of exam- Observer #4 and #5, located at the inations of the preliminary Customs control and Transportation Data sheet #4 zone for preliminary customs control control (e. g., the control actions taken by the officer, e. g., external and transport control. visual and/or physical examination of the cabin and the truck). Observer #6, located in Customs Data sheet #5 Time of recording in Customs electronic queuing system. clearance office. Start and end times of controls, and types of examinations by Cus- toms and non-Customs (veterinary, phytosanitary, sanitary/health) Observer #7, located at the platform for Data sheet #6 of cargo, e. g., external visual, tailgate, scanning, detailed physical physical examinations. examination, sampling). Observer #7, located at the platform for Data sheet #7 Time of departure from parking lot towards the exit gate. physical examinations, and parking lot.  It allowed the more effective incorporation of detailed information on actions by all border agencies and the waiting times for those actions, especially the types and intensity of docu- mentary and physical examinations. This was important in the Belarus case, bearing in mind the Government’s goal of implementing a “two agencies at the border” system.  The use of separate data sheets at each observation position and the participation of inde- pendent observers increased the objectivity of measurements. This was critical for ensuring effective cross-checks and the verification of the data on the actions and time in the bor- der-crossing process.  Greater objectivity was also important to improve the credibility of the results from the per- spective of stakeholders, including those from the private and public sectors, NGOs, and in- ternational organizations. This, in turn, was important in facilitating the promotion of reforms that were identified based on the results of the Belarus BCTR study. Compared with other BCTR study methods, the Belarus BCTR study had a higher focus on, and coverage of, the details involved in control procedures, including physical examinations by Customs, Transport, and SPS agencies (veterinary, phytosanitary, and health). While other methods capture only general information about non-Customs control (i. e., usually there is only one question on whether an SPS inspection was carried out or not), the Belarus BCTR study captured details such as the types of physical examination, the sampling proce- dures, the duration of physical examinations, and the time between the arrival of a truck at the examination zone and the start of the actual examination. This high level of detail provided a clearer picture of the border-crossing process and the roles of each of the border agencies. It also helped to identify bottlenecks in the process with greater precision, while establishing causal links between delays and actions with greater accuracy. This is important in enabling the effective design and implementation of reforms to improve BCP processes. 7 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners As seen in many countries, physical examination by Customs, and especially by non-Customs agencies, is a major source of delays in the cargo-clearance and release process. Therefore, it is important to understand the exact stages and/or actions in the physical examination process that cause the delays. For instance, some delays may be caused not by the physical examination itself, but by delays in decision-making and/or in starting the examination after decisions have been made. In Belarus, the waiting time for starting physical examinations was often significant- ly longer than the examination itself, indicating a problem with process design. In many Western Balkan countries, as indicated by the IFC Western Balkans Trade Logistics Project, a major source of delays is the high frequency of laboratory testing and related burdensome procedures (but not tailgate or intensive/intrusive examinations) in SPS controls. To capture and record the details, the Belarus BCTR study team ensured that the questionnaires were properly completed, and that there was a clear description of types of physical examina- tion, and a clear understanding of them by the observers. Importantly, the descriptions were in accordance with legal definitions and terms used in Belarus. The physical examinations defined included the following:  External physical examination: visual inspection, without opening the truck;  Tailgate examination: opening the truck, verification of identity of cargo/consignment, with- out moving, unloading and loading the goods;  Detailed (non-intrusive) examination: X-ray scanning of the truck/cargo;  Detailed (intrusive) examination: physical examination, which involves opening the truck, moving and/or unloading and loading the goods, opening packages of goods; and  Detailed (intrusive) examination with sampling: as above, but with samples taken from cargo and sent for laboratory testing. The level of detail to be achieved depends on the policy or re- Greater detail on non-Customs control form agenda, and the objectives of a country, and the resources operations provided a clearer picture of available. The greater the detail, the greater the collection and the border-crossing process and the roles analytical effort and, usually, the greater the resource require- of each border agency in it, identifying ments. bottlenecks with greater precision and with In Belarus, the detailed analysis of all procedures was particu- more accurate causal links. larly important due to the ongoing “two agencies at the border” reform and the intention of introducing a simplified clearance system called an “in-channel” system. The former was aimed at reducing the number of agen- cies at the border to only two, namely Customs and the Border Police, where Customs are re- sponsible for, in addition to Customs controls, all the trade-related technical controls (transport, health, veterinary, and phytosanitary), while the Border Police are responsible for security. The additional workload for Customs created challenges and impacted its operations, staffing, and organizational structure. To meet these challenges, there was a need to enhance Customs con- trol performance in some areas, such as data and information Inclusion of three BCPs and two sides of the collection and exchange between border agencies, Customs border provided important insights. risk management and inter-agency coordination of risk-man- agement, and knowledge about the specifics of technical con- trols. 5 The inbound traffic in A border is not a one-side, but a two-side, zone. The Belarus BCTR study included observa- Privalka BCP was very tions and data collection on both sides of the border at each of the three BCPs5. This provided small. Therefore, this paper focuses mostly on the important insights through comparison and cross-checking of findings, for instance, trade and other two BCPs. transportation/logistics patterns. 8 May 2017 Implementing the study – selected insights and lessons Following a 3-month-long preparatory process, the field implementation of the Belarus BCTR study took place from April 14 to May 24, 2015. Over this period, all trucks crossing the three BCPs on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 6pm were surveyed6. 6 At Bruzgi, 396 incoming and 308 outgoing, and at Berestovitsa, 512 incoming Involvement of stakeholders from the very beginning is crucial and 314 outgoing trucks, were surveyed. One of the crucial success factors in conducting such a complex and sensitive study was the Belarus WBG team’s successful engagement with Customs and the effective coordination with the other border agencies. This coordination applied from the Belarus BCTR study design stage through to its completion and the analysis of the findings. First, the involvement and participation of all the relevant agencies is necessary to obtain all the necessary formal agreements and permissions for conducting research activities, entering and moving around the BCPs, and obtaining data from official systems. Second, close coordination is vital for reaching a common understanding among border agencies, and adequately address- ing inter-agency competition or conflicts/disagreements. Third, close coordination allows im- portant practical advice from border agencies to be shared, necessary for the effective design of the Belarus BCTR study, including the choice of days for high, low and average traffic intensity, the position of observers, and important nuances in the procedures. Finally, effective coordina- tion is crucial for the later acceptance and promotion of findings of a study by the stakeholders, and the subsequent design of reforms to address issues identified by the study. Coordination with bordering countries may be time-consuming and resource-demanding An effective BCTR study should include both sides of the border zone. Thus, it is crucial to have close coordination and cooperation with border and other relevant authorities of the neighbor- ing country. In the Belarus case, all activities were agreed and coordinated with relevant Cus- toms and Border Police services in Poland and Lithuania. Such formal communications, meet- ings and other arrangements, were time-consuming and resource-demanding, and required diplomatic involvement. The embassies of Poland and Lithuania in Belarus were informed of the Belarus BCTR study and, as a result, attention was given to such issues as:  Obtaining formal agreements for carrying out the survey;  Agreeing the time for the field survey, and the position of observers;  Making visa arrangements for the observers; and  Informing border agencies and businesses about the survey. 9 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners Preparatory site visits are necessary A critical part of the implementation was to make preparatory site visits to the BCPs in order to walk through the whole process with Customs and other officials, and truck drivers. This was instrumental for:  the effective design of the study methodology;  the identification of the number and the position of observers;  the design of data sheets (structure and contents); and  understanding key nuances in the landscape and layout of the BCPs that could affect the process. Measuring queueing time can be challenging and resource- demanding Recording queuing times is critical, but also challenging. Sometimes a queue to enter a BCP may be several kilometers long. Long queues make it difficult in practice for observers to record queueing times, or to distribute data sheets to drivers, as observers have to travel long distances outside the BCP zone. One way to address this is to hire more observers. Alternatively, observers may be transported by car along the queue. However, this second option may be technically difficult, or impracticable and unsafe, as roads near the BCP gate are often highly congested. A third option, and one used for the Belarus BCTR study, is to briefly interview drivers at the entry gate to find out when they joined the queue or how long they had already been in the queue. Language barriers need to be considered Cross-border movement of goods can involve transportation companies and drivers from mul- tiple countries, and language differences can cause difficulties. It is important that observers have foreign language skills, and that the questionnaires are multi-lingual. In Belarus, the design of the questionnaires and the involvement of observers helped to reduce the need for commu- nication with the drivers, and eliminated altogether the drivers’ involvement in data recording. However, data sheets were only available in Russian, causing problems in the survey process. 10 May 2017 Looking at the results – selected insights and lessons The more developed a system, the more difficult is to make further improvements. In a sophis- ticated system of controls, reform demands a high level of precision to identify pressing issues and specificity in designing practical reforms. This was the case in the Belarus study. Below are Border-crossing some of the survey findings. times, including queueing times BCP Inbound Outbound TOTAL TOTAL Poland Belarus Belarus Poland Bruzgi 3h 47 m. 2h 13 m. 6h 1h 24m. 1h 10m. 2h 34m. Berestovista 2h 50m. 2h 4h 50m. 1h 20m. 1h 2h20m. Border-crossing times start from joining the queue, and include any waiting time needed for subsequent operations Queueing and waiting times are essential indicators in identifying and addressing critical bottle- necks in the border-crossing process. Queuering times to enter a BCP may be even longer than the total time needed for clearance inside the BCP. Thus, it is critical to start the time calculation from the moment a truck joins the queue in front of a BCP gate, not when it enters the BCP. Similarly, waiting times to undergo a specific control action may be longer that the action itself. Customs authorities often focus on the time spent on Customs control inside the BCP, disre- garding queueing and waiting times. Moreover, Customs often only consider the time spent on an actual operation, not the waiting times prior to the operation. This was the case with Belar- us Customs. The Belarus BCTR study team therefore paid particular attention to ensuring that queueing and waiting times were captured accurately and without bias.  The queueing times in front of the Polish BCP gate for trucks exiting Poland and entering the Belarus BCPs were far longer (from 5 to 20 times longer) than the queueing times in front of the Belarus BCP gate for trucks exiting Belarus to enter Poland. In general, a long queue at the exit BCP indicates insufficient physical release capacity and/or inefficient control proce- dures at the entry BCP, because clearance procedures for outgoing goods (exit) are usually fewer, and therefore faster, than those for incoming goods. In this case, long queues in front of the exit BCP (Polish side) indicate possible inefficiencies in the control procedures at the entry BCP (Belarus side). Another factor to consider is the ratios of loaded and empty trucks entering the bordering countries, since the clearance of incoming loaded trucks usually takes longer than that of empty trucks. Over 95 percent of trucks entering Belarus from Poland, were loaded, while the share of loaded trucks entering Poland from Belarus was around 50 percent. 11 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners  The proportion of time spent waiting for business processes in the Belarus BCPs was high. The waiting times to start inspection actions by Customs and other border agencies, after a truck arrived in the physical examination zone, were often longer than the inspection itself. For incoming consignments at the Bruzgi BCP, the average waiting time was 2.4 times lon- ger than the average time required for the inspection itself, while at the Berestovitsa BCP the average waiting time and average inspection time were equal.  Customs control times increased dramatically in cases where the documentary package submitted by the declarant were incomplete, or where Customs requested additional doc- uments. For instance, in the Berestovitsa BCP, when documents were incomplete, the dura- tion of Customs control for inland traffic increased 2.8 times. Border-crossing times increase with traffic intensity at the BCPs Such a relationship was observed for both outbound and inbound flows on the Belarus, Polish, and Lithuanian sides. This may indicate inefficiencies in border-crossing processes (related to the physical layout of the BCP or control procedures), some of which were revealed by the study.  It was noticed that when there was an increase in the load (traffic) at a BCP, the average duration of Customs control rose. For instance, the impact of preliminary Customs control (including waiting time) of incoming trucks – a control carried out before parking the truck and approaching the Customs office for clearance – increased with traffic intensity. At the Berestovitsa BCP, the waiting time increased more than twofold during peak periods. This control action involved preliminary document screening, external visual examination of the truck, and physical examination of the driver’s cabin by a Customs officer. Time pressure can be handled by enhancing the risk management system A time-traffic relationship indicates the need to enhance effectiveness in the selection of cargos for inspections, i. e., only high-risk cargos should be subject to intensive controls, while low-risk cargos should be cleared via simplified and faster procedures, with minimal control.  The most common type of physical examination observed in the Belarus BCPs (for Customs and SPS controls) was tailgate examinations. The experience of many countries in the Europe and Central Asia region demonstrates that tailgate examinations of all cargos is a remnant of an historical total control culture, and unnecessary if using contemporary risk-based controls. With more effective risk management, this type of examination can be reduced or even eliminated for low-risk cargos, without damaging safety and/or the fiscal objectives of a government. Belarus Customs operates a sophisticated risk management system, and its officers possess skills to assess risks based on experience and historical data. However, the study revealed an institutional preference for manually confirming automated targeting outcomes and obtaining authorization from higher-level management for intervention (adding extra time to the pro- cess). The lack of confidence in either automation or the capability of operational staff, and/ or imperfections in the business processes of decision-making, suggest a need to: (a) further enhance risk profiles and validate their effectiveness; and (b) further streamline the risk-related decision-making process with a view to increasing the level of automation. Effective risk management is also critical for other border agencies, given that the time between the start and end of Customs clearance includes clearance by other agencies. Thus, in addition to effective coordination and optimization of business processes, it is important that the risk management system also allows all agencies to feed data into the system, especially for Belarus given its desire to implement a “two agencies at the border” reform. 12 May 2017 Figure 1: Clearance time distribution at Customs offices (inbound flow) Customs clearance 36% SPS clearance 34% 27% 31% Bruzgi Berestovitsa BCP BCP 7% 4% Payments 30% 31% Customs brokerage The impact of other agency operations is significant Control activities of other border agencies have a significant impact on overall clearance and border crossing times, especially when such controls involve physical examination. A large pro- portion of inbound trucks in the Belarus BCPs was subject to non-Customs controls. For in- stance, at the Bruzgi BCP, 33 percent of inbound trucks were subject to sanitary/health controls, 17 percent were subject to phytosanitary controls, and 13 percent were subject to veterinary controls. As shown in Figure 1, for inbound cargos, SPS controls accounted for 27 percent and 31 percent of total average time spent by drivers of trucks on formalities at the Customs offices in Bruzgi and Berestovitsa, respectively. For outbound trucks, the shares of Customs clearance times were 26.7 percent and 20.8 percent, in Bruzgi and Berestovita, respectively. SPS controls involved frequent physical examinations. For instance, over 95 percent of physical inspections of incoming goods at the Bruzgi BCP were conducted by the phytosanitary agency, probably because this BCP was more frequently used for fruit and vegetables.  Of all the non-Customs controls, certification of conformity (standards) resulted in the great- est delay, even longer than the delays for goods subject to restrictions. It is also the control that is easiest to move inland (away from the BCP) without any significant increase in risk. Customs brokerage services in Belarus were mainly provided by a state-owned company, Bel- tamozhservice. The services required a considerable amount of time: at the Bruzgi BCP, over 36 percent of incoming transactions used Beltamozhservice, requiring an average 30 percent of total time spent on formalities at the Customs office. This could either be due to traders’ frequent failure to submit complete and accurate documents, or inefficiencies in Beltamozhservice’s op- erations. 13 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners Some processes are out of Customs’ (and other border agency) control Some activities undertaken by drivers or goods owners – of a voluntary or commercial nature – impact release time and are often outside Customs’ (and other agencies’) control.  Time spent by drivers relaxing or/and shopping in duty free shops impacts border-crossing times, but is outside Customs’ control. The average time spent by drivers of outgoing trucks from Belarus inside the BCP zone after completing all controls was around one-quarter of the total time spent on the Belarus side (23 percent at Bruzgi and 27 percent at Berestovista).  In some cases, drivers’ decisions were affected by external factors unrelated to Belarus pro- cedures, such as commercial demands or regulations in third countries through which the trucks were to travel. For instance, drivers of trucks destined for the EU delayed their depar- ture from Belarus to comply with demands from transport operators and consignees, or because of restrictions on HGV movements imposed by EU Member States (e. g., Germany).  Another factor that resulted in an uneven distribution of traffic volumes was the different fuel taxes applied by EU Member States (e. g., Poland and Lithuania). This resulted in the most direct routes not always being chosen. For example, a limit on the export of fuel to Poland and the absence of any restrictions in Lithuania led to the use of the Privalka BCP (bordering Lithuania) mainly for outbound flows, while the Bruzgi and Berestovitsa BCPs (bordering Po- land) were mainly used for inbound flows. This distorts traffic volumes and makes it difficult to utilize infrastructure and resources in the most efficient way. 14 May 2017 Conclusion and outlook The tailor-made border-crossing time study in Belarus helped reveal important insights into the border-crossing process and identify possible opportunities for reform. In addition to the improvement of physical infrastructure, enhancing the risk management system and the rel- evant business processes were identified as areas for further improvement. Following reform implementation, this study will be repeated in order to monitor developments and evaluate the impact of reforms. Border-crossing is only part of the process Border-crossing is an important stage in the total clearance and release of goods, but it is not the whole story. Customs and/or other authorities are usually interested in speeding up procedures at BCPs, but this often leads to moving the delays inland. Many critical control and clearance procedures occur at inland terminals, and not at the BCPs, such as customs valuation and duty payment procedures, mandatory conformity assessment (certification) procedures, and physical examination by SPS agencies. These procedures often require significant time to be spent inland, while goods wait at terminals prior to being cleared and released. For trade facilitation reforms to be fully effective, it is therefore important to supplement a BCTR study at border-crossings, with research and analysis of inland clearance and release processes in order to have a complete picture. 15 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners Annex 1. Border-crossing process flow-chart (with time stamps and observers), incoming traffic (Poland-Belarus) t0 1 t1 Arrival and joining P Entry to Polish the queue CP BCP kd vn xs piv djb vn an av nv vlv d a kd I vd d k pi EIv avn VE nv nv kV vd vk nv dk ivl jb jbv vk wg ka sa vd vja teah nkan kafc vp lvd teh ac kan kn iv eh vjavk acn vd vp te vn kn yrj djb vjav an vd lyk lv k nk ka afc da fh cn nk ge fue aj ka ka wg ah efh jav acn hr fcs hfu ka ka aj efh j hfu ha sa uef aj afc sahf sdfh j k jav ahw an fcs hfu fha a efh j hfu ha sa sdf aj afc da fh nk gge hfue fhaj cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj a aj e j dv EI ad da vnv jbv te nk ka sa ue aj jva vkV ajv nk an vd eh ac an fc hf fh da ad bd dav kd ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd jvb ajv ajv EIv vn vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda Ba bd bvd kV Ivda kn yrj a c n gg vd yk lvd vj ka ka aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw aj bv B aj dv an av l k efh j JA aJV jvbd ajva kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav ahw hfu ha BD vn EI n b te sa uef aj da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh v aJV da b d afc hf fh bv jv EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht nk csa hfue fhaj J A v da kV jv nk nv dk vp tee ka a f BD A b dv bda av da vnv kn yrj cn nk csa sd aj aJV BDJ jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk ka ka kaf eda efh j da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs jav acn an gg hfu fha jvb b v EI v a a jbv vk nk rw sa ue aj da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnkd EIvd vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j aJv aJVB a ad VE da kV ivl jb u a ajv dvk EIv ad v vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh bd jva vkV dajv kn iv h c n c da vd vp lvd te ka ka af ajv da d b vn kn iv eh vjav acn ank gge aj vd vb jva ajv an vd vp jte k k w efh j Ab Aaj bda vd kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr hfu ha aJV BJ dajv JAb vn an vd lyk vlv bv sa uef da kd nvn vxs pi vdj jav ahw afc sahf bv BD EIv avn da da dknv pivl djbv hte nk JA kV vd nk Iv dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh v v te ka af c BD cn nk aJV jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte ka ka da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr jav acn jvb ajv advk bda davn kda vnv xsly jbv avk da bd v n v lvd bvj bv jv ajv aj EIv av da da n JA vda bd bvd kV vd nk EIv piv dj BD Ab ajv JA adv VEI dav kV nv vlv dk pi aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv nv nv aJV a jvb ajv vk daj nv dk a d b da n v d nd vb jva jv n k nv vg vdaj bda bvda av kda v Ivd avn BD daj DJA VE v k I vd aJV BDv JVB ad V E aJV a ajv dvk bd jva ajv a JA vbd BD daj aJV Abv J BD 1 Poland Procedure of clearance at Polish BCP t2 Polish Exit from Po aJV DJ B dv EI ad da vnv jva vkV ajv nk an da ad bd dav kd jvb ajv ajv EIv vn Ba bd bvd kV Ivda aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE v B Ab aJV bda jvad jv a da bd j EIv avn VE nv nv kV vd vk nv dk v vd vja teah nkan kafc ivl jb vp lvd teh ac kan kn iv eh vjavk acn vd vp te vn kn yrj djb vjav an v d ly k l v kd vn xs piv djb vn an av nv vlv da k d I v d d k p i vn EI an av da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht kn yrj n nk afc sahf sdfh j ka afc da fh cn nk ge fue aj ka ka wg ah efh jav acn hr fcs hfu j b v v k w g k a sa k ka hfu ha sa uef aj ka nk gge hfue fhaj cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj jav ahw an fcs hfu fha jbv te nk ka sa ue aj vd eh ac an fc hf fh ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda vd yk lvd vj ka ka vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw l kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav eahw v a b k t c efh j k aj a efh j hf u ha sa sdf aj a f c da f h n gg a aj e j efh j hfu ha sa uef aj afc sahf efh j aj BCP Balarus b v jv nk u a J A vd a kV jv nk nv dk vp tee ka afc hf fh BD Ab dv bda av da vnv kn yrj cn nk csa sd aj aJV BDJ jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk ka ka kaf eda efh j da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs jav acn an gg hfu fha jvb b v EI v da a jbv vk nk rw sa ue aj da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnk EIvd vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j aJv aJVB a ad VE da kV ivl jb u a ajv dvk EIv ad v vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh kn i v h c n c da bd jva vkV dajv vd vp lvd te ka ka af ajv da d b vn kn iv eh vjav acn kank gge aj vd vb jva ajv an vd vp jte k w efh j Ab Aaj bda vd kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr hfu fha aJV BJ dajv JAb vn an vd lyk vlv bv sa u e da kd nvn vxs pi vdj jav ahw af c h f bv BD EIv avn da da dknv pivl djbv ehte n k c sa JA kV vd nk Iv v v ka af dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh t BD cn nk aJV jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte ka ka da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr jav acn jvb ajv advk bda davn kda vnv xsly jbv avk da bd v n v lvd bvj bv jv ajv aj EIv av da da n JA vda bd bvd kV vd nk EIv piv dj BD Ab ajv JA adv VEI dav kV nv vlv dk pi aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv nv nv aJV a jvb ajv vk daj nv dk a d b da nv d nd vb jva jv n k nv vg vdaj bda bvda av kda v Ivd avn BD daj DJA VE v k Ivd aJV BDv JVB ad V E aJV a ajv dvk bd jva ajv a JA vbd BD daj aJV Abv J BD 2 t3 Entry to Belarus BCP da ad bd da kd Ba bd bvd kV Ivda aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE an vd lyk lv kd vn xs piv djb vn an av nv vlv da kd Ivd dk pi EIv avn VE nv nv kV vd vk nv dk dv EI ad da vnv jva vkV ajv vnk an jvb ajv ajv EIv vn vd vp te ivl jb jbv vk wg ka sa vp lvd teh ac kan kn iv eh vjavk acn vn kn yrj djb vjav kn yrj vd yk lvd vj ka ka k nk afc sahf sdfh j ka afc da fh cn nk ge fue aj ka ka wg ah efh jav acn hr fcs hfu vd vja teah nkan kafc ka a vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw sa uef aj ka jbv te nk ka sa ue aj vd eh ac an fc hf fh ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd hfu ha jav ahw an fcs hfu fha vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda c efh j k aj a h f u ha sa sdf aj afc da fh nk gge hfue fhaj cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj n gg a efh j aj e j aj bv B aj dv an av l k efh j JA aJV jvbd ajva kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav eahw h f u ha BD vn EI n b sa uef aj da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh v t aJV da b d afc sahf efh j bv jv EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht nk u a JA vda kV jv nk nv dk vp tee ka afc hf fh BD Ab dv bda av da vnv kn yrj cn nk csa sd aj aJV BDJ jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk ka ka kaf eda efh j da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs jav acn an gg hfu fha jvb b v EI v da a jbv vk nk rw sa ue aj da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnk EIvd vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j aJv aJVB a ad VE da kV ivl jb u a ajv dvk EIv ad v vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh kn iv h c n c da bd jva vkV dajv vd vp lvd te ka ka af ajv da d b vn kn iv eh vjav acn kank gge aj vd vb jva ajv an vd vp jte k w efh j Ab Aaj bda vd kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr hfu fha aJV BJ dajv JAb vn an vd lyk vlv bv s a ue da kd nvn vxs pi vdj vjav ah w af c hf bv B D EIv avn da da dknv pivl djb ehte nk csa JA kV vd nk Iv v v ka af dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh t BD cn nk aJV jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte ka ka da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr jav acn jvb ajv advk bda davn kda vnv xsly jbv avk da b d v n v lvd bvj bv jv ajv aj EIv av da da n JA vda bd bvd kV Ivd nk EIv piv dj BD Ab ajv JA adv VE dav kV nv vlv dk pi aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv nv n v aJV a jvb ajv vk daj nv dk a d b d a nv nd vb jva jv d n k nv vg vdaj bda bvda av kda v Ivd avn BD daj DJA VE v k Ivd aJV BDv JVB ad V E aJV a ajv dvk bd jva ajv da JA vb BD daj aJV Abv J BD 3 t4 Border police control Customs register the consignment t11.3a start & t11.3b in the system end of Veterinary control t5 start & t6 end of weighing and t11.4a start & t11.4b May include transport control t11.2a start & t11.2b physical end of document end of Phytosanitary examination preparation with Customs control broker (BelTamozhService) t7 start & t8 t11.5a start & t11.5b b end of passport th end of Sanitary/Health control nk sa uef aj afc sahf sdfh j ka afc da fh hfu ha aj efh j a control t11.1a start & t11.1b cn nk ge fue aj ka ka wg ah efh jav acn hr fcs hfu jbv vk wg ka sa vd vja teah nkan kafc ivl jb aj vp lvd teh ac kan efh j kn iv eh vjavk acn hfu ha aj vd vp te k sa sdf aj efh j vn kn yrj djb vjav afc da fh h f u ha an vd lyk lv nk gge hfue fhaj sa uef aj kd vn xs piv djb vn an av nv vlv ka cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj afc sahf sdfh j d a k d I vd d k p i ka nk ka afc da fh a EIv avn VE nv nv k jav ahw an fcs hfu fha a e j cn nk ge fue aj kV vd vk nv dk jbv te nk ka sa ue aj ka ka wg ah efh dv EI ad da vnv vd eh ac an fc hf fh jav acn hr fcs hfu jva vkV ajv nk an ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd jbv vk wg ka sa da ad bd dav kd vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda vd vja teah nkan kafc jvb ajv ajv EIv vn kn yrj ivl jb aj Ba bd bvd kV Ivda v d y k l v d vj ka k a a c n gg vp lvd teh ac kan efh j aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw aj kn iv eh vjavk acn hfu ha v B j v an av l k efh j vd vp te sa sdf aj kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav eahw k Ab aJV bda jvad hf u ha vn kn yrj djb vjav afc da fh DJ jv a vn EI n b sa uef aj an vd lyk lv B da bd da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh v t afc hf fh kd vn xs piv djb nk gge hfue fhaj aJV bv jv EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht nk csa hfue fhaj vn an av nv vlv ka cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj J A v da kV jv nk nv dk vp tee ka af da kd Ivd dk pi ka BD Ab dv bda av da vnv kn yrj cn nk csa sd aj EIv avn VE nv nv k jav ahw an fcs hfu fha a e j aJV BDJ jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk ka ka kaf eda efh j kV vd vk nv dk jbv te nk ka sa ue aj da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs jav acn an gg hfu fha dv EI ad da vnv vd eh ac an fc hf fh jvb b v EI v da a jbv vk nk rw sa ue aj jva vkV ajv nk an ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnk EIvd vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j da ad bd dav kd vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda aJv aJVB a ad VE da kV ivl jb u a jvb ajv ajv EIv vn kn yrj ajv dvk EIv ad v vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh Ba bd bvd kV Ivda vd yk lvd vj ka ka a c n gg kn i v h c n c da aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw aj bd jva vkV dajv vd vp lvd te ka ka af an av efh j ajv da d b vn kn iv eh vjav acn kank gge aj v B Ab aJV bda jvad j v l kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav eahw k hf u ha vd vb jva ajv an vd vp jte k w efh j DJ vn EI sa uef aj Ab Aaj bda vd kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr hfu ha B jv a da bd da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh n v b t afc sahf uefh j aJV BJ dajv JAb vn an vd lyk vlv bv sa uef aJV EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht da kd nvn vxs pi vdj vjav ahw afc sahf bv jv JA vda kV jv nk nv dk vp tee nk ka afc hf fh a bv BD EIv avn da da dknv pivl djb ehte nk BD Ab dv bda av da vnv kn yrj cn nk csa sd aj JA kV vd nk Iv v v k a af c jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk ka ka kaf eda efh j dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh t aJV BDJ BD cn n k da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs jav acn an gg hfu fha aJV jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte k a ka jvb b jbv vk nk rw sa ue aj da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr jav acn v EI da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnk EIvd v da a vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j jvb ajv advk bda davn kda vnv xsly jbv avk aJv aJVB a ad VE da kV i vl j b da bd v n v lvd bvj vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh u a bv jv ajv aj EIv av da da n v JA vda bd bvd kV Ivd nk EIv piv dj ajv dvk EIv ad kn iv h c n c da nv vlv bd jva vkV dajv vd vp lvd te ka ka af BD Ab ajv JA adv VE dav kV d k pi ajv da d b vn kn iv eh vjav acn kank gge aj aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv n v nv vd vb jva ajv an vd vp jte k w efh j a jvb ajv vk daj nv dk Ab Aaj bda vd kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr hf u h a aJV d b da nv aJV BJ dajv JAb vn an vd lyk vlv bv sa uef da kd nvn vxs pi vdj vjav ah a w d nd vb jva jv n k nv afc hf vg vdaj bda bvda av kda bv B D EIv avn da da dknv pivl djb ehte n k c sa v Ivd avn JA kV vd nk Iv v v ka a f dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh t BD daj DJA VE v k I vd BD cn nk aJV BDv JVB aJV jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte ka ka ad V E da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr jav acn aJV a ajv dvk jvb ajv vk da vn da nv sly jbv avk bd jva da bd vad ajvb Ivda vnk anv avx lvd bvj ajv a bv jv aj E a d d piv dj JA vbd JA vda bd bvd kV Ivd nk EIv nv vlv BD daj BD Ab ajv JA adv VE dav kV dk pi aJV Abv aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv nv nv J aJV a jvb ajv vk daj n v dk BD a d b da n v d nd vb jva jv n k nv vg vdaj bda bvda av kda v Ivd avn BD daj DJA VE vk Ivd aJV BDv JVB ad V E aJV a ajv dvk bd jva ajv a JA vbd BD daj aJV Abv J BD 4 end of payment of fees 7 t8 start & t9 end of preliminary Customs clearance Customs control aJV DJ B kV vd vk nv dk dv EI ad da vnv jva vkV ajv nk an da ad bd dav kd jvb ajv ajv EIv vn Ba bd bvd kV Ivda aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE aJV BDJ v B Ab aJV bda jvad BD Ab da bd b v jv JA vda aJv aJVB aJV BJ dajv JAb aJV jv a BD j jvb b JA aJV bv BD EIv avn VE nv nv v a j v da Ab Aaj bda vd vn an av nv vlv da kd Ivd dk pi vd vb jva ajv kV jv nk nv dk vp tee dv bda av da vnv kn yrj jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnk EIvd a ad VE da kV ajv dvk EIv ad bd jva vkV dajv jvb ajv advk bda davn kda vnv xsly da b d bv jv ajv aj EIv av da da JA vda bd bvd kV Ivd nk EIv BD Ab ajv JA adv VE dav kV aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv vg vdaj bda bvda BD daj DJA aJV BDv JVB aJV an vd lyk lv kd vn xs piv djb v EI d b vp lvd teh ac kan kn iv eh vjavk acn vd vp te vn kn yrj djb vjav vn EI an av v da vd vja teah nkan kafc ivl jb v jbv vk wg ka sa vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda kn yrj vd yk lvd vj ka ka vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav eahw da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht vn an vd lyk vlv bv da kd nvn vxs pi vdj vjav ah EIv avn da da dknv pivl djb ehte kV vd nk Iv kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr a jvb ajv vk daj a nd vb jva jv a v d v d b ad V E ajv dvk jav acn hr fcs hfu ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd n a VE cn nk ge fue aj ka ka wg ah efh n l v an vd vp jte Ivd avn v k Ivd ka afc da fh k kn iv n av kda nk afc sahf sdfh j ka jav ahw an fcs hfu fha jbv te nk ka sa ue aj vd eh ac an fc hf fh n k nv a b ivl jb vd vp lvd te ka ka af vn kn iv eh vjav acn kank gge nv dk da nv v ka v hfu ha sa uef aj k nk gge hfue fhaj cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj t c n v vl v d k pi n v nv afc da fh k aj efh j v a n gg h piv dj t a k efh j hfu ha sa sdf aj nk aj afc sahf uefh j ka afc hf fh cn nk csa sd aj ka ka kaf eda efh j jav acn an gg hfu fha jbv vk nk rw sa ue aj vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh lvd bvj c e sa uef aj w ka ka jav acn jbv avk n j hfu ha w aj efh j c da u a sa uef afc hf n k c sa ka a f cn n k a aj efh j hf u h a bd jva a jv a JA vbd B D daj aJV Abv J BD 5 A reserve observer Parking and preparing ivl jb nk csa dasd fhaj k a af cn nk ge fue aj ka ka wg ah efh jav acn hr fcs hfu jbv vk wg ka sa vd vja teah nkan kafc hfu ha sa uef aj afc hf fh aj efh j aj to help/replace for clearance process vp lvd teh ac kan efh j kn iv eh vjavk acn hfu ha vd vp te k sa sdf aj vn kn yrj djb vjav afc da fh an v d l y k l v nk gge hfue fhaj kd vn xs piv djb ka vn an av nv vlv cn ghrw afcsa hfue fhaj da kd Ivd dk pi ka EIv avn VE nv nv others when k a e j kV vd vk nv dk jav ahw an fcs hfu fha dv EI ad da vnv jbv te nk ka sa ue aj jva vkV ajv nk an vd eh ac an fc hf fh da ad bd dav kd ivl ht vk nk ka sa sd jvb ajv ajv EIv vn vp tee jbvja vkac nkan kafc eda Ba bd bvd kV Ivda kn yrj a c n gg vd yk lvd vj ka ka aJV dajv DJA vadv kVE vn xsl vpiv vdjb vjav acn ghrw aj bv B aj dv an av l k efh j JA aJV jvbd ajva kd vd vdkn vpiv lvdjb vjav eahw h f u ha BD vn EI n b sa uef aj da vkV nvn dk pi vdj eh v t aJV da bd afc sahf efh j bv jv EIv ad da nv nv ivl ht nk u a J A v da kV jv nk nv dk vp tee ka afc hf fh BD A b dv bda av da vnv kn yrj cn nk csa sd aj aJV BDJ jva jv Ivd nk an vd lyk ka ka kaf eda efh j da vda kVE vdav nkd nvn vxs jav acn an gg hfu fha jvb b v EI v da a j b v v k n k r w sa u e a j da DJA jvad vkV Ivda vnk EIvd vd vja vkac wgh kafc sahf efh j aJv aJVB a ad VE da kV ivl j b u a ajv dvk EIv ad v vp lvd jbvja teah nkan kafc sahf sdfh kn iv h c n c da bd jva vkV dajv vd vp lvd te ka ka af ajv d a d b vn kn iv eh vjav acn kank gge aj vd vb jva ajv an vd vp jte k w efh j Ab Aaj bda vd kd vn kn yr djb jav kacn ghr hfu ha aJV BJ dajv JAb vn an vd lyk vlv bv sa uef da kd nvn vxs pi vdj vjav ah w a f c s ah f bv B D EIv avn da da dknv pivl djb ehte nk JA kV vd nk Iv v v k a afc dv EI av kVE vnv kn ivl eh t BD cn nk aJV jva vkV Ivd dv an vd vp jte ka ka da ad VE jva kd nvn dkn kyr jav acn jvb ajv advk bda davn kda vnv xsly jbv avk da bd v n v lvd bvj bv jv ajv aj EIv av da da n JA vda bd bvd kV Ivd nk EIv piv dj BD Ab ajv JA adv VE dav kV nv vlv dk pi aJV BDJ Abvd JVBD dajv advk VEIv vadv nv nv aJV a jvb ajv vk daj nv dk a d b da nv nd vb jva jv d n k nv vg vdaj bda bvda av kda v Ivd avn BD daj DJA VE vk Ivd aJV BDv JVB ad V E aJV a ajv dvk bd jva a jv a JA vbd BD daj aJV Abv J BD 8 necessary aj 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d nd vb jva jv n k nv vg vdaj bda bvda av kda v Ivd avn B D d a j DJ A VE vk Ivd aJV BDv JVB ad V E aJV a ajv dvk bd jva ajv a JA vbd BD daj aJV Abv J BD t11 6 t14 t15 t12 start & t13 electronic queueing for Depart from Exit from end of Customs control Customs clearance Parking lot BCP 16 May 2017 Annex 2. Questionnaires – Belarus border-crossing time study (incoming traffic) BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ WORLD BANK GROUP INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION CENTER OF SOCIOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL STUDIES UNDER THE BELARUS STATE UNIVERSITY Moving Data Sheet (#0) for measuring time for control actions (for incoming traffic) – IMPORT, TRANSIT Dear drivers! We are inviting you to take part in the research project «Study of Cross Border Trade Clearance Times in Belar- us». The collected data will make it possible to optimize the process of border-crossing and clearance procedures. Would you pass this questionnaire to the employees of the corresponding services for filling? When all the procedures are finished, while leaving the territory of the border-crossing point (BCP), could you hand the filled-in questionnaire to a staff-member at the BCP exit, please? Dear officers of Customs and other border agencies! Please, fill in corresponding boxes in the table. PLATE NUMBER OF THE TRUCK:__________________ Start time End time # Actions hour minute hour minute 1 Weighing of the trucks and transport control 2 Passport Control 3 Preliminary Customs Control 4 Payment of fees and duties in the bank 5 Preparation of documents with Customs (broker) Service (Beltamozhservice) Docu- Additional Participated in control ments docu- Samples Start time action? End time com- ments taken? # Actions (please, specify in which) plete? requested? External Tailgate De- hour minute yes no yes no yes no hour minute (visual)* exam.** tailed 6 Control actions by 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 Veterinary agency 7 Control actions by Phytosanitary 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 agency 8 Control actions by Sanitary/Health 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 agency 9 Control actions by 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 Customs *External physical examination (visual examination, without opening the truck) **Tailgate examination (opening the truck, identity verification, without moving, unloading and loading the goods) ***Detailed examination (physical examination, which involves opening of the truck, moving and/or unloading and loading the goods, open- ing packages of the goods) 10. Additional information about the cargo and the truck (to be filled in by Customs officer): 1. Empty. 2. Loaded 11. Number of consignments (CMR): ___________ 12. The number of product types: ___________ 13. Product type: 1. Perishable 2. Subject to certification 3. Subject to restrictions 14. Type of Customs Formality: 1. Import for free circulation 2. Transit to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) 3. Transit to a third (non EAEU) country 4. Other (please specify) _______________ 15. Examination via X-ray scanning (at the Station of Inspection and Physical Examination)? 1. Yes 2. No 16. Time of departure from BCP: _____ (hour)/ _____ (minute) WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SURVEY AND WISH YOU SUCCESS! 17 ECA Field Notes for Practitioners INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #1 (Poland) Data Sheet (#1) Entry to the territory of the BCP on the Polish side BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ Plate number of Waiting time from the monent of joining the queue to the Time of entry into BCP # the moment of entry into BCP (information obtained from drivers) vehicle/truck hour minute hour minute INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #2 (Poland) Data Sheet (#2) Entry to the territory of the BCP on the Polish side BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ Time of exit from BCP # Plate number of the vehicle/truck hour minute INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #1 (Belarus) Data Sheet (#1-1) Entry to the territory of the BCP on the Belarus side BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ Plate number of the Time of entry into BCP Time of issuing the Control Slip # vehicle/truck hour minute hour minute INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #2-3 Data Sheet (#3) Preliminary Customs control (carried out by Customs officers). BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ The beginning of the external Plate Control actions by the Customs officer (please tick The end of the visual examination by the number the box) examination Customs Officer # of the vehicle/ External Physical ex- Other Opened truck hour minute visual exam- amination of (please hour minute truck ination the cabin specify) 18 May 2017 INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #4 Data Sheet (#4) Joining the electronic queue in the Customs Hall (office) for customs clearance BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ Time of joining the electronic queue # Plate number of the vehicle/truck (data from the screen of the electronic queueng system) hour minute INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #5 Data Sheet (#5) Platform/zone for physical examination of cargo BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ Inspectors of Departure of Arrival of the Beginning of which control the truck from Were sam- truck for under- examination Type of ex- agencies partic- the examina- ples taken going examina- actions by the amination ipated in control tion platform for testing? tion/controls inspector physical exam- to the parking inations& lot Plate number Detailed examination Tailgate examination # of the vehicle/ External (visual) Sanitary/health Phytosanitary truck Veterinary Customs hour minute hour minute yes no hour minute 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 4 1. External physical examination (visual examination, without opening the truck) 2. Tailgate examination (opening the truck, identity verification, without moving, unloading and loading the goods) 3. Detailed examination (physical examination, which involves opening of the truck, moving and/or unloading and loading the goods, opening packages of the goods) INCOMING TRAFFIC Observer #5 (Belarus) Data Sheet (#5-1) Departure from parking lot to exit the BCP, Belarus side BCP name: __________________ Date: __________________ Name of the main observer: ___________________ Time of departure of the truck towards exit # Plate number of the vehicle/truck gates from BCP hour minute 19