CUSTOMS SERVICE REMINDS MEDICINES IMPORTERS TO TRANSNISTRIA ABOUT THE NEED TO REGISTER IN MOLDOVA

From February 1, only economic agents registered in the Moldovan Public Services Agency will be able to import medicines, raw materials for their production, plant protection products and fertilizers to the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (PMR) from abroad.

According to the Moldovan Customs Service (CS), this is provided by the Government resolution for the implementation of the Law on some measures of joint control at some crossing points of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, adopted in 2017.

So far only seven Transnistrian companies-importers of pharmaceutical products to the PMR have registered.

The CS also noted that from February 1 import procedures will be carried out in accordance with the established service standards and the imported products should remain exclusively in the region.

“These actions are the first step in the unification of pharmaceutical and para-pharmaceutical products, raw material for the medicines, plant protection products and fertilizers to comply with the Moldovan and international standards. It will last until July 1, and after that another step will be taken”, reported the CS.

The CS urged goods and services importers, who cross the Moldovan state border through its central border section “to comply with the legal framework of the republic in order to avoid violations”.

It has already been reported by Infotag, that in May 2017, a joint Moldovan-Ukrainian control of passengers and goods crossing the joint border on the Transnistrian section began at the Kuchurgan checkpoint (Ukraine). The purpose of the joint control is to facilitate movement of goods, vehicles and individuals in accordance with the principle of “one stop-one window”, in particular, by carrying out necessary customs procedures for the export-import operations with goods in the Transnistrian region, including excise ones, in order to significantly reduce the time of customs control and transport costs, as well as by selective control of vehicles and goods.

The project was supported by the RU, including through the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM).

The Transnistrian authorities are categorically against the Moldovan control on its border, as they believe that this is a new round of economic blockade.