Green light for border system

By Mikhail Veremeev

Suggestions have been made to synchronise the digital booking system of queue points at the Belarusian-Polish border, as Jacek Kapica, the Polish Deputy Finance Minister and the Director General of the Polish Customs Service, informed after a working meeting of the Heads of the Belarusian and Polish Customs Services (at the Kozlovichi border checkpoint). The official noted that Poland is about to launch a pilot project which is supposed to initially start functioning at the Koroszczyn—Kozlovichi checkpoint in early 2015. It’s aimed at allowing truck drivers to digitally book the time they would like to cross the border.

In turn, the Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belarus, Alexander Shpilevsky, remarked that a similar system is now being prepared for launch on the Belarusian side as well. “Tight interaction is required for the successful implementation of this project. I think it would be feasible to exchange specialists of our customs services,” he added.

The Belarusian proposal is backed by the Poles. As Mr. Kapica explained, “Each side will oversee the digital queue related issues on its own, while the overall process is to be synchronised — relying on the bilateral agreement on mutual co-operation signed by Belarusian and Polish customs and border services. Each side will have an understanding and get access to the information regarding the situation in the neighbouring state.”

The Polish official noted that implementation of the project required infrastructure changes, “The infrastructure development will primarily require the creation of many information boards to indicate at what time a certain road train is supposed to arrive at the border checkpoint. As far as Poland is concerned, such digital tables will be placed on the motorway from Biala Podlaska to the border checkpoint, allowing truck drivers to use the services of motels, parking lots and refuelling stations, while being able to have a rest and to arrive at the border checkpoint on time.” 

The sides also discussed other topical matters of interaction between the Belarusian and Polish Customs Services, paying special attention to prospects of changing the status of the Domachevo-Slovatichi and Peschatka-Polovtsy checkpoints, the facilitating of border-crossing procedures for passengers and cargo, the monitoring of control operations via border checkpoints, and the efficient operation of a system aimed at notifying in advance about emergencies at the Belarusian-Polish land border.