The Ministry of Finance proposes to strengthen the information closeness of customs officers
The Ministry of Finance published a bill “On the customs authorities of the Russian Federation” – it makes the regulation of customs officers in a separate law, regulating the information closeness of the service employees in it with access to the sensitive in the context of the growing geopolitical tension of foreign trade. In particular, the document is about the introduction of regime requirements at customs facilities, restrictions for employees in the use of smartphones and social networks, as well as on conducting “psychophysiological” research upon admission to the service. In combination with the announced by the Bank of Russia, an increase of up to 45 days of the postponement of monthly payment balance data, what is happening looks like a tightening of the Rossiya Rossiya regime in anticipation of new foreign trade restrictions.
The draft law on customs authorities, published by the Ministry of Finance on Regulation.gov.ru, de facto submitted to a separate law and significantly detays the requirements for FCS officers previously immersed in the Law “On Customs Regulation” (No. 289-ФЗ dated August 3, 2018). The development is justified by the recommendations of the state-legal administration of the Kremlin and the “prevailing practice of legal regulation of the basics of state agencies with special laws”. The provisions describing the principles of activity and the system of customs authorities, their tasks, functions and powers, flag, banner, pennant and emblem, were transferred to the project. The document is supplemented by “provisions regulating informing on the activities of the customs authorities, control and supervision of the activities of customs authorities and organizations,” the explanatory note says.
In particular, the document allows the document to enter “on elements of customs infrastructure, at which customs officials can perform customs operations and conduct customs control, regime requirements”, prohibits the transfer of “information used by the customs authorities to fulfill the tasks and functions that are at the disposal of customs authorities and the procedure for working with it“ other persons ”and the use of“ for other purposes ” – under This will form a list and order will be the FCS itself.
Another old law, “On Service in the Customs Borders” (No. 114-FZ of July 21, 1997), has also been immersed in a new development, but its provisions are processed, which the Ministry of Finance explains “the existing gaps in the legal regulation of service in customs authorities that create difficulties”. For “processing”, as the authors recognize, the “experience of legal regulation of service in the Federal Fire Service and the Criminal Executive system, as well as in the enforcement agencies, was used. In particular, the new bill enshrines the obligation of customs officers and citizens entering the customs authorities, “undergo a psychophysiological study (testing)” – a link to the word “Testing” opens the page of the Consultant Plus system with the order of the FSB dated July 16, 2012 No. 356 “On the approval of the Instruction and the obligatory survey for the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances « .
Customs officials (according to the list, which will also prepare the FCS) will be prohibited « in the performance of their duties to have electronic products (devices, technical means) in which they can be stored or which allow using the information and telecommunication network » Internet « to distribute or provide audio, photo, video materials and geolocation data ». In addition, “in order to prevent corruption offenses, the bill establishes a ban on placing customs authorities in the information and telecommunication network“ Internet ”on personal pages and pages in social networks, which allows to reveal belonging to the customs authorities”, as well as data on their work and work of customs authorities.
Strengthening the fight against leaks of the FCS data (official customs statistics in the Russian Federation and so closed since 2022) in combination with the decision of the Bank of Russia on May 26 to change the deadlines for the publication on the site of a monthly assessment of the payment balance (it will be published on the 45th, and not on the 15th calendar day after the reporting period) give the impression of the impression of the foreign trade perimeter in anticipation of a new amplification sanctions pressure. Analysts at the same time complained about a new reduction in the pool of important data, but the Central Bank itself explained what was happening with strong revision of “quick” statistics and the need for more thorough preparation.
