A key change affecting clearance of consignments mailed from countries outside the European Community took place April 1st, 2011. The amended VAT Act, which cut the import duty-free limit and VAT-free limit from EUR 150 to 22, caused a multiple increase in the number of consignments that have to go through clearance procedure.

Subject to European Union's legislative requirements, the Czech Post has started to act as clearance agent for its customers in relation to the customs administration, since the beginning of April. Despite the 40 full-time and 50 part-time workers used by the Czech Post for the related activities, consignments can be currently delayed for up to fourteen days.

How to allow consignments arrive on time

Although the Czech Post has strengthened the number of workers employed in customs clearance, insufficiently completed documentation necessary for customs clearance can also play an essential part in delays due to clearance procedure.

„The situation with every second consignment is that our customers are not ready to deliver necessary documentation or send incomplete documentation relating to their consignment that is to be submitted by us to the customs administration for assessment of duty," said logistic hub and post office of exchange manager Přemysl Šámal, adding that Czech Post's workers have to make repeated phone calls or emails to get these documents, which leads to useless delays in the entire clearance process with unpleasant consequences mainly for the customers themselves.  

The Czech Post would therefore greatly appreciate if the customers could:

• deliver complete documentation necessary for customs clearance right on time,
• use standard formats - JPG or PDF - for mailing documents attached to email messages,
• deliver a declaration stating that the goods contained in their consignment is of a non-commercial character,
• deliver a breakdown of individual prices included in the value of the goods, i.e. including the price of carriage; the price of carriage is included in the calculation of the assessed customs duty or VAT.

 

Numbers hard to overlook 

Before April 1st, 2011, up to 90 per cent out of one thousand parcels were released without duty; today the number is mere 10-15 per cent. In case of letters, around 98 per cent of the average 4,000 items per day passed without duty, compared to today's maximum 70 per cent. 

New workers have been hired by the Czech Post in an attempt to speed up the process of clearance. „We are currently working 24 hours a day including holidays; therefore we have to strengthen our resources. Following the period of training we expect that speed of clearance will be quicker," said post office manager Přemysl Šámal.

Mgr. Marta Selicharová
Spokeswoman
Czech Post
selicharova.marta@cpost.cz