A new, modern customs laboratory of the BiH Indirect Tax Authority /ITA/ opened on Monday in the Banjaluka settlement of Ramići, the equipping of which was financed with more than 400,000 Euros from IPA funds.
The director of the BiH ITA, Miro Džakula, and the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, solemnly opened the laboratory by cutting the ribbon.
Džakula told reporters that the customs laboratory is important for the unhindered operations of the ITA, namely, for it to be able to collect public revenues and to prevent abuses.
“We have great plans in connection with the laboratory. We plan to introduce the ISO standard 17025 which means that it will be certified for taking samples and that some of customs laboratories in an EU country will be a reference laboratory in order to rise to a higher level the charging of customs on goods and prevent all possible abuses,” Džakula said
He has stressed that the European Commission recognized the ITA as an institution and that since its founding the European Commission has supported it through various projects.
“Without the aid from the European Commission, which financed various projects of the institution crucial for the fiscal stability of BiH, our results would be weaker and development would be slowed down. Today, the ITA is the institution crucial for the fiscal stability of all government levels in BiH and the European Commission recognized it,” Džakula said and added that KM 265 million more was collected in the first five months of this year than in the same period of the record year 2018.
The EU Special Representative to BiH, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, has said that such a laboratory is helping the country to get closer to European standards and is controlling the quality of products that are entering the BiH market.
“This is an important step in the process of European integration and something that is useful for all citizens,” said Wigemark.
He recalled that the European Commission in its Opinion on BiH’s application for membership in the EU said that there existed a certain level of preparedness when it comes to harmonization with principles of the customs union in the context of a single European market.
“In this sense, it is important for BiH to continue harmonizing customs regulations,” Wigemark said.
Source: srna
