One thousand ships were processed in Ukrainian ports under the new, simplified regulatory procedures during the one month that has passed since the decision to deregulate ship processing in Ukrainian ports entered into effect. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yurii Vaskov announced this during the Black Sea Economic Forum in Odessa, the CFTS correspondent reports.

The deputy minister said that the processing of vessels in Ukrainian ports was 99% in line with European practice. According to him, creation of equal conditions at all the borders of the country will fully “integrate the Ukrainian system into European realities.”

Vaskov also said that full pre-customs clearance of goods before they leave ports would be introduced from 1 January 2016. "If previously a vehicle could idle for a few hours while waiting for completion of all procedures, then it will now enter for 10-15 minutes for a completely ‘cleared’ container," he said.

The Administration of Seaports of Ukraine’s Deputy Chairman Viacheslav Voronyi said that agents’ expenditures on inspection of vessels by commissions were up to USD 2,000 until recently. "Today, this barrier has been removed. Everything is based on risk analysis. In fact, no more than 5 percent of vessels are inspected and these are inspected not by an entire commission but by only those services in which the risk analysis system has gone into effect," said Voronyi.

As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers resolution on deregulation of ship processing in ports came into effect on September 8.