President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed decree on September 4 aimed at developing private airlines in Uzbekistan. The decree aims to relax the temporary import of aircraft. This is provided for by the Roadmap attached to the decree after his dialogue with business leaders.
It implies the scrapping of periodic customs duties when importing aircraft, manufacturing date of which dates not earlier than 25 years, temporarily imported under rent and lease terms.
The responsible ministries have been instructed to develop a draft government resolution on this by October.
According to the Customs Code, periodic customs fees are calculated for each full and incomplete calendar month of goods being in the temporary import customs regime in foreign currency in the amount of 5% of the value of customs duties and taxes that would be payable in the case of import on the day of their placement under the temporary import customs regime.
Such fees are paid in national currency at the official exchange rate established by the Central Bank on the day of payment. The funds are transferred to the state budget. When calculating periodic customs payments, the customs payment rates in effect on the day the goods are placed under the customs regime of temporary import are applied.
In January, Uzbekistan imported 13 aircraft from Germany, Lithuania, France, Singapore and the UK worth $633.1 million. At the end of the first year-half, the two-way trade with Germany topped $928.8 million, but in July the Statistics Agency reduced the figure to $608.9 million (-5% compared to the same period last year) due to an adjustment of $274.2 million for imports aircraft - several aircraft were purchased for transit to other countries.
