Ukraine’s draft new Customs Code focuses not only on procedures for business, but also on the internal transformation of the customs service. The goal is to move from a classic fiscal body toward a transparent service and law enforcement institution closer to European practice.
The draft changes pay and social guarantees for customs officers, linking salaries to the subsistence minimum and adding allowances for seniority, rank, qualification and performance indicators. Separate provisions cover housing, medical insurance, pension rules and compensation in cases of harm during service.
Detectives and integrity controls
One of the most visible changes is the proposed creation of a specialized law enforcement unit inside the customs system. Customs detectives would be able to conduct operational-search activities and pre-trial investigations of customs-related crimes, primarily smuggling and violations in foreign economic activity. This block would require changes to criminal procedure rules before launch.
The draft also introduces stricter personnel controls. Candidates and serving officers may be asked to undergo psychophysiological questioning with a polygraph, while employees in high-risk positions may be rotated to other units or locations for up to twelve months.
Another tool is lifestyle monitoring to compare an officer’s assets and spending with official income. For business, the reform matters because simplified customs rules can work only if the institution applying them becomes more predictable, less corrupt and more service-oriented.
