The suspension of payment for customs inspections in El Salvador applies to goods in international transit and those with a local destination.
From a press release issued by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador:
The Legislature has approved an authentic interpretation of Decree 604, approved on January 16, which contains exceptional and transitional provisions applied to the "Customs Simplification Act" to suspended for a period of 180 days, the fee for the provision of non-intrusive inspections, whose office of departure and destination are within or outside the borders of El Salvador.
Salvadoran exporters are asking for clarification over the regulation that puts on hold the fee of $18 per inspection of goods.
The Corporation of Exporters of El Salvador (Coexport) asked the Government to clarify which goods have to be inspected at customs and pay the $18 fee. They explain that there is confusion occurring at the regional level which must be addressed.
The authorities at customs offices in Guatemala and Honduras have opened new routes for regional transit of goods between the two countries.
The aim of the opening of new routes at the borders between the two countries, in El Florido and Agua Caliente, is to streamline regional trade which has been blocked because of the protests over the application of a fee of $18 in Salvadoran customs offices for X-ray inspection of trucks.
President Funes has asked Congress to suspend for 180 days the fee charged for inspecting goods in transit using scanners.
From a press release issued by the Presidency of El Salvador:
The President, Mauricio Funes, today appealed to the Legislature, through a project for a proposed temporary decree, to suspend the collection of $18 for non-intrusive inspections in the case of goods going through customs offices which are destined to go out of the country, an issue which has generated a dispute at the borders.
Only cargo destined for El Salvador should be charged with the $18 fee for the inspection with scanner, request freight carriers.
According to the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), this fee violates conventions and trade agreements in the region. In addition, they believe that the inspections and the time it takes to submit all shipments to the procedures are excessive.
The improvised implementation of a new system of customs administration and the opposition to the collection of $18 for each declaration of goods is already affecting regional trade.
The implementation of an inspection system for cargo transportation in El Salvador has not only generated traffic chaos but has also caused delays in intraregional trade.
Freight carriers are opposed to the collection of a fee of $18 per inspection using scanners and are threatening strikes and a change of routes.
Representatives from the freight union are analyzing re routing trucks so that they do not have to cross El Salvador in order to reach the rest of the region, instead crossing at the border of Agua Caliente, Chiquimula, into Honduras.
Regional unions are threatening a general strike in the Salvadoran border to protest at the rate of $18 per inspection at customs offices in that country.
S21.com.gt reports: "The new provision of the General Customs of El Salvador will take effect on 6 January, in light of this, carriers of the remaining five countries in the region have announced a general strike on the Salvadoran border if this legislation goes ahead. "
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal intends to acquire several thousand computers, printers and scanners.
The equipment will be used to complete the Integrated Screening and Disclosure Election System (known as Siede) , yet there is no information on the process to be followed for its acquisition.
Enrique Ortez, Judge of the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) , noted that "This will have a strong impact, but it is not only the impact of the amount that is significant. It needs to be requested at least 60 days in advance ... Quotes must be obtained from different places, according to the technical characteristics " .
An alternative solution to the perennial conflict of interest is paying for audits through a third party.
"Auditors are paid by the companies they audit, in the same way that rating agencies are paid by the companies they rate. That gives auditors an economic incentive to lie on behalf of their clients, even if it threatens their reputation. As the saying goes: Those who give the orders, pay", published Online.wsj.com.