According to the work that has been carried out for more than a year in the Binational Technical Table of Customs and Logistics Operators of Táchira and Norte de Santander, both businessmen and customs officers ratify that “the conditions are in place for the reactivation of commercial exchange between the two countries along this border,” pointed out Vladimir Tovar, representative of the Táchira Heavy Cargo Transport Union.
By La Patilla – Luz Dary Depablos
Sep 12, 2022
The Association of Customs Auxiliaries of Táchira, the Social Chamber of Regional Freight Transport and their counterparts in the Norte de Santander Department, Colombia, have permanently reviewed all the elements that affect the development of international trade operations.
Mr. Tovar assures that “there is no condition that prevents the passage of merchandise under customs control from next September 26th on.”
He explained that all the rules and provisions that regulate the merchandise “are in force in the Trade Agreement with Colombia ‘Apcol 28’ and Venezuela’s Customs Tariff.”
These rules that regulate procedures and other formalities, as they are implemented in the formal passage of products through the border between Zulia and La Guajira, where “depending on the merchandise, an obligation may apply that can be imposed on the importer or the exporter, which they must comply with. These are not regulations to make binational trade impossible, but guarantee that the traded merchandise complies with the standards established according to some norm, but this does not impede trade,” said Vladimir Tovar.
It should be noted that Seniat (Venezuela tax institute) officials recently updated the “Sidunea Word” electronic platform, that is, it was activated for operations at this border.
Therefore, customs auxiliaries, warehouses and international cargo transport “are ready to respond to the service requirements as the foreign trade chain that importers and exporters require. All the customs assistants were duly updated before the main customs office of San Antonio del Táchira,” he made clear.
Tovar also said that they have the disposition of all the authorities linked to the customs service such as the Insai, sanitary control, Intt, international transport and tax collection banks. “We are all ready and we ratify the support for our authorities in favor of advancing in the Colombian-Venezuelan integration.”
Symbolic Reopening
However, over the weekend at a press conference, the chavista governor of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, announced that the activity scheduled for next September 26th will only be a “symbolic reopening” and he stated that the “conditions are not given”, despite the fact that the main actors directly involved in binational trade assure that there is no formal impediment that could impede the passage of products.
On the other hand, Karim Vera, Deputy of the Legitimate National Assembly, stated that “it is nothing more than a mockery of Venezuelans, now Maduro’s spokesmen have begun to speak out about the reopening of the border and describe it as an action to be executed as only a symbolic act.
Deputy Vera indicated “once again we see how they play with the people of Táchira State fueling false expectations. Until when do the inhabitants of San Antonio and Ureña have to put up with this deception? The people of Táchira have set their hopes in that the regular channels through the bridges that connect Venezuela with Colombia will be opened to resume the historical binational commercial exchange that gave so much progress and benefit to the region in the past.
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