Russian customs officials are collecting illegal fees from hauliers for crossings, at least at the Svetogorsk Customs Station across the from Imatra. According to transport operators, the fee is EUR 10 to EUR 80 per crossing. The highest charges are collected from car-transporter trucks.
The charges apply to all haulers, a Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat reported.
If the driver refuses to pay, he could have to wait for dozens of hours in a queue. On the other hand, the payment of the requested fee guarantees a fast and appropriate handling of the cargo at the Russian customs.
The trucking companies assume that the majority of vehicles have been forced to pay illegal fees. Moreover, the Finnish authorities are aware of the fees, and the Finnish Customs has discussed the issue with the Vyborg Customs officials and has even sent a letter to the Russian Customs Administration in Moscow.
However, the Russian Customs has denied the existence of illegal fees, and the complaint has only resulted in an increase in such charges.
When asked about the justification for such fees, Russian border officials have reportedly said that it is a kind of support for the employees' entertainment purposes. No official grounds have been stated. Moreover, the collection of fees has become more or less automatic, while the sums have been increasing.
This year alone, as many as 85,000 truck-trailer combinations have crossed the eastern border at Svetogorsk. In terms of money, it means as much as several millions of euros in bribes per year. Svetogorsk itself only accounts for around 10 per cent of the 820,000 trucks that crossed the Finnish-Russian border last year.
The Finnish Foreign Ministry and the Finnish Customs have both been cautious about interfering with this illegal collection of fees, saying that it could hamper trade relations between Finland and Russia. Moreover, the ministry has suggested that these kinds of phenomena are part of the traditional conduct of the Russian civil servants.
KC
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