The procedure for sending and receiving humanitarian packages
Customs clearance of humanitarian goods for the flood-affected areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina shall
be done according to the following customs procedures:
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The import of the humanitarian shipments is to be announced to the Ministry of Security of
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operations Department of the Ministry of Security, BiH – contact persons:
Mirnesa Softic, +387 33492785, email: [email protected] Zeljko Dugonjid, +387 33492778,
who will inform the Emergency Team of the Indirect Taxation Authority about the entry of the
humanitarian packages for the flood-affected areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The border crossings in
the northern Bosnia for the import of humanitarian aid are the following: Gradiska, Gradina, Izacic,
Hukic Brdo and Brod. The Operational team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will also work on the
assistance coordination; the phone number: +387 33 281 110
•
Pursuant to Articles 9 and 10 of the Annex to the Law on Customs Policy of BiH, which defines
the manner of tax exemption when importing humanitarian aid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, people
interested in sending humanitarian aid to BiH should, according to the valid procedures, contact a
verified humanitarian organization in the respective country, or in BiH (we recommend the local Red
Cross or the Red Crescent), which will make a list of goods to be sent and explain other formalities
needed when sending aid to BiH. Afterwards, the Operations Department of the Ministry of Security will
be notified about that list, whether directly or via the Representative Office of BiH.
After its special session of 19 May 2014, the Council of Ministers brought the decision that all
international humanitarian aid shall be exempted from import tax. The inspection authorities are
responsible for accelerating the procedures and the inspection of these goods.
According to the decision of the Indirect Taxation Authority, the customs offices in Gradiska, Brod,
Orasje, Brcko, Bihac, Zvornik, Sarajevo, Sarajevo Airport and Trebinje shall be open 24 hours a day for all
humanitarian packages intended for the areas hit by the floods in BiH.
Indirect Taxation Authority sent a letter to all relevant inspection services to organize duty hours in the
aforementioned customs offices in order to pass these packages through the customs within a short
period of time.
The goods intended for humanitarian purposes for flooded areas in BiH shall be exempted from import
tax (duties and VAT), upon meeting the requirements stipulated by laws and bylaws.
More specifically, this means that during each individual procedure at customs office, a customs
declaration should be completed together with the application for import tax exemption in accordance
with Article 9 or 10 of the Annex to the Law on Customs Policy of BiH (goods intended for victims of
accidents or goods for charitable or humanitarian organizations).
It is important to note that the receiver of such a package can be a registered humanitarian organization
in BiH, a public administration body in BiH or a public organization in BiH.
In addition to the identification of the receiver of the humanitarian package, other documentation must
be provided, enabling clear identification of the sender of the humanitarian package, goods specification
and statement by the sender that the goods concerned are being given, i.e. donated for humanitarian
purposes for the territories affected by the floods in BiH.
Upon meeting all conditions, a decision on import tax exemption is introduced, by which the customs
procedure is completed, and the goods are directed to the final beneficiary.