Volunteers may face fines of up to 100,000 hryvnias for violating customs regulations, particularly for transferring imported vehicles from one military unit to another without making changes.
This was reported by lawyer Maria Ganina.
She explained that according to the Customs Code of Ukraine, when bringing a vehicle into the country, volunteers are required to specify the final recipient—a specific military unit—in the customs declaration. However, during wartime, there is an urgent need to transfer vehicles to other units. Such transfers are considered a violation of customs rules because:
- Changes to the customs declaration can only be made at the time of its submission to customs.
- Once the declaration is accepted, it is impossible to change the recipient of the vehicle.
These actions are equated to a violation of the intended purpose of humanitarian aid, which could result in an administrative fine of up to 100,000 hryvnias.
How to avoid fines:
- Fill out the customs declaration very carefully, specifying the exact recipient.
- Document the transfer of the vehicle through acceptance-transfer acts.
- Obtain official confirmation from military units regarding the need for the vehicle.
- Follow the procedure for transferring humanitarian aid in accordance with current legislation.
According to Article 529 of the Customs Code of Ukraine, decisions made by customs authorities can be appealed:
- To the central executive authority responsible for implementing state customs policy.
- To the local administrative court, in accordance with the Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine.
Successful appeals require all accompanying documentation confirming the transfer of the military vehicle.
This situation has sparked active discussion in society and among experts. Some believe that abolishing liability for changing the recipient of humanitarian aid could lead to abuses, while others emphasize that during wartime, penalizing volunteers who assist the army is impractical.
Source: mAUTO.