Chapter 4. INFORMATION AND CONSULTING
Article 23. Procurement of Information Substantiating Reasons for Decision-Making, Action (Inaction)
1. The person in whose regard a decision has been made or an action taken by a customs office or a customs officer, as well as the person in whose regard a decision has not been made or an action was not implemented within a prescribed period of time has the right to make an inquiry to the customs office concerned requesting explanation of the reasons and/or grounds for the decision made or the action implemented, or the decision not made or the action not implemented if they have affected the rights and lawful interests of the such persons directly or individually.
2. Such an inquiry ought to be made within six months from the date of said decision, action (inaction), or from the date of expiry of the term of its enactment or implementation, or from the date the person becomes aware of said decision, or action (inaction).
3. An interested person has the right to make either a written or a verbal inquiry requesting necessary information. A person’s verbal inquiry shall be considered by the customs office on the same day. If a person makes a written inquiry, he (or she) shall be entitled to a written response within ten days following the receipt of that inquiry by the customs office concerned.
Article 24. Information on Legal Statutes in Sphere of Customs System
1. Both the Federal Customs Authority and the other customs authorities shall provide free unrestricted access to the information on currently effective statutes and legal norms in the sphere of the customs system including such access using contemporary information technologies.
2. The customs authorities shall provide access to the information pertaining to draft statutes, as well as the amendments and additions to the statutes in the sphere of the customs system which have not been enacted, including the access to such information using contemporary information technologies except for the cases when preliminary knowledge of the draft statutes may interdict customs control procedures or diminish their effectiveness.
3. The Federal Customs Authority shall ensure publications in its official releases and bulletins of the statutes adopted by this body, as well as the statutes of the customs legislation and other legal normative acts of the Russian Federation pertaining to the customs system.
Article 25. Consulting on Issues of the Customs system and Other Issues in Competence of the Customs Authorities
1. The customs authorities shall provide consulting services to all interested persons with regard to the issues of the customs system and other issues in its competence. The Head of the customs office (or his [or her] deputy) shall nominate the officers of the customs office authorised to provide consultations. The information based on the inquiry made by an interested person shall be presented within shortest possible time but not later than within one month from the date of receipt of said inquiry.
2. The customs authorities shall provide free written and/or verbal consultations to any interested person. Upon request of an interested person, the customs authorities shall be obliged to provide desired information in writing.
3. The information provided thereby to interested persons shall not serve as grounds for decision-making or implementation of any specific actions (inaction) by the customs authorities in the process of customs procedures with goods and/or means of transport.
4. In the event when the information requested by a person is provided untimely or proves to be unauthentic as a result of which the person who made the inquiry has suffered losses, said person’s losses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the provisions of Item 6 of Article 6 of this Customs Code.
5. The customs authorities shall not be responsible for the losses incurred as a result of the distortions occurring in the texts of customs statutes published without their knowledge or supervision, or for the losses resulting from unqualified consultations rendered by unauthorised persons.
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