The situation with the decrease in the volume of transit traffic across Ukraine is unacceptable, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuriy Lavreniuk considers.

According to the press service of the ministry, he stated this on September 15 during the conciliation council on the settlement of disagreements on the draft law of Ukraine on amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine.

"Now we see a significant decrease in cargo transit across Ukraine, in particular, by rail, which accounts for 85% of the total transit cargo traffic in the country," he stated.

According to Lavreniuk, the law of Ukraine on transit of goods provides for a simplified and accelerated procedure for control over transit freight. Additional financial burden forces consignors to ship cargoes bypassing Ukraine, through Belarus and Russian ports.

This draft act was developed on the initiative of the Ministry of Infrastructure. It proposes amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine, according to which payment of customs fees is not charged if goods are transported as transit through Ukraine by rail. It is also proposed to establish the duty of carriers to pay customs fees in case of the loss of goods that are under customs control and moved through the territory of Ukraine.