20 Years of the Slovenian Customs
8 October 2011 is a very special day. On this day, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the independent Slovenian Customs.
Many customs officers have been loyal to the Slovenian Customs from its very beginning in 1991. Other customs officers entered the customs service in time of its modern and recognised position at home and abroad. However, all members of the organisations are equally important.
Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Customs
- Golden Order for Merits
The celebration took place at the Brdo Congress centre on 7 October 2011. Dr. Danilo Türk, the President of the Republic of Slovenia was the official speaker of the celebration. We were also honored by the presence of Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation, and Walter Deffaa, the Director General of the Taxation and Customs Union Directorate with the European Commission.
On this occasion, the President of the Republic awarded with the Golden Order for Merits the Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for its outstanding contribution to the establishment of a modern customs service from the independence of the Republic of Slovenia to the present day.
Special issue of Carina.si magazine
Customs magazine Carina.si
Number 22, October 2011 (7.7 MB)
Special issue on occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Customs (in Slovenian language)
Exhibition on the history of the Customs on the present Slovenian territory
The exhibition shows the development of the Customs service from the antique period, the Illyrian Provinces, through the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Yugoslavia before the independence of Slovenia to the modern Slovenian Customs Administration.
The exhibition is located in the lobby of the General Customs Directorate, Šmartinska 55, Ljubljana.
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Customs awards 2011
The service like the Customs is so interwoven with laws, regulations and acts that at first glance it seems there is actually not much room for personal views, opinions and ideas. However, this is not true: we are not only enriched by those who faithfully follow the letter of the law, but also by those who can be people as well, and who carry out their drudgery playfully and casually, without even realizing how important they are to us.
The Customs Administration awards have been granted since 1995. Individuals, those from the Customs and those who have long worked closely with it, have proven their outstanding professional work, introduced now indispensable organisational improvements, and undoubtedly strengthened the reputation of the Customs Service.
Plaquette awards have been granted to:
- Ivan Živko, Nova Gorica Customs Directorate [video]
- Štefan Velički, Maribor Customs Directorate [video]
- Marjan Strle, General Customs Directorate [video]
- Franc Košir [video]
- Zoran Zorko [video]
- Mateja Vraničar, Ministry of finance [video]
Golden badges have been granted to:
- Miran Hernaus, Celje Customs Directorate [video]
- Edvin Kočevar, Koper Customs Directorate [video]
- Miha Hropot, Ljubljana Customs Directorate [video]
- Zvonko Perovšek, Ljubljana Customs Directorate [video]
- Alojzija Lubi, Murska Sobota Customs Directorate [video]
- Klavdija Marušič, Nova Gorica Customs Directorate [video]
- Neda Ravbar, Sežana Customs Directorate [video]
Silver badges have been granted to:
- Jelka Strgar, General Customs Directorate [video]
- Roman Dolenšek, Jesenice Customs Directorate [video]
- Oskar Čas, Carinski urad Ljubljana [video]
- Marko Pec, Carinski urad Maribor [video]
- Bojan Vindiš, Carinski urad Maribor [video]
Bronze badges have been granted to:
- Vesna Kajsner, General Customs Directorate [video]
- Mohor Slatner, Brežice Customs Directorate [video]
- Vid Mirkac, Dravograd Customs Directorate [video]
- Robi Jerman, Koper Customs Directorate [video]
- Miroslava Lebar, Murska Sobota Customs Directorate [video]
- Teodora Furlan, Sežana Customs Directorate [video]
Conference: Challenges in Customs and Trade Cooperation
Challenges in Customs and Trade Cooperation was the title of the conference organised by the Customs Administration on 7 October 2011 as a part of the celebration on occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Customs service. Representatives of Slovenian companies, of the Customs, and foreign guests discussed the cooperation and future development of the customs system, procedures, and competitiveness of the Slovenian economy.
Participants were representatives of Slovenian companies to which AEO certificates had been issued by the Customs Administration, representatives of the Customs, of the Ministry of Finance and special guests: Franc Križanič, Minister of Finance, Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, and Walter Deffaa, Director General of Customs and Taxation Directorate with the European Commission.
Highlights of presentations
Minister Križanič outlined the importance of the Customs in the current society and its functions in providing funding for the state budget; he mentioned the importance of competitiveness of Slovenian companies, fight against illegal trafficking and trade in counterfeit goods. He also presented the macroeconomic picture and analysis of the situation in Slovenia.
Kunio Mikuriya focused on the global integration of the Customs and its relationship with traders. Globally integrated Customs provides for integration in various areas; it is the basis for e-customs, active customs integration and real-time communication, recognition of Authorised Economic Operators; it will be the basis for minimum set of data for a single submission of information to carry out all necessary checks.
Walter Deffaa presented the modernized Customs Code that seeks to achieve more with fewer resources: further development of risk analysis, new control methods, and active role in fight against counterfeiting and customs fraud.
Stanislav Mikuž outlined the milestones of the Slovenian Customs development from the original Yugoslav customs legislation to EU legislation and the old customs procedures until now. Today the focus is on simplified customs procedures and paperless business. Along with changing the laws and procedures, the most important change has been the change in the way thinking and habits of customs officers and awareness that the Customs is a partner and service to the trade, so the trade facilitations are important part of the Customs tasks.
Suzana Zornada Vrabec from the Port of Koper presented the business of Luka Koper, its development and interaction with the Customs. She proposed a closer integration of the Port and the Customs Information System in order to facilitate customer service operations, and provide for the Customs additional information necessary for quality control.
Andrej Lukan from Krka spoke of the Krka Company, one of the leading Slovenian companies having factories also in other EU countries. Their wish is the possibility of central lodging of customs documents in Slovenia for all their factories in the EU. In Novo mesto they would like to complete import customs formalities for the goods entering the EU in Frankfurt or in Brest on the Polish-Belarusian border. He proposed the creation of a single guarantee for securing the customs debt in different procedures, since guarantees are significant company cost.
Rajko Skubic, the Director General of the Customs Administration, promised that the Customs would consider the challenges and opportunities for the future participation, and the proposals of the conference. Similar meetings with the Slovenian companies’ representatives will be organised in the future too.
Presentations:
- Customs and business relations for the future - an EU prespective: Walter Deffaa (European Commission DG TAXUD) (692 KB)
- Where do we come from, where we are going ... SLO Customs yesterday, today, tomorrow: Stanislav Mikuž (Customs Administration of Slovenia) (867 KB)
- South European Gateway: Suzana Zornada-Vrabec (Port of Koper) (1.9 MB)
- Experience and cooperation with Customs: Andrej Lukan (Krka) (1.3 MB)
