In 2003, the World Bank granted a $140 million credit for developing the information system of the Russian customs service.
The credit given with a 5-year easy-term period is to be repaid over 17 years.
This is one of the first projects in Russia with the World Bank's participation.
The project provides, in particular, for modernizing technical tools of customs control and creating local computer networks.
Carlos Ferreira pointed out that no problems arose during the implementation of the project.
In his words, the administrative reform of the structure of customs bodies affected the project to some extent, but all the difficulties were successfully overcome.
Carlos Ferreira said that next year they planned to carry out a mid-term summarization of the results. He added that should they discover that some corrections were to be made, they and the Federal Customs Service would surely take all the necessary measures and achieve the goals set.
Leonid Lozbenko, deputy chief of the Federal Customs Service, said in turn that "we have established very good relations with the World Bank's mission."
According to him, the mission's representatives assess the implementation of the project every four months.
Leonid Lozbenko pointed out that the said project gave the Russian customs service an opportunity to compare its development level with that of other countries' customs services.
