6. Customs Intelligence.

The role of the Customs Intelligence is to provide national guidance and functional direction. Its most important long-term objective is to train experts in specific subjects. Customs experts have deep knowledge of the intelligence process, and specialize in particular Customs program – drugs, fraud, technology transfer, etc. This objective is totally integrated into the Customs enforcement mission.

Customs Intelligence struggles against violations of customs regulations. A common reason for violations has always been foreign currency; an enormous quantity of it continues to be exported, both legally and illegally.

There are definite categories of people who commit currency offences.

The first category are people who ignore Customs legislation. Failing to declare all their foreign currency when crossing the boarder seems to them to be a minor offence.

The second category of foreign currency smugglers are those who leave for countries with unstable political situation and a high crime rate. Fear of being robbed leads to the failure to declare their money to Customs.

The third category is people who deliberately provide false information about the money they are carrying. As a rule, they do this to conceal their personal finances from the tax authorities.

The most effective way to fight against these offences is to bring the Customs legislation into good order, particularly in the section concerning Customs declarations.

The Office of Intelligence is the clearinghouse for some of the most sensitive information within the Customs, information on national defence as well as on Customs investigations. It makes customs authorities recruit and hire only people who meet strict security standards, in terms of trustworthiness and integrity.

7. Types of Payment in Foreign Trade

Payments in foreign trade are usually made by: banker's transfer; bill of exchange; letter of credit.

The banker's transfer is a transference of money from the bank account of a buyer in his own country to the bank account of the seller in the seller's country. Customer sends a letter of instruction to his bank or uses a special form. The transfer is executed at current rates of exchange.

The bill of exchange is a written order from a creditor to a debtor to pay on demand a stated sum of money to a person named on the bill. The bill is drawn by the creditor on the debtor, and is sent to the debtor or his agent to pay or to acknowledge the debt.

The letter of credit is the most generally used method of payment in the export trade. The buyer instructs his bank to issue the letter for the amount of the purchase and in favour of the seller. It is paid to the seller as soon as he accomplishes all formalities of the transaction.

Payment may be made in advance or on open account. Payments in advance are used when a buyer is unknown to a seller, in the case of a single isolated transaction. The method of payment in these cases will probably be by banker's draft or banker's transfer.

Open account terms are granted by a seller to a buyer of unquestionable reputation, for example regular customers, agents or distributors. In these cases payment is made quarterly by bill of exchange or banker's transfer.