BANGKOK, Sept 6 (TNA) — Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana has ordered the Customs Department to strictly supervise duty-free shops, farm products, onions, glutinous rice, palm oil and online products.
The minister and his deputy Santi Promphat laid down the policy in their meeting with executives of the department.
They said that duty-free shops stood in many areas including airports and urban locations to promote tourism and close supervision would prevent tax evasion. The collection of data concerning sales and stocks was a solution.
The Customs Department had to quickly complete its National Single Window (NSW) system to monitor data about imports and exports to effectively prevent smuggled goods including those increasingly made available online, Mr Uttama said.
Customs Department director-general Krisada Chinavicharana said the department planned to activate 23 X-ray machines on conveyor belts at Suvarnabhumi airport on Jan 1, 2020 to scan all bags loaded on aircraft.
The devices would reduce goods smuggling, he said. (TNA)