Volume 02 Issue 12-2022
133
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
12
Pages:
133-137
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
This article is an analysis of the legal framework of the first officially established customs offices in Central Asia. On
the basis of archival materials, an attempt was made to reveal the activities to establish the customs work of the
Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the formation of its administrative structure, and the
implementation of the legitimation process in trade affairs. In the article, in chronological order, provisional rules,
various decrees and circular documents on the organization of the customs business of the Turkestan ASSR are
covered.
KEYWORDS
Turkestan ASSR, customs, custom-tariffs, smuggling, foreign trade, borders and trade protection, regulation, decretal,
akt, sirkulyar (executive document), sanction.
INTRODUCTION
Customs work is considered an integral part of the
economic policy of the state. No country can function
without protecting its economic security. After the
establishment of Soviet power in Turkestan, there
were different opinions about the activities of the
customs, as well as other areas of political, economic
Research Article
ORGANIZATION OF CUSTOMS OFFICES ON THE TERRITORY OF
TURKESTAN BY THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES AND ITS LEGAL BASIS
Submission Date:
December 20, 2022,
Accepted Date:
December 25, 2022,
Published Date:
December 30, 2022
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume02Issue12-19
Elbek Botirov
Senior Lecturer At The National University Of Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 02 Issue 12-2022
134
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
12
Pages:
133-137
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
and social life. While some argue that the customs
system should be abolished as part of the old regime,
many argue that the country cannot function in a
closed state and that it should establish trade relations
with neighboring countries. Customs authorities were
necessary to manage foreign economic activity and
protect the economy. In addition, the Soviet
authorities viewed customs work as a political task, not
just an economic one. This makes the basis of the
customs policy of the Soviet government foreign.
THE MAIN RESULTS AND FINDINGS
In the first years of Soviet power, trade relations were
not established. On December 29, 1917, the Soviet
government, seeking to establish a monopoly in this
area, as well as in other areas, announced a decree "On
the export and import of goods." According to this
decree, the department of foreign trade of the
People's Commissariat of Trade and National Economy
could transport products across the border only with
written permission. The decision spelled out the
obligation of customs officers to strictly observe the
procedure for the import and export of goods.
Transportation of goods without such permission is
considered smuggling. This decision, implemented by
telegraph on January 1, 1918, contained elements of the
original customs policy of the Soviet authorities. But
this was temporary. This decision will be known to the
government of the Turkestan Republic by January 1918.
[1]. From this period, the process of monopolization of
foreign trade by the state began in the foreign policy
of the Turkestan Republic.
Subsequent decisions of the Soviet authorities did not
resolve the issues of formation of customs policy. But
the authorities legalized the customs department - the
department of customs fees under the People's
Commissariat of Finance. At this time, as Turkestan's
relations with the Center (that is, with Moscow) are
about to be completely severed, the Customs
Department will take over the task of fulfilling the
requirements imposed by the Center's sanction under
this decree.
On April 22, 1918, the All-Russian Council of People's
Commissars issued a decree "On the nationalization of
foreign trade" [2], and its implementation was
entrusted to the Foreign Trade Department under the
Central Council of the National Economy [3]. It should
be noted that the customs tariff sanction of the
Russian Empire of 1903 and the tariffs applied before
1914 continued to operate in the Soviet state.
On May 29, 1918, the Soviet government issued a
decree "On customs fees and institutions" [4].
According to him, the duty payments went to the state
treasury. Customs offices were considered central
Soviet bodies and were directly under the jurisdiction
of the Customs Department of the People's
Commissariat of Finance. Duty-free transfer of foreign
goods from one customs authority to another was
Volume 02 Issue 12-2022
135
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
12
Pages:
133-137
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
carried out without any obstacles. Neither the regional
nor other local Soviet authorities had the right to
detain them. However, the central government has the
right to requisition (compulsory seizure of property
into state ownership for full or temporary use) and
confiscation of unpaid goods. Customs officers are
allowed to use edged weapons to dry customs
warehouses.
On October 10, 1919, a temporary provision came into
force on the involvement of the troops of the Red
Army and the troops of the Internal Guard in the
protection of the borders [5]. The People's
Commissariat of Trade and Industry, in agreement with
the People's Commissariat of Military and Internal
Affairs, had the opportunity to attract them and place
them at border points. Troops sent to guard the border
receive financial support from their organizations.
The next resolution of the Soviet authorities was
adopted on June 29, 1918 and concerned the
transformation of the People's Commissariat of
Finance into the Main Directorate of Customs Control
of the Department of Customs Duties and its
subordination to the People's Commissariat of Trade
and Industry. Later, the customs authorities were
subordinated
to
the
reorganized
People's
Commissariat for Foreign Trade.
On July 16, 1919, the draft "Regulations on the
Department of Foreign Trade" was considered and a
decision was made to approve it. In this regulation, it is
necessary to take into account the demand and supply
of goods imported and exported when exchanging
goods with neighboring countries, establish the
procedure for centralizing and financing all operations
and settlements in agreement with the Financial
Commissioner, develop in advance the materials
necessary for concluding trade agreements and
transactions with neighboring countries, preparation
and direct participation in them are defined as the
tasks of this department.
In the first half of 1919, under the Central Economic
Cou
ncil of the Turkestan Republic, a “Department of
Internal and Foreign Trade” was created, which had
insignificant funds and only four people worked in it.
They did not even have the units needed to work on
the ground. His activities were limited to settling the
dissatisfaction of the Kashgar merchants and
concluding a deal with one Afghan merchant [6]. Its
main task was to monopolize domestic and foreign
trade.
On November 26, 1919, the "Department of Internal
and Foreign Trade" was abolished, and the
"Department of Foreign Trade" was created, which
dealt only with foreign trade under the Turkish
Commission[7]. This section includes the calculation of
supply and demand for export and import goods when
exchanging goods with neighboring countries,
establishing the procedure for centralizing and
Volume 02 Issue 12-2022
136
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
12
Pages:
133-137
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
financing all operations and settlements in agreement
with the Financial Commissioner, developing and
preparing materials necessary in advance for
concluding trade contracts and agreements with
neighboring countries were given the task of
participating in their work.
In order to completely monopolize foreign trade, the
import and export of goods from abroad must be
carried out with the permission of the foreign trade
department of the Commission for the Affairs of the
Turkestan Republic of the All-Russian Executive
Committee. They had at their disposal legally imported
and exported, as well as smuggled goods. Supervision
of customs procedures is entrusted to the collegium
under the Department of Foreign Trade for the
economic protection of the borders of Turkestan. Until
September 1920, the Foreign Trade Department was
part of the Turkish Commission. From this period, this
department
was
withdrawn
from
the
Turkocommission,
included
in
the
People's
Commissariat for Foreign Trade and transformed into
the Turkestan Department. Its internal structure
changes several times. The border and customs
department will be abolished due to the fact that the
protection of the border, from an economic point of
view, has been transferred to a special department of
the Cheka (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission). In
1921, the Turkestan Department of the People's
Commissariat of Foreign Trade with its departments
became part of the foreign economic department of
the Turkestan Republic. These departments included
the following: administrative, export-import, financial
and accounting, statistical and economic, forwarding,
customs control, which in May was transformed into a
transport and material department. In July 1921, the
Turkestan Administration was transformed into a
representative office of the People's Commissariat for
Foreign Trade in Central Asia, and a number of
organizational changes were made [8]. In particular,
the
forwarding
and
transport
and
material
departments will be expanded and transformed into a
transport and material department, while the customs
departments will be fully merged with the People's
Commissariat of Foreign Trade. The management of
local customs institutions is entrusted to the district
customs administration [9].
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we can say that the establishment of the
Soviet system in Turkestan quickly became the main
issue of establishing state order in financial and
economic processes. In the first years of the Soviet
state, the emergence of an economic recession,
complete control over domestic and foreign trade, the
development of customs policy accelerated the
formation of a customs and administrative structure.
Taking into account the demand and supply of export
and import goods in trade with neighboring countries,
establishing the procedure for centralization and
Volume 02 Issue 12-2022
137
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
12
Pages:
133-137
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
financing in all transactions and settlements, the
development and preparation of materials necessary
for concluding trade contracts and agreements with
neighboring countries, and the work of the customs
legislation of the Turkestan ASSR caused development.
REFERENCES
1.
Report on the activities of the Turkestan Economic
Council in February-October, 1921 Tashkent, 1922. P.
135.
2.
National Archives of Uzbekistan, fund R-25, list 1,
volume 155, page 363.
3.
Botirov E. From The History Of Customs And
Customs Taxes In Uzbekistan //The American
Journal of Social Science and Education
Innovations.
–
2021.
–
Т. 3. –
№. 05. –
С. 74
-78.
4.
National Archives of Uzbekistan, fund R
–ЗЗО, list
1, volume 5, page 1.
5.
National Archives of Uzbekistan, fund R
–ЗЗО, list
1, volume 5, page 12.
6.
Отчет
о
деятельности
Туркестанского
Экономического Совета за февраль
-
октябрь
месяцы 1921 года. Ташкент. 1922. С.135
-136
7.
National Archives of Uzbekistan, fund R -25, list 1,
volume 155, pages 363-364.
8.
Report on the activities of the Turkestan Economic
Council in February-October, 1921 Tashkent, 1922. P.
138-139.
9.
Laws on trade // Collection of decrees and other
regulations on internal and external trade. Volume
3. M., 1923. P.145
10.
Elbek Botirov, CUSTOMS EVOLUTION IN
CENTRAL ASIA: FROM THE HISTORY OF TRADING
ROADS, POSTS AND CUSTOMS TARIFFS. Look to
the past. 2021, Special issue 3, pp.192-198
