Bolivia Country Profile

Customs Administration

Business Corruption

According to the director of the Unit for the Fight against Corruption in the Customs Denisse León, the National Customs Service is struggling with corruption and smuggling. In an August 2008 article in the newspaper Razón, León reports that bribery, influence peddling and falsification of documents are some of the cases detected by the Unit. Bribes may amount to USD 20 for an import declaration and between USD 3,500 and 5,000 per truck.

The Bolivian newspaper La Prensa reports in a December 2009 article that the National Customs Service seized several tons of contraband medicaments and raw materials for producing medical drugs during raids conducted in Santa Cruz against alleged clandestine networks engaging in counterfeiting of medicaments.

Political Corruption

The National Customs Service has frequently been accused of large-scale corruption and of contributing to the inflow of contraband to Bolivia. According to a March 2008 article from Diario Hispano Boliviano, the Administrative Director of the Customs Baldivia Unzaga was dismissed from office after having received between USD 50 and 80 thousand from 18 individuals he had promised positions in the Customs. Several corruption cases have marred the National Customs Services and between October 2007 and January 2008 8 executives and 12 public officials have been removed in consequence of engaging in corrupt acts.

In early February 2010, the minister of the Ministry for Institutional Transparency and the Fight Against Corruption (in Spanish) revealed during an interview, that evidence was building up against an organised 'mafia' with alleged links to the judicial system, tax authorities and customs services. It was also revealed that this corrupt network included directors from the National Bolivian Customs. Action against this network is to be taken by the Ministry.

According to the US Department of State 2009, corruption in the National Customs Service has fallen since the August 1999 Customs Reform Law, but contraband continues to cross the Bolivian borders.

Frequency

The World Bank & IFC: Doing Business 2010:
- A standard export shipment of goods requires 8 documents and takes 19 days at an average cost of USD 1,425 per container.

- A standard import shipment of goods requires 7 documents and takes 23 days at an average cost of USD 1,747 per container.

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010:
- Business executives give the efficiency of customs procedures (formalities regulating the entry and exit of merchandise) in Bolivia a score of 2.8 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'extremely inefficient' and 7 'extremely efficient').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2006:
- Close to 16% of companies expect to give gifts to get an import licence.

- It can take up to 33 days to clear direct exports and up to 51 days to claim imports, approximately twice the regional averages.

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2005:
- Citizens give the customs administration a score of 4.4 on a 5-point scale (1 being 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt').