Behavior

•  The head is considered the seat of the soul. Never touch someone else’s head, not even to pat the hair of a child.

•  Beckoning someone with the palm up and wagging one finger can be construed as in insult. Standing with your hands on your hips will be interpreted as an angry, aggressive posture.

•   Never point your feet at a person. Feet are considered unclean. If your shoes or feet touch another person, apologize.

•  Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. If you receive a wrapped gift, set it aside until the giver leaves.

•  Business lunches are preferred to dinners. Hindus do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork.

Communications

•  There are more than fourteen major and three hundred minor languages spoken in India. The official languages are English and Hindi. English is widely used in business, politics and education.

•  The word "no" has harsh implications in India. Evasive refusals are more common, and are considered more polite. Never directly refuse an invitation, a vague "I’ll try" is an acceptable refusal.

•  Do not thank your hosts at the end of a meal. "Thank you" is considered a form of payment and therefore insulting.

•  Titles are very important. Always use professional titles.

Text 5.

Read the following text and answer the questions:

1. Do Customs mobile groups (MG) exist in other countries?

2. Why were MG established?

3. What are the duties of MG officers?

4. The MG officers are entitled to stop a vehicle in some ways. What are they?

5. What departments do MGs cooperate with?

6. What technical devices are installed in the MG automobiles?

7. When aren’t administrative actions taken against natural persons transporting goods?

Lithuania Customs. Customs mobile groups  

Customs mobile groups (MG) are the units of territorial Customs offices or specialized Customs offices, operating within the activity zones of territorial Customs offices or zones defined by Director General of the Customs Department, which carry out supervision by the Customs authorities, accomplish Customs formalities within their competence and other functions assigned to them.

MGs have been established with a view to performing the inspections of goods controlled or to be controlled by the Customs authorities, thus, preventing violations, improving the collection of taxes.

MG automobiles are dark blue with contrast yellow color. Their rear part and front doors bear an inscription "MUITINĖ" ("Customs") with the Lithuanian Customs mark next to it. The toll-free telephone number for publicly available confidential information supply and identification number of MG patrol are written on both sides of the automobiles. There is a light bar with blue and red or only blue beacons on their top.

While on duty, MG officers are obliged to wear uniforms. On stopping cars at night, they must wear uniforms with reflecting strips: special vests, wristbands, etc.

The MG officers are entitled to stop and to inspect private and cargo automobiles within the whole territory of the Republic of Lithuania, no matter whether the automobiles have crossed the state border or not. Before stopping a vehicle, a MG officer has to evaluate whether it complies with the risk indicators allowing to suspect that Customs legal acts may be violated, whether no threat to the security of the MG officer himself or of other persons will emerge at the time of stopping and whether the stopped vehicle will not interfere with the passage of other traffic participants.

The automobile has to be stopped in one of the following ways: with a crosswise traffic direction wag of a stop stick or stick with a round red illuminated end or by giving a stop command over a loudspeaker; by driving a MG automobile with its special warning lights or siren tunes turned on and ordering over the loudspeaker to stop; having turned on the MG automobile’s control system with the inscription "STOP".

Any driver having not obeyed the stop command may be punished for non-complying with the lawful requirements of the Customs officer by imposing a penalty from 3000 to 4000 Litas.

A decision to stop a vehicle is made according to risk indicators when there are grounds to believe that goods transported are under or to be under supervision by the Customs authorities. The MG officers are entitled to check the documents of the vehicle, driver and goods, as well as to inspect goods, to weigh them and, if necessary, to take samples (specimen) of goods and to perform their detail examination.

If there are no conditions necessary to perform the selected inspection in the stopping place, and it has been established that the cargo is or, according to risk factors, may be under supervision by the Customs authorities, or the goods are transported in violation of legal acts, the head of MG patrol orders the carrier to present the cargo for examination in another place and organizes its inspection.

The driver must submit to the MG officer completed documents proving the acquisition and transportation of the cargo (CMR consignment note, waybill, invoice, transportation contract, transportation order, purchase-sale contract, required permits and licenses, etc.). If the cargo is under supervision by the Customs authorities and is placed under the Customs procedure, then the Customs clearance documents must be submitted.

The driver who has been stopped is entitled to ask the Customs official to show his identification card (service mark) and other documents evidencing that the official has appropriate powers. The driver may also require to explain why he has been stopped and subjected to control. If the MG officers have accomplished the inspection during which Customs or other seals have been removed, the driver is entitled to require the copy of an inspection act. If the driver requests the Customs officers to sign in the Register for goods transportation or inspections performed by state institutions, the head of MG patrol must comply with the request.

The MG officers are entitled to stop automobiles by themselves. However, joint actions with other services are also performed. If the Customs officers work by themselves and find indications that criminal acts should be investigated by some other institution according to its competence, the competent institution should be informed of it and actions should be taken to secure the place of the event and exhibits until the arrival of the representative of that institution.

MGs cooperate with the Police Department, Financial Crime Investigation Service, State Food and Veterinary Service, State Plant Protection Service, State Tax Inspectorate, State Border Guard Service, State Labour Inspectorate.

Natural persons transporting goods whose value is higher than 5 living standards have to present documents proving the acquisition and conveyance of goods. If they fail to present such documents, administrative action may be taken against them. For the violations of transportation of excise goods, administrative actions are taken against persons according to of Administrative Law of the Republic of Lithuania. Administrative actions are not taken against natural persons transporting goods produced in Lithuania by themselves and goods whose quantity manifests that they are intended for personal use.

Having established the discrepancies between goods transported and their related documents, the Goods inspection act is to be completed. In case of reasonable grounds, the Administrative Law Violations Protocol and Goods Detention Protocol have to be drawn up.  The situation is to be recorded by video and audio recording devices installed in the MG automobiles. Having established indications that criminal acts should be investigated by the Customs Criminal Service or other enforcement institution according to their competence, the appropriate institution should be informed of it.

Any person dissatisfied with the actions or decisions by MG officers is entitled to appeal against them within 1 month to the Customs office where the officer appealed against works.

Text 6. UK rejects EU customs warning

Read the text and retell it:

People bringing large amounts of alcohol and tobacco into Britain are to get no respite from tough anti-smuggling tactics that the European Union says are putting off legitimate shoppers.

Unlimited personal allowances allowed since the single market came into force have fuelled the popularity of so-called cross-Channel 'booze cruises' but have also been exploited by smugglers for huge profits.

Customs officers attempting to stifle the illegal trade sparked complaints from consumers that led the EU to warn Britain it could be infringing single market rules.

But Customs Minister Paul Boateng vowed the anti-smuggling tactics would remain in place.

The dispute centres on the fact that people can be prevented from bringing in alcohol or tobacco not destined for their own use.

The EU has set out guidelines for what it believes are reasonable quantities for personal consumption, to distinguish from commercial volumes.

Guideline exceptions

However, there are complicating factors.

A traveller with amounts over the guidelines could be allowed through if they can prove it is for personal consumption, for example at a wedding party.

Amounts below the guidelines could lead to enforcement action if, for example, the same person was coming through several times a week in an attempt to build up commercial levels of stock.

But single market commissioner Frits Bolkestein believes UK customs could be applying the rules too harshly. In October he issued a "letter of formal notice" - the first stage of EU infringement procedures leading to the European Court of Justice.

The commissioner has been invited to visit Britain's channel ports by Mr Boateng to see the system for himself and confirm the government's claim that genuine shoppers are unaffected.

The minister has also passed on a dossier showing that 98.8% of the 14 million people who used Channel ports last year passed through without problems.

Of those most were able to prove they were importing only for personal consumption.

But the dossier says smugglers on average had 7,000 cigarettes - nine times over the guideline level - or 20 kilos of tobacco, 20 times the level.

'Action justified'

The average illegal alcohol level was 613 litres per person, more than five times the personal allowance guideline.

The government believes the figures justify its actions and should be enough to satisfy the commission.

When Mr Bolkestein launched his action he said: "The commission is concerned that the controls currently being applied at UK ports and airports, and the sanctions being applied when UK excise duty law is breached, may breach the EU rules which give travellers the right to buy abroad.

"All EU citizens have a right to buy tobacco and alcohol in other member states, duty paid, for non-commercial use and to bring these products home."

Text 7.

Read the texts and make up short dialogues discussing the following points;

1. the formalities through which incoming/outgoing passengers must pass;

2. the main points of the declaration;

3. prohibited and restricted articles:

4. your friend is going abroad by air for the first time. Explain to him the system of going through the Customs.

Customs Clearance Rules For Air Travellers

 The Federal Customs Service advises natural persons travelling by air:

I. When leaving Russia and prior to clearing the customs: