The history of Qatar customs
Customs by concession (1930s) :
During the thirties of the last century, the Customs Administration was managed by a "concession" system or what is called a guarantee "that is, for an agreed amount or percentage given by the guarantor to the governor at that time" until the governor, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani established an independent governmental administration for customs under the name of " the General Directorate of Customs. "
Customs Department (mid 1940s to 2001) :
The Customs Department has been independent of ports since the 1940s and at the beginning of the 1950s customs became among the eight government departments in Qatar Then, in the organizational structure of the state's administrative apparatus, in 1970 it was transformed into an administration within the Ministry of Finance and Petroleum.
General Authority for Customs and Ports (2001-2009) :
His highness Crown Prince issued a decree Law No:17 of 2001 establishing the General Authority for Customs and Ports, which is concerned with the implementation of the provisions of laws, regulations and decisions concerning customs regulations, port affairs and land transport:
General Administration of Customs (2009-to 2014) :
Emiri decree No. 31 of 2009 was issued regarding the organizational structure of the Ministry of Economy and Finance in which the "General Administration of Customs" was included within the administrative units of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, while the ports were separated into an independent company under the name "Qatar Ports Management Company".
General Authority of Customs (February 2014 – to date) :
Emiri decree No. (37) of 2014 was issued on February 20, 2014 establishing the General Authority of Customs, with a legal personality, and a budget attached to the budget of the Ministry of Finance. and is affiliated with the Minister of Finance, and is based in Doha.
General Authority of Customs Overview
The General Authority of Customs is the government authority responsible for monitoring importation and exportation of goods in and out of the State in accordance with the governing legislation in this regard. The Authority is moral entity and has a budget related to the Ministry of Finance budget. The Authority is affiliated to the Ministry of Finance and consists of the following administrative units:
First: The Chairman’s Administrative Units:
- The Office of The Chairman
- The Technical Office
- The Department of Internal Audit
- The Department of Planning, Quality, and Innovation
- The Department of Legal Affairs
- The Department of International Cooperation
Second: The Assistant Chairman for Customs Affairs’ Administrative Units:
- The Office of the Assistant Chairman
- The Department of Customs’ Operations and Risks
- The Department of Customs’ Policies and Procedures
- The Department of Exemptions and Outstanding Fee Conditions
- The Department of Anti Smuggling and Harmful Trade Practices
Third: The Assistant Chairman for Customs’ Ports Affairs’ Administrative Units:
- The Office of the Assistant Chairman
- The Monitoring and Control Center
- The Department of Hamad International Airport Customs
- The Department of Air Cargo Customs
- The Department of Hamad Port and Southern Ports Customs
- The Department of Old Doha Port and Northern Ports Customs
- The Department of Land Customs
.
Fourth: The Assistant Chairman for Support Services Affairs’ Administrative Units:
- The Office of the Assistant Chairman
- The Department of Public Relations and Communication
- The Department of Human Resources
- The Department of Financial and Administrative Affairs
- The Department of Information Technology
- Customs Training Center
In order to achieve its objectives, for which it was created, and to be able to exercise its customs competencies, the General Authority of Customs applies several legislations that are at the core of its competence. The most important of them is the Customs Law promulgated by Law No. (40) of 2002 and executive regulation thereof, the Unified Customs Tariff, decisions of Council of Ministers, and ministerial decisions issued to implement provisions of the mentioned laws. In addition to the above-mentioned legislation, General Authority of Customs deals with partners from public and private sectors specialized in the import and export of goods.