French concern Belvedere S.A. has run afoul of the Central Customs
Office (GUC) for importing alcohol to Poland without paying customs,
excise duty, or Value Added Tax (VAT). The company uses a courier
service to deliver "souvenir gift" packages, small quantities of alcohol
ordered by customers, and explains that this form of postal sales is a
method of "introducing the modern method of Internet sales".
Representatives of Belvedere say it does not constitute smuggling and is
legal. "By ordering alcohol in our shops, the customer is not required,
according to Polish law, to pay any custom or excise duties, as it is
imported for the customer's own use. If someone decides to buy larger
quantities, he will have to pay the required duty," said director of
Belvedere Deutschland GmbH Piotr Cofala. "If we notice that someone
tries to import alcohol illegally to Poland, which would be a threat to
the interest of our companies in Poland, we will inform the customs
office about such suspicions," said Belvedere S.A. spokesman Jerzy
Jurczynski. GUC plans to begin strict inspection of Belvedere packages.
(Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1; A5) M.M..
