News

A current challenge is to be able to fight smuggling within the borders of each country. In the case of Guatemala, the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) is responsible for this task in conjunction with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the National Civil Police and the Guatemalan Army. However, aware of the need to continue with this vigilance and the fight against illicit trade, last month the Board of Directors of the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) began the necessary process to submit to the Congress of the Republic the bill to combat customs fraud and smuggling, prior to analysis by the Ministry of Public Finance.

The purpose of this initiative is to give more powers to the Superintendence of Tax Administration to control illicit trade. If this initiative is approved, it would have an impact on the regulatory framework, since it would be foreseen an amendment to the Code of Commerce, Industrial Property Law, Law of Extinction of Ownership, among other related laws.

It is important to mention that an initiative of this type would contribute a lot to combat illicit trade by creating more efficient mechanisms for the entry of goods at the borders of Guatemala, and in turn would guarantee one of the most important rights, such as the protection of Intellectual Property. It is necessary to encourage the Congress of the Republic to approve this type of legislation so that there is an advance in the protection of Intellectual Property in Guatemala.

María Fernanda Villagran
Associate
García & Bodán
Guatemala