A year with many imprints of Ho Chi Minh City Customs

	Anti-revenue losses from green-channel export shipments
	HCM City Customs: Revenue collected from many imported items achieve positive results
	Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department collected nearly VND600 billion from price ruling and post clearance audit

Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan congratulates over the excellent results of the HCMC Customs Department. Photo: Thu Hoa

Record of budget revenue

In the last days of 2019, officials of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department enthusiastically worked to reach the finish line with the highest revenue, even though budget revenue and expenditure results of the unit reached the assigned target a month prior. This is the first time in the history of State budget collection by the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City that officials tried to complete the draft estimate more than a month before the deadline and it is also the first time the revenue reached VND 120,000 billion. In 10 years of the city's economic development (from 2010 - 2019), the State budget revenue of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has increased by 156.9 percent. “Not only contributing a large amount of revenue to the central budget, but Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department is proud to have contributed a great deal of effort to the development of the city in the context of many difficulties and challenges, together with other departments, branches complete the revenue of the city in 2019,” Dinh Ngoc Thang, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said.

When deploying tasks in 2019 and assigning tasks to subordinate units, the head of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department was very worried when the State budget revenue target was high amid many impact factors for revenue. In 2017 - 2018, the State budget collection of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department was very difficult, it could only complete the State budget revenue target in the last day of the year. Therefore, achieving today's results is thanks to the great efforts of the whole unit and the help of the business community.

Analysing and recognising difficulties, in 2019, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department implemented many breakthrough solutions. In particular, the plan "Business community and Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City is a reliable partner, accompanying with development", with many seminars and seminars with foreign business associations was held, and Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department received the appreciation of businesss.

Realising this goal, in 2019, with many new ways, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department made a breakthrough in reforms of administrative procedures, facilitating trade. In November 2019, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department deployed the project "Customs procedures in logistics activities and anti-congestion at Cat Lai port". This project has reduced the time and cost for businesses to clear goods and has been highly appreciated by the Politburo member and Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan and directed by the City People's Committee to ask relevant departments and branches to coordinate and organise implementation effectively.

Director of HCMC Customs Department Dinh Ngoc Thang (the third from the right) talks with the British business community in Vietnam. Photo: Thu Hoa.

Create good trust from the business

Following commitments in trade facilitation and creating an equal investment business environment, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has created good trust from the business community. “Before businesses, we do not want to seem like a management agency but a companion of the enterprise, both managing and cooperating to serve the enterprise better. When businesses need something at the Customs and every time, we must do it," Director of the Department Dinh Ngoc Thang said.

At many dialogues with the business community in Ho Chi Minh City in recent years, the relationship between businesses and the HCM City customs department was very close, sharing and exchanging information. The problems, even comments shared by businesses at the conference were handled in a sympathetic and rational manner. The head of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department always directs the units when guiding and resolving problems for businesses to put the interests of enterprises first, "Creating favourable conditions and ensuring compliance with laws for enterprises are two sides of the problem but if they understand each other, every issues can be solved,” said Director Thang.

Representing thousands of European businesses, Nicolas Audier, President of the Association of European Enterprises in Vietnam, said he highly appreciated the support of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and the Customs sector in accompanying businesses in import and export activities and facilitating trade.

“The Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department took the initiative in dialogue and pledged to facilitate trade, unveiling a sincere openness in supporting businesses. European businesses in Vietnam have always considered Customs as their biggest partner, accompanying us in the past in discussing and developing trade relations," Audier said.

With a goal of reducing 70 percent clearance time for goods, HCMC Customs Department has implemented the commitment by specific action plan, practical and support to facilitate the business community being aware of well obeying customs law, strengthening administrative procedure reform, modernising customs, reducing customs clearance for import and export goods, avoiding troublesome issues and increasing costs for businesses.

Along with trade facilitation, in 2019, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department implemented many anti-smuggling solutions in the new situation, discovered and prosecuted many smuggling cases to avoid origin, evading hundreds billion dong of tax.

From practical and innovative actions, vigorous reformation of administrative procedures and creation of the most favourable conditions for the business community, in 2019, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department successfully completed all political tasks assigned, recognised and appreciated by HCMC leaders and supported by the business community.