Administrative reform progress in the finance sector maintained

	HaiPhong Customs improves the quality of serving the business community
	The Financial Sector: Overcoming difficulties for successful reforms
	Cut and simplify many customs administrative procedures

The tax sector has gradually integrated two electronic tax systems to support people and businesses. Photo: Thuy Linh.

Appreciated by society

According to experts, all fields managed by the finance sector gained outstanding results. In particular, after the positive period of reducing administrative procedures, units under the finance sector have recently focused on applying information technology to reform and modernise financial management activities and services to businesses, organisations and people.

In the field of Customs, after the successful implementation of the VNACCS / VCIS to implement automated declaration and clearance of goods, the Customs sector has launched the Automated System for Seaport Customs Management (VASSCM). This is a modern management system, deployed nationwide at seaports and airports where export and import activities occur. This system allows businesses not to present paper documents for Customs to check and confirm the eligibility of goods through the customs supervision area, which shortens the time for goods delivery from five to seven times compared to the past due to avoiding travel many times through port, warehousing operator and customs agencies.

In addition for electronic tax payment through the commercial banking system, the General Department of Customs issued Decision No. 1737 / QD-TCHQ revising the process and set of standard messages for electronic tax payment. From September 15, 2019, the General Department of Customs will launch an electronic tax payment programme for enterprises that authorise the customs office to deduct from their accounts to pay taxes. In 2019, the tax amount collected by electronic payment accounted for more than 90 percent of total import and export taxes

In the field of taxation, tax agencies at all levels have strongly implemented the electronic tax declaration and payment system. Since the end of 2018, the electronic tax declaration system was deployed in 63 provinces and cities and 100 percent of tax branches. So far, 99.93 percent of enterprises in operation use electronic tax declaration, about 99 percent of enterprises have registered for electronic tax payment service through commercial banks. Especially, from 2018, tax agencies at all levels have provided electronic tax refund services. In 2019, 93.61 percent of enterprises had taxes refunded by electronic method. For the goal of creating the best conditions for taxpayers, the tax sector has integrated the electronic tax declaration system (nhantokhai.gdt.gov.vn) and the electronic tax payment system (nopthue.gdt.gov.vn) into the single system called thuedientu.gdt.gov.vn or e-Tax and added some new functions instead of logging in to various applications for tax declaration, payment and refund sas before.

Regarding administrative procedures, particularly in 2019, the Ministry of Finance abolished 49 procedures, amended and supplemented 23 procedures and issued 38 new procedures in tax, customs, securities and public real estate, banking and insurance to facilitate and surmount difficulties for businesses. The Ministry of Finance has also completed joint connection for sending and receiving documents with ministries, central agencies and localities; provided 982 online administrative procedures at the Ministry of Finance (including 114 services at level 1; 364 services at level 2; 197 services at level 3 and 307 services at level 4).

Much work to do

Despite strong reforms and important achievements, Assoc.Prof. Dr. Le Xuan Truong - Head of Department of Tax and Customs, Academy of Finance said to accomplish the goals set by the Government on reforming and modernising the finance sector and better serve people and businesses, the finance sector will have more work to do.

Firstly, it is necessary to follow the Tax Administration Law No. 38/2019 / QH14 including important tasks such as studiously preparing advises for the Government to issue a decree detailing the law execution; issuing a circular to guide the implementation; organising thorough training; preparing all conditions, propagating and supporting businesses, households and individuals to deploy the electronic invoice system, towards using electronic invoices instead of paper invoices from November 1, 2020.

In addition, promoting the application of e-Tax system, offering good policies to promote the participation of the private sector for public-private partnerships in providing information technology infrastructure for implementation of electronic tax services while ensuring safety and information secrets for users; building a call centre to answer questions on policies and guide and support tax payers in accessing and use of tax services easily.

Also according to Truong, it is necessary to further consider and cut tax and customs administrative procedures in tandem with expanding the automated system for seaport customs management (VASSCM) and diversifying electronic tax payment services.

Doing these things well, the finance sector will greatly contributed to making Vietnam ranked firmly in the ASEAN-4 group in terms of investment and business environment index.

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