Binh Phuoc Customs: Timely support for businesses

Business dialogue is one of regular activities of Binh Phuoc Customs Department to disseminate legal policies to enterprises. Photo: N.H

The local government and businesses highly appreciate

Director of Binh Phuoc Customs Department Nguyen Van Lich affirmed that to achieve high results in the reform of administrative procedures in the customs field, it required active and effective coordination between Customs authorities and enterprises, and individuals involved in customs activities.

Accordingly, the Customs sector in general and Binh Phuoc Customs Department, in particular, has made continuous efforts in reforming administrative procedures to improve the publicity and transparency of customs procedures. Thereby, it has actively contributed to improving the business environment in the province and effectively contributed to investment attraction of Binh Phuoc; enhancing the operational efficiency of enterprises, and contributing to economic development and social stability within the province.

Vice Chairman of Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Mi highly appreciated the implementation of the Customs - Business partnership of Binh Phuoc Customs Department. Through regular activities, Binh Phuoc Customs Department has contributed to improving the investment environment and helping to attract businesses to invest in Binh Phuoc. Thereby completing the targets of state revenue, ensuring the function of state management of Customs.

From a business perspective, Mr. Lieu Kien Khang, Deputy Director of Thuan An Paper Trading and Service Joint Stock Company, said that the timely and effective support solutions of Binh Phuoc Customs Department for import and export activities had contributed to helping the company quickly recover from the severe impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, Mr. Lieu Kien Khang said that Binh Phuoc Customs Department has proposed and helped businesses create a voice with the HCM City government in the application of fees for seaport infrastructure. As a result, the fee has been adjusted in line with reality.

“Thuan An Paper Company has a very large number of export and import containers, so adjusting this fee helps the company save a huge amount of money, thereby helping businesses reduce their burden and recover. Up to now, the company has recovered to an equivalent of 80% compared to the point before the pandemic,” Mr. Khang said.

Mr. Huynh Quoc Phong, Manager of Import-Export Department, Jason Furniture Co., Ltd., said that Binh Phuoc Customs Department created the best conditions for businesses in cargo clearance and inspection of import and export goods. Even if the goods are classified in the red channel, the unit also creates conditions for enterprises to inspect goods in the shortest time, helping enterprises to have materials to put into production in time to finish orders. The pre-determination of HS codes was also supported by the unit very effectively, so all import and export procedures took place quickly and minimized errors that might lead to a violation. Mr. Phong revealed that by the beginning of September, Jason Furniture's production orders had reached about 90% compared to before the pandemic. This was a very impressive result in the context that export markets like the US were being heavily affected by inflation.

Continue to improve efficiency

Although positive results have been achieved, Mr. Nguyen Van Lich also acknowledged that, compared with new requirements in the period of international integration, the reform and modernization work at Binh Phuoc Customs Department still faces shortcomings. The reason was that the customs officer in charge of import and export procedures of some enterprises have not been trained in the field of import and export, leading to inaccurate customs declarations, and not complying with the provisions of law.

Along with that, the information technology infrastructure in many places has not met the implementation of electronic customs procedures; the awareness and level of making customs declarations of a number of import-export staff in applying e-customs - VNACCS was limited, leading to delays in the connection process with the Customs authority.

On the side of Binh Phuoc Customs Department, although the unit's payroll has been increased, it still does not meet the requirements and is not commensurate with the increasing volume and demand of assigned tasks.

The dissemination of legal information related to the state management of customs to the business community has been focused and improved significantly, but the access to information in enterprises is not uniform, there is still a problem. Some businesses have not yet accessed the information of the Customs sector and Binh Phuoc Customs Department.

Therefore, the effectiveness of the coordination between the two sides of Customs and enterprises is sometimes not as expected.

To improve the effectiveness of the Customs-Business partnership, Vice President Tran Van Mi suggested that Binh Phuoc Customs Department should strengthen the review and selection of eligible enterprises to sign an agreement on conditional and regular partnership. In addition, further strengthening the support of enterprises in investment in Binh Phuoc province; strengthening support, solving problems, removing difficulties and facilitating enterprises in investment activities and clearance activities.

Vice President Tran Van Mi also directed the departments, sectors and localities of Binh Phuoc province to strengthen coordination with Binh Phuoc Customs Department in handling procedures for the business community; promote tax collection, especially coordination for collecting tax through credit institutions, and strengthen support and timely response to enterprises' recommendations.

On the side of the business community, Vice President Tran Van Mi wished to receive companionship and share the difficulties of the province in general and the Customs sector in particular. At the same time, continuing to contribute to the socio-economic development of Binh Phuoc province is getting better and better, ensuring harmonious interests between the state and enterprises.

Mr. Lieu Kien Khang also assessed that, in the context of increasing import and export activities, the payroll of the Customs sector cannot increase accordingly, enterprises needed to gain knowledge of the law and strictly comply with regulations. This will greatly reduce the workload for Customs officers. However, in reality, many enterprises do not grasp the legal provisions on import and export, especially when there are many new circulars and decrees being issued. Therefore, Customs also needs to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the legal dissemination and procedures for enterprises.

"This requires efforts from both sides and will bring benefits to both sides in the process of implementing import-export procedures," Mr. Khang said.