Collect State Revenue in Ha Giang Customs: Strongly affected from business operation

Customs officials of Thanh Thuy Customs Branch inspected goods of temporary import and re-export. Photo: T.Trang

Estimated 1,000 while the actual import was… two

According to the Customs News reporter’s records, Thanh Thuy International Border Gate is one of the Customs Branches that mainly implements the task of revenue collection for Ha Giang Customs Department. In the early days of November, the volume of vehicles transporting through the border gate was quite sparse. Only 30 containers implemented import – export procedures every day, and occasionally some cargo trucks belonging to border residents. It is known that import – export cargo in September and October was significantly reduced over the same period in 2017.

Speaking to Customs News reporter, Deputy Manager of Thanh Thuy Customs Branch Luong Trung Kien said that the import - export goods, means of transport on exit and entry through Thanh Thuy International Border Gate in the past 10 months has sharply decreased compared to the same period in 2017. The main commodity was exported agricultural products without tax. The other main items the unit processes for procedures, such as auto parts and electric concrete mixer trucks ... have reduced dramatically, and even sometimes, there were no items to process.

Mr. Kien analyzed by taking an example of automobile components and spare parts with a car assembly company that registered to import about 1,000 sets of components in 2018. However, due to the domestic consumption situation being bad, from the beginning of 2018 to now, this company has only imported ... 2 sets of components.

Analyzing specifically the situation of import – export in the area, Deputy Director of Ha Giang Customs Department Nguyen Minh Thanh said that from the beginning of 2018, the import and export activities in the management area​​ of Ha Giang Customs Department mainly happen at the Thanh Thuy Customs Branch and Tuyen Quang Customs Branch, while at the Xin Man Border Gate and other border gates the only arising procedures were for re-export of temporary import goods and goods of border residents. As a result, the revenue to the State budget depends mainly on the situation of tax collection from two Customs branches, Thanh Thuy and Tuyen Quang. Otherwise, what is worth mentioning is that the situation of import and export activities in the area was quiet compared to previous years.

It can be seen that from 1/1 to 30/10/2018, the total export turnover reached only $US 340.879 million, reduced by 42% over the same period last year, in that the export turnover in Ha Giang reached $US 275 million, decreased by 89.94% over the same period last year ($US 2,515 million). The export turnover in Tuyen Quang area reached $US 149.4 million, reduced by 24.6% over the same period last year ($US 198 million).

Specifically, the main exported items were fresh fruits of all kinds, cassava, cassava starch, dried tea, plywood, and antimony. Additionally, exported goods’ procedures were; transit, temporary imports and re-exports. The main imported items were; electric power, input processing materials, machinery and equipment of all kinds, coke, manganese ore, fresh vegetables of all kinds, and all kinds of ashlar paving stone.

Deputy Director of Ha Giang Customs Department also said that the revenue from import tax collection was reduced due to a number of investment projects having finished the import of goods and completing projects, so the machinery and hydroelectric power equipment and other imported machinery were reduced. In addition, in the first 10 months of the year, the price of export goods between Vietnam and China have been affected due to the fluctuations of the RMB exchange rate, thus trading activities of enterprises and traders decreased compared to the same periods last year. In particular, a number of frequently imported and exported items with high tax rate, such as automobile spare parts, concrete mixer trucks... have all fallen sharply. Only accounting for waterway equipment, it decreased by 146 million VND, decreased by 81% over the same period last year; Machinery and equipment to create fixed assets decreased 38,512 billion VND, reduced by 66% over the same period last year.

Determined to complete the target

The Deputy Director Nguyen Minh Thanh said that, the leaders of Ha Giang Customs Department have determined that “by all measures, the unit must complete the target of revenue collection as assigned”.

One of the measures that have been actively applied by the unit is the promotion of reform, modernization in order for promoting trade facilitation, controlling the compliance, ensuring the source of revenue, reducing time for cross border cargo clearance. To concentrate on implementing solutions for attracting enterprises to participate in export-import activities. Minimize paperwork, reducing time, reduce costs in implementing administrative procedures in import-export field.

Furthermore; maintaining and ensuring the internet network and transmission line for the operation of enterprise declarations run smoothly, ensuring the security and safety of customs information technology system, maintaining the exploitation of customs professional software applications in order to facilitate enterprises in import – export activities.

In parallel with that: Ha Giang Customs Department has directed the customs units to focus and mobilize all forces to ensure the performance of management tasks, and actively solve customs procedures in time; facilitating import and export of goods; means of transport and passengers on entry or exit for fast and convenient throughput, and not causing delays which lead to goods sticking at the border.

It can be seen that the procedural reforms and facilitation by the Ha Giang Customs Department have been recognized and appreciated by the business community in the area. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong, an import-export officer of Thu Huong Import-Export Co, Ltd., said that the company has received enthusiastic support from the Customs officers of Thanh Thuy Customs Branch from consultancy for customs procedures, guiding legal documents, to facilitating and settling customs procedures promptly, and for timely solving problems arising in the process of importing and exporting goods through this border gate.