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Deputy Director General of General Department of Vietnam Customs Hoang Viet Cuong speaks at the conference's opening. Photo: Q.H

A training conference on measuring compliance in import and export activities was jointly held by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on September 26 in Hanoi.

The representatives of the GDVC's departments and ten local customs departments in the North attended the conference.

At the conference's opening, Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong said that compliance measurement is one of the technical measures of risk management, which the World Customs Organization recommends "Customs must implement a strategy on law compliance measurement to support risk management".

The compliance measurement provides objective and valid statistical results and is used as a predictable tool to identify areas of non-compliance; it provides essential information to strengthen the risk assessment methodology. In addition, the compliance measurement is part of the Customs performance assessment program.

The compliance measurement results identify the level of tax and customs compliance of enterprises in import and export activities; compliance measures are used as an effective tool to determine the revenue loss, prevent trade fraud, assess operation level of key industries, importers and exporters, and mainly identify the progress in trade compliance and accurately assess international trade.

"If the compliance measurement and risk assessment are implemented strategically, it may provide the balance to focus resources to enhance the efficiency of key customs areas. In addition, the results of the initial compliance measurement can provide important information to strengthen risk assessment measures and apply an appropriate inspection and control under the compliance level of each import and export area," said the Deputy Director General.

The conference. Photo Quang Hung

Based on the results of compliance measurement, Customs will detect obstacles and loopholes in management policies and take measures to assess potential risks, methods and tricks to violate the law, thereby providing measures to remove loopholes in management policies; adjust the rate of goods inspection; provide information and support organizations and individuals to improve their compliance with the law in import-export activities.

At the conference, Director Claudio Dordi said that the conference showed USAID's commitment to supporting Vietnamese Customs in reform and trade facilitation. The project aims to assist Vietnam in approaching by applying risk management to ensure customs clearance and inspection by relevant agencies.

USAID-funded Trade Facilitation Project Director Claudio Dordi speaks at the conference. Photo: Q.H

"The support for Vietnam Customs in applying risk management is one of the project's top priorities and the U.S. Government. The promulgation of Circular 81 regulating risk management in customs operation is one of the first steps of Vietnam Customs implementation. Furthermore, the compliance measurement is the key task of Vietnam Customs in customs clearance," said Mr. Claudio Dordi.

The conference takes place from 26-29 September. The conference helps officers approach and learn how to build, coordinate and implement the program and provides instruction on using the software for compliance measurement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection experts.