Continue implementing the goal of facilitating and supporting import and export enterprises

Customs officers of Phu Tho Customs Branch check import and export goods. Photo: N.Linh

Reducing 5% of declaration rate classified to red channel

On January 6, 2023, the Government issued Resolution 01/NQ-CP on the main tasks and solutions for the implementation of the socio-economic development plan, the state budget estimate and the improvement of the business environment and national competitiveness in 2023. Some solutions are proposed to promote trade promotion, supply and demand connection, and expand export markets; continue to reform and simplify administrative procedures; complete the legal framework for e-commerce, electronic transactions and digital economy; focus on exploiting Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), especially the new generation of FTAs. Furthermore, strengthening the work of providing information and business orientation strongly shift export activities to pay full tax and sustainability.

Implementing the Government's Resolution, in Decision No. 123/QD-TCHQ dated January 31, 2023, the General Department of Vietnam Customs assigned 10 groups of a target on administrative reform, simplifying customs procedures, and trade facilitation in 2023 for units in the sector. The targets continued to aim at facilitating maximally for businesses in import and export activities, saving time and costs, reducing clearance time and releasing goods.

Among that, there is notable target such as: improving the quality of risk analysis and assessment, ensuring to reduce the rate of red channel declarations by 5% and 10% of yellow channel declarations by 2023. Furthermore, in Section II, Article 1 of Decision No. 628/QD-TTg dated May 20, 2022, on the approval of Customs Development Strategy to 2030, the main target is expected: the proportion of declarations subject to document inspection should not exceed 30%, the ratio of declarations subject to physical inspection of goods must not exceed 4.5%.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the rate of channeling declarations 2022 as of December 15, 2022, is: red channel is 4.26%, yellow channel is 30.41%, and green channel is 65.33%. The biggest determining factor for classifying to yellow channel is the regulatory criteria (55.59%), the management criteria at the General Department level (20.88%), the criteria of enterprise-grade (12.49%) and the criteria of risk portfolio (10.83%). Meanwhile, the biggest determining factor for classifying to red channel is due to the management criteria at the General Department level (59.07%), the criteria of the enterprise-grade (14.83%), the channeling criteria (10.38%) and the regulation criteria (7.97%).

To achieve the set targets, the General Department of Vietnam Customs will review the directive documents of the General Department on strengthening the inspection of import and export goods, reducing the list of specialized inspection, reducing the list of risk management in the fields of customs professional operations, basically converting customs dossier into electronic documents (no paper submission required); reducing the proportion of consignments that must be sampled for analysis and assessment; increase the rate of enterprises complying with customs laws.

Reducing 10% of clearance time

In addition, the General Department of Vietnam Customs also assigned the target of reducing clearance time and releasing goods by 10% in 2023 (related to the working time of the Customs authority).

According to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 23 of Law on Customs, the time limit for the customs officer to complete the verification of dossiers within 2 working hours after the customs authority receives complete customs documents and complete physical inspection of goods within 8 working hours after customs declarants fully produce goods to customs authorities.

Shortening the total time of clearance and release of goods is not only the responsibility of the Customs authority but also the responsibility of other stakeholders, such as import-export enterprises, specialized management and inspection agencies, and enterprises operating warehouses and yards. The targets aim to reduce time, and business costs by simplifying customs procedures and facilitating enterprises in import and export activities.

The reduction of clearance time is essential, making an important contribution to trade facilitation and promoting import and export activities; if the criteria promulgated in this Decision are all fulfilled, the time for cargo clearance and release of goods will be reduced. Therefore, the General Department of Vietnam Customs will develop specific solutions to implement this target in 2023 based on summarizing opinions of local Customs Departments about the annual time of cargo clearance and release in 2022.

Besides that, carrying out import and export activities through customs broker agents is an inevitable trend in international economic integration. Therefore, in 2023, the General Department of Vietnam Customs sets a target to increase by 10% the number of customs declarations cleared through customs broker agents.

Over the past, customs broker agent activities have made important contributions, laying the foundation for the development of services related to import and export activities in the country. Developing customs broker agents will further facilitate the development of logistics service, helping businesses carry out customs procedures become professional, reducing cargo clearance time, and reducing the occurrence of violations due to the lack of conditions to fully study customs law and policies on goods management.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs said that they would develop a specific action plan to disseminate and encourage owners of goods, people and businesses to use customs broker agents when arising import and export activities, enhance the role of agents in terms of acting as a bridge between Customs authorities and exporters and importers. At the same time, solving the problem of unfair competition between freelancers and customs agents, maximally supporting customs broker agents when carrying out customs procedures through groups of solving problems, dissemination, support, provide information between customs authority and customs broker agent.

Notably, in 2023, the General Department of Vietnam Customs will continue to implement solutions to achieve the goal of reducing documents in the customs dossier, basically converting documents into the form of electronic data: 100% of certificates of origin are submitted electronically; it is strictly forbidden for customs officers to ask declarants to submit documents outside the regulations; coordinate with ministries and sectors to put the remaining 50% of administrative procedures to the National Single Window.