Control of public duty performance of Customs officer at all levels: Strict prevention and handle

	Customs determines more than 300 acts of violation in the public duty performance
	Plan for settlement when the e-Customs system has not received documents of Customs dossier
	Capacity assessment of Customs officers needs to be developed soon

Customs operation at Ha Noi Investment/ Processing Customs Branch. Photo: N.L

Strengthen prevention

Therefore, at the recent seminar on strengthening the Customs-business partnership in Customs modernization in 2018 held by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, one of the contents discussed by the Customs authority is the control of the public duty performance of Customs officers at all levels.

The control of public duty performance of Customs officers at all levels is the key task for the Customs authorities. The negative activities and corruption have greatly affected the capacity of the Customs in effectively performing their tasks and economic growth; led to trade fraud, causing tax losses, impacted on social security, reduced foreign investment and created barriers to international trade; and reduced the trust of people and businesses.

From this awareness, the Customs sector has provided many solutions to control the public duty performance of Customs officers at all levels.

Including solutions on preventing and continuously reforming administrative procedures and Customs modernization to create a favorable development environment for enterprises, and minimize the direct contact between Customs officers and people and enterprises.

Therefore, with the purposes of publicity and transparency of procedures at Customs offices, the Customs has publicized fees and charges that people and enterprises must pay in accordance with regulations.

Changing the method of Customs fee collection and limiting the fee collection in cash and strictly preventing the act of taking advantage of the Customs fee collection to receive money from people and enterprises.

Equipping the security camera system in all operational areas where there are direct contacts between Customs and people and publicizing for people and competent authorities to monitor and supervise public services.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs issued the regulations on using hotline and receiving and handling information via hotline which is attached in Decision 3899/QD-TCHQ dated 10th November 2016, receiving tip-offs and denunciation on offences, smuggling, trade fraud, harassment and negative acts and information related to Customs procedures.

At the headquarters of provincial and municipal Customs Departments and branches, the phone numbers of competent units and officers have been publicized to receive and process information and shortcomings of people and enterprises in Customs procedures.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has also maintained the duty performance under the Regulations on Duty performance and online surveillance in the Customs sector which is issued together with Decision 888/QD-TCHQ dated 17th February 2017, to handle information and situations arising in the Customs operation; detected, prevented and handled Customs offences and other violations.

Every year, Vietnam Customs authorities (from the General Department to provincial and municipal Customs Departments and Branches) have held business dialogue conferences, and through the Portal, Single Window mechanism, Website, and hotline, they have promptly grasped and removed difficulties and shortcomings for enterprises. In 2018, they have held over 100 dialogue conferences.

The Customs has received and handled thousand of requests for provision of information on Customs laws by enterprises at the Customs headquarters, in official letter and via telephone.

Identify over 300 violations for handling

In the inspection and handling, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued regulations on public duty performance of Vietnam Customs under Decision 188/QD-TCHQ dated 2nd February 2017; Identifying violations (about 300 violations) and handling (Decision 2799/QD-TCHQ dated 26th September 2018, regulating on the inspection of public duties, and handling and discipline for civil servants and staff in the Customs sector).

Strengthening the internal inspection and supervision implemented by the General Department of Vietnam Customs for provincial and municipal Customs Departments, and by provincial and municipal Customs Departments for their Customs Branches. In which, accelerating the random inspection and focusing on key and sensitive units and operational activities which are easy for negative acts to arise and actively detect, prevent, rectify in a timely fashion of violations by Customs officers.

Developing regulations on public duties performance and handling of offenses by Customs officers VCN- According to the draft regulations developed by the Inspectorate and Audit Department (under the General Department ...

The Teams for inspection of public duty performance are established from the General Department of Vietnam Customs to Customs departments and Customs branches to strengthen administrative disciplines and rules, and raise the responsibility of Customs officers when performing their duties, and prevent harassment and negative acts. Strictly handling violations and responsibility of leaders at levels related to violations in their units.