Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport: Procedure reform in line with other countries in the region

Customs officers of Tan Son Nhat international airport are making procedures import goods. Picture: T.H

Over 93% of the goods exempt from inspection

According to the Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport, there are over 10,000 enterprises make the import and export procedures at the department. For the specific export commodities, mainly agricultural products: vegetables, fresh fruits; coffee; aquatic products (shrimp, crab, fresh and frozen fish, ornamental creatures); sample goods and imported items are mainly western medicines, frozen and chilled foods; fruits; Mobile phones, laptops, computer components; medical equipment; fashion goods of all kinds; Spare parts; cosmetic,… Most of import and export goods are under special preservation, requiring timely clearance, the Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport has paid attention to reform procedures and apply modern management programs to ensure the goods clearance for businesses fastest.

Besides speeding up the customs procedures, in order to support and create favorable conditions for enterprises, Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport also collaborates with enterprises having warehouses, specialized inspection bodies to have effective solutions for import and export of goods of enterprises. One of the highlights of the administrative reform is that the department coordinates with the well-maintained units operating at the specialized inspection sites at the border gate, with the participation of many agencies such as: Center for Standards and Quality 3; Public Health Institute; Regional Plant Quarantine Sub-department II; Regional Veterinary Agency VI… has facilitated time as well as cost reduction for enterprises. On average, each of these units receives more than 500 specialized inspection declarations per day, which significantly reduces travel costs and time for enterprises. At the same time, the implementation of the portal for specialized inspection helps the exchange information among specialized inspection units, Customs, and enterprises to be more convenient.

With a large volume of import-export goods and a tax revenue of about 22 billion VND per day, the export and import of diverse, complex, small and high-value goods, Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport has effectively implemented the e-customs clearance system; applied risk management and minimized the clearance time in accordance with the Decision No. 448 /QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. At present, more than 93% of goods are exempted from inspection, 50% of which are cleared within 3 seconds, the rest is cleared within 10 minutes.

More than 90% of passengers walk through the green door

The Tan Son Nhat International Airport has the largest number of passenger on exit/entry and import-export goods in the country. On average, Tan Son Nhat International Airport's customs office make 230 procedures for 230 flights per day with about 32,000 passengers. To facilitate passengers as well as ensure the state management of customs, the Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport has applied many modern management methods, built a team of professional senior staff to serve passengers. The customs clearance time for passengers on entry and exit has been equal to the international practice.

Most recently, implementing the plan of the General Department of Customs on the installation and putting into use of an underground scanning system for luggage at the station to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, in March 2017, the Customs branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport has put the system of underground scanners into the pilot use to serve the management of entry passengers, creating airy and convenient for entry passengers. It is expected to be officially launched on the 42nd anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and national reunification.

Mr. Le Tuan Binh, Deputy Manager of the Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat international airport, said that with the application of this scanner system, more than 90% of entry passengers are cleared through Green lane. Accordingly, passengers completing the entry procedures from the border police, only take signed luggage at the conveyor belt and go out, instead of passing through the area of luggage scanners of the customs office for testing as before. Mr. Le Tuan Binh explained, in order to reform procedures and modernize the stages of procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the Customs Department has equipped with a system of pre-screening signed luggage at the arrival station. After the scanner system comes into operation, the Customs office carries out its specialized measures to ensure modern customs management and create the most convenient procedures for the passengers.

Sharing with us after taking 4 packages on a US-bound voyage to Vietnam, a foreign passenger said, now he just go out the door to back home without going to the scanner system area of the Customs as before. It is very convenient because the passengers do not have to make effort, time to load packages to the scanner then reload on the trolley. As a regular exit-entry passenger, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh (Tay Ninh Province) said, because of the demand for work, every few months she went abroad once. "Customs procedures for import and export luggage are more simple and fast, like in foreign airports, in line with the international practice," she said.

Previously, to facilitate the exit passengers, the station to Tan Son Nhat international airport has been screened jointly Customs - Aviation security. Accordingly, the passenger will only have to go through a single screen door instead of the two doors as before, reduced procedures, shorten the time for passengers.

At the places where procedures have been carried out, the Department has deployed a touch screen displaying the Customs Law and the guiding documents, supporting entry/exit enterprises and passengers to search texts, showing the records of the enterprises carrying out customs procedures, thereby publicizing the process of making procedures, creating transparency for the enterprises to monitor

Besides the effective implementation of the scanners, the unit is developing a procedure process for luggage of passengers entering the country via a scanner, attaching chips to suspicious luggage, contributing to reduce clearance time, creating a modern and civilized environment but still ensuring the fight against smuggling and trade frauds.