Customs effectively deploys the fight against state revenue loss

	Localities strengthen measures to combat State revenue loss
	Petrol strongly affects Customs revenue collection
	Strive for task of state revenue collection

Together with accelerating the Customs supervision, the anti-smuggling and anti-trade frauds, the anti-revenue loss has also been focused on by the Customs sector. (Photo: Customs supervision at Cai Lai port, Quang Ninh). Photo: T. Trang

In the third quarter of 2018, the country’s economic situation remained stable and with a fast growth rate. Thus, in addition to drastically deploying Government’s Resolutions on macro-economic operation and the Ministry of Finance’s plans, the action plans issued by the General Department of Customs have helped the task performance in the first nine months of 2018 by the Customs sector gain some remarkable results.

In which, the most remarkable result was in the administrative reform and Customs modernization. Identifying the completion of the Customs policies, mechanisms and laws as an important task, the Customs actively reviewed the Customs legal system to see the documents which were to be amended, supplemented and issued. The Customs has mobilized its resources and time to develop documents in accordance with the registered contents. Particularly, the General Department has consulted and assessed 185 nominative legal documents and documents and case dossiers of the sector to deal with problems related to tax and customs.

Along with that, the administrative reform and administrative control has been further promoted and deployed, contributing to reducing Customs clearance time for imports and exports and facilitating enterprises. The administrative reform has been accelerated at all stages: developing institutions, policies, laws; handling administrative procedures and applying information and technology, and focusing on administrative reform between Customs and relevant units and agencies, especially in the handling of administrative procedures for enterprises.

Accordingly, in the nine months of 2018, the General Department of Customs has developed a detailed plan for measurement of clearance time at the sector level in 2018, conducted a survey of satisfaction for Customs administrative procedures in 2018, developed tests and implemented capacity assessment of officers at units under the General Department of Customs.

Also, in September 2018, as a Standing Agency of the National Steering Committee for National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window and Trade facilitation, the General Department of Customs has completed the development of an action plan to promote the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window, reformed the specialized inspection for imports and exports, and facilitated trade for the 2018-2020 period.

As of September 30th, 2018, 11 ministries and sectors have been connected to the National Single Window and 68 administrative procedures have been handled via the National Single Window. As of June 30th, 2018, more than 1.5 million administrative dossiers have been processed and 24,000 enterprises have participated. The National Single Window has been expanded to seaports and offshore oil ports in 11 provinces and cities and the Aviation National Single Window has been deployed.

The specialized inspection was also comprehensively reformed. The General Department of Customs completed the task of coordination in organizing the Conference on reform of specialized inspection for imports and exports and trade facilitation for the 2018-2020 period. The General Department of Customs has also implemented 160 lists of specialized inspection, and at the same time, the ministries and sectors have also amended and supplemented 81/87 documents, accounting for 93% of the requirements.

Regarding the application of information technology and provision of online public services in customs management, the General Department of Customs has focused on upgrading IT systems in line with Circular No. 39/2018 / TT-BTC and Decree No. 59/2018 / ND-CP dated April 20th, 2018. At the same time, deploying solutions to ensure security, information safety and backup information system of the General Department of Customs. Concurrently, expanding the automated system for seaport customs management (VASSCM) at ports, warehouses and yards at 7 Customs Departments with the attendance of 17 Customs Branches and 86 warehouse operators. Upgrading the risk management software to ensure effective and rapid customs management.

Also in the customs supervision, the General Department of Customs has promoted the supervision and management of goods at seaports and airports, and goods transported independently, as well as management of goods processed and manufactured for export and goods in transshipment; continued to apply modern supervision tools (container scanners, surveillance cameras) to strengthen the customs supervision; reduced human resources and promptly detected violations. Risk management has been deployed more and more widely to units in the whole sector, contributing to improving the efficiency of customs management. The pilot implementation of the data bank of channel classification criteria has contributed to preventing the leakage of information and channel classification results.

In parallel with the strengthening of customs supervision, the combat against smuggling and trade frauds and state revenue loss was also paid attention to by the customs sector.

Together with strengthening the post clearance audit (PCA), the Customs sector has attached great importance to the management, guidance, inspection and direction of the PCA. Accelerating the PCA in some key areas such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, etc., and on some key commodities such as scrap, wine, paper, etc.

From January 1st to September 30th, 2018, the whole sector has performed 5,537 PCAs, of which 810 audits were at the headquarters of Customs declarants, and 4,727 audits at the customs offices. The total imposed tax amount and administrative fines were VND 1,625.9 billion (a year-on-year increase of 18%), that was paid to the state budget including collected amount for the year 2017 of VND 1,563.2 billion (reaching 70% of the 2018 target of VND 2,235 billion, up 15% over the same period of 2017).

Regarding the anti-smuggling, the General Department of Customs has advised the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with the ministries, sectors and competent agencies to strengthen the fight against smuggling, trade frauds, fake goods and illegal across-border transportation of goods; directed its units to seriously and effectively implement important measures, in which focusing on: building and perfecting legal framework; raising the capacity of anti-smuggling forces; investing in modern equipment and means; taking synchronous measures and intensifying the coordination, inspection and regular control in key localities and sensitive commodities.

As a result, in the first nine months of the year, the customs sector presided over and coordinated to detect and arrest 12,069 cases of violations in the customs field, collected VND 240.093 billion, and issued 48 decisions on prosecution and transferred 68 cases to other agencies for prosecution.

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In the nine months of 2018, by implementing drastic and synchronous measures, the General Department of Customs has achieved positive results with a state revenue of about VND 225,116 billion, reaching 79.54% of the estimate and 76.83% of the desired target, up 5.21% compared to same period in 2017. Of which, the revenue was mainly from petroleum with VND 29,053 billion, up VND 7,424 billion, equivalent to 34.32% over the same period last year. Increased revenue from this item was equal to VND 18,100 billion compared to the estimate.