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Customs officers at Le Thanh International Border Gate Customs Branch inspect agricultural products imported from Cambodia. Photo: N.H

Prevent pandemic

The Central Highlands border area has four border gates managed by Dak Lak Customs Department and Gia Lai-Kon Tum Customs Department. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the two departments have provided many solutions to achieve the Government’s “dual goals”.

Entry from Laos and Cambodian has been suspended, so Customs only performs supervision and control for import and export goods and means of transport on entry and exit.

The manager of Bo Y International Border Gate Customs Branch, Tran Thanh Van, said about 40-50 means of transport carrying import and export goods on average daily across the Bo Y Border Gate. Imported products are mainly fruits, cassava chips, rubber and wood. Exported goods are raw materials, fertilisers and seedlings.

Although the volume of goods across Le Thanh and Buprang Border gates is lower than other border gates, they are still closely controlled and supervised by customs branches.

Inspection and supervision for goods, means of transport are performed by the customs at checkpoints and sites for goods storage. Delivery and receipt of goods is still done in one site. Drivers of Laos and Cambodia are not allowed to enter the goods delivery area. All vehicles carrying cargo are fumigated and then driven by Vietnamese drivers into the border gate areas to load and unload the goods.

Also, closer inspections have been conducted at border crossings and trails to prevent illegal entry and exit, smuggling and transportation of goods, and animals at high-risk human disease transmission. Customs units regularly exchange information with competent agencies of neighboring countries to grasp the disease situation and promptly notify violations in pandemic prevention and control regulations.

Facilitating imports and exports

Compliance with pandemic prevention and control regulations is the first priority. However, customs branches in the Central Highlands border area have quickly cleared goods and vehicles to prevent congestion at the borders and facilitate import-export and investment activities of firms.

Despite the complicated development of pandemic, the import and export turnover at the area even increased sharply compared to the same period last year.

Manager of Le Thanh International Border Gate Customs Branch, Hoang Luong Quang, said from the beginning of the year to now, nearly 20 new companies have carried out procedures at the branch. These firms mainly import machinery and equipment to create fixed assets for wind power projects.

As of May 15, the branch’s import-export turnover reached US$228 million, year-on-year growth of more than 550%.

Manager of Buprang Border Gate Customs Branch, La Van Lap, said the branch attracted four more new enterprises. Some large wind power projects have been invested in the area, increasing import and export turnover to US$198 million.

The turnover at Bo Y Border Gate grew 36%, reaching US$103 million due to the turnover from electric energy, rubber, wood and raw sugar.

The revenue collection of these branches has positive results and Buprang Customs Branch has collected more than VND202 billion, increasing 448% year-on-year.

Le Thanh Customs Branch’s revenue has surged more than 13,000% compared to the same period last year, hitting VND379 billion. The branch has collected VND110 billon, increasing by nearly 50%.

Customs branches said they will continue to create favourable conditions for enterprises to go through procedures to increase revenue stably.

As of May 30, Gia Lai- Kon Tum Customs Department’s revenue exceeded 114% of the target in 2021, with a total revenue of VND554 billion, up 672% year-on-year.

Dak Lak Customs Department collected VND379 billion, up 158% year-on-year, reaching 76% of the goal.