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Officials of the Centrefor Management and Operation of Customs IT System (Department of IT and Customs Statistics) check the operation of server systems at the centre. Photo: T.B.

The spillover and enhancement of values from the National Single Window

To have a comprehensive and specific view of bright spots in IT application of Customs in 2019 and goals and solutions set for 2020 and the coming years, on the occasion of Lunar New Year, we had an interview with the Director of Department of Information Technology and Customs (General Department of Customs) Nguyen Manh Tung.

“Compared to previous years, the industry's IT application activities in 2019 seem to be quieter, how do you see?”we opened the conversation with a question. Nguyen Manh Tung said it may look like that but realityis completely different.

“Say it quietly because there are no big IT application programmes in 2019. Because major programs like the VNACCS/VCIS, the VASSCM, the National Single Window (NSW) and the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) came into operation stably. These are the contents that have been mentioned a lot. The problem in 2019 wasto focus on further improving the quality and efficiency of the above systems. The highlight of 2019 wasthe redesign of the customs IT system, which is a large, complex and long-term project and it is just in the beginning stage. However, it cannotbe said that there was not bright spots on IT applications in 2019,” Tung said.

The breakthrough point mentioned by Tung is related to the implementation of the NSW. In the past, when talking about achievements in implementing the NSW, we often talked about expanding procedures, the number of records, connecting businesses in the country, connecting the ASW and comparing with the goals set by the Government. At the same time, we also recognisedthis is only a story related to the ministries and branches at the central level.

The Director of the Department of IT and Customs Statistics said: “These contents are repeated for many years. The issue is that how to make the NSW spread to everywhere, especially to the local.”

In 2019, the spread appeared at the first period, it is an important premise to enhance the value of implementation of the NSW. That is the implementation of the scheme "collecting fees for using infrastructure in HaiPhong port area" via the NSW platform.

The feesarecollected in accordance with the resolution of HaiPhong City People's Council. The implementation responsibilities of local governments and money collected for HaiPhong city budget. At first glance, this issue has nothing to do with the NSW. But to collect, authorities in HaiPhong must rely on data declared by import-export enterprises. If done manually, HaiPhong will have to spend a lot of manpower, causing more difficulties for businesses. In the context of implementing e-Government, this plan has many shortcomings. If HaiPhong City designed an IT system by itself to implement its fee collection, itwouldtake time and costs.

In that context, with the management at the region, HaiPhong Customs Department advised and proposed HaiPhong City People's Committee and the General Department of Customs implement the project of fee collection through the NSW platform.

“For many years, the Customs sector has built large-scale, stable and widespread electronic payment systems, including 24/7 tax payment and is implementing a collection mechanism, the payment method, the collection object with the customs office similar to the system of HaiPhong city. Therefore, connecting local infrastructure fee collection to the NSW platform is an effective solution, helping the locality save manpower and costs, simpleprocesses, and reduce time in making procedures for enterprises while the collection and payment are made transparently and accurately,”Tung said.

We do not analyse the collection of fees or technical contents related to the implementation of the scheme. The problem that we feel and also what Tung mentioned is the ability to connect, integrate and spread which is not only from the NSW but also from many IT systems of the Customs sector.

Thinking of connecting, integrating and spreading is also a key point to be taken in IT application of Customs in the near future. This is something that needs to be deepened and exploited to maximize the effectiveness of the IT systems of the sector. Because it is very suitable to reality when the General Department of Customs has been assigned as the focal point in implementing contents related to reform, simplifying administrative procedures andreducing clearance time for import and export goods, which areboth in line with the policy of implementing the E-Government and the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

Reconstructing the IT system - new motivation

In addition to the bright spot in terms of the NSW, in 2019, the General Department of Customs deployeda series of work related to the scheme of redesigning the IT system.

According to Tung, the important goals arebuilding a new IT system of the Customs sector on the basis of applying new technological achievements, in line with international standards, towards "Digital Customs", meeting requirements of intelligent management; enterprise management, import-export and transit goods; and means of transport on exit, entry and transit, from the beginning to the end. At the same time, the new system will be able to integrate, connect, and share information with ministries, industries and businesses through the National Single Window and ready to exchange customs data with countries in the region and in the world.

The key points of the scheme are to create a centralized and unified database to meet customs clearance requirements and to carry out customs procedures for all fields of State management of customs; serving the requirements of customs management shifting from the mode of transaction management to enterprise management with different perspectives (processing, processing, manufacturing, exporting); standardize data for the entire system compatible with the data model of the World Customs Organization (WCO), and link with the ASEAN Single Window data.

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The construction of a new IT system (including backup IT system) must be sustainable, scalable and easily developed when business requirements change and technology applications of the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

However, as Tung mentioned, this is a large and complex project, so the implementation process will still take a lot of time.