Customs reforms tax management policy accompanies with enterprises

The Customs sector hopes to receive more attention and evaluation of the business community for service quality. By: T.Bình

According to a representative of the Import-Export Duty Department-General Department of Vietnam Customs, on February 7, the Ministry of Finance met with representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice to collect comments on a draft document guiding the implementation of the Prime Minister's directives in Official Dispatch No. 197/TTg-KTTH dated February 7, 2020 on import tax exemption for surgical masks and hand sanitiser; raw materials for manufacturing face masks, antiseptic liquid, necessary supplies and equipment for the prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also on February 7, the General Department of Vietnam Customs met with units of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice to advise the Ministry of Finance to sign and issue Decision 155/QD-BTC on the list of goods subject to import tax exemptions for Covid-19 pandemic. There are five groups of items in the list, with HS codes and specific conditions for applying import duty exemptions.

Also according to a representative of the Import and Export Duty Department, implementing Directive No. 11/CT-TTg dated March 4, 2020 of the Prime Minister on urgent tasks and solutions to overcome difficulties for manufacturing and business operation, ensuring social security to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, implementing Decision 155/QD-BTC and Decision 436/QD-BTC dated March 27, 2020 on supplementing goods items eligible for import tax exemption on the list of goods items exempt from import tax in service of Covid-19 pandemic issued together with Decision 155/QD-BTC, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued a lot of documents guiding provincial customs departments to implement import duty exemptions. The positive and proactive attitude of Customs authorities has received high appreciation from the business community and management authorities.

Along with that, to promote the effectiveness of these regulations and guidelines, the General Department of Vietnam Customs also responded and instructed units to urgently deploy and coordinate with competent units to make plans to implement export procedures for goods serving for aid purposes to several countries in the world. The exemption of import taxes on raw materials and supplies for manufacturing of ventilators for the prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic, the General Department of Vietnam Customs recommend to report to the Prime Minister for the implementation of policies on goods management and import tax exemption under the current regulations.

In parallel with the quick, effective and practical implementation so mechanisms and policies which have been issued recently to serve people and businesses, according to representatives of the Import and Export Duty Department, Customs authorities are proposing the Government support and remove difficulties for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, enterprises can prepare a report and send it to the General Department of Vietnam Customs and submit to the Ministry of Finance to report to the Prime Minister for considering an exemption of import and export duty on a case-by-case basis.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs also works with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Health and Vingroup to build a list of goods subject to tax exemption as imported raw materials and supplies serving the manufacture and assembly of ventilators for Covid-19 prevention under the Decision No. 1557/QD-BYT of April 6, 2020 of the Ministry of Health. At the same time, coordinating to check raw materials and input materials of the manufacturing industries proposed to amend Decree No. 125/2017/ND-CP for removing difficulties for production and business, ensuring social safety under the directives of the Prime Minister.

The positive work of the Customs authorities in "reacting", advising and issuing quickly regulations and guidelines related to tax management policies for import and export goods contributed to the effectiveness of the State management of Customs, ensuring the meeting of assigned political tasks.