Dissolution of Customs Branch of Cau Treo International Border-gate Economic Zone is necessary

	Dissolution of Customs Branch of Cau Treo Border Gate Economic Zone (Ha Tinh)
	Deliberately transporting opium poppy seeds and firecrackers cross border
	Ha Tinh Customs arrested 2 perpetrators transporting wild animals

Goods at Cau Treo International Border-gate Economic Zone in 2014. Photo: H.N

Key Economic Zone

Cau Treo International Border-gate Economic Zone was established in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Decision 177/1998/QD-TTg dated 15th September 1998 and was considered as a non-tariff area in accordance with Prime Minister’s Decision 162 / QD-TTg dated 19th October 2007 with a series of incentives on policies of finance, investment and land for investors operating in Economic Zone. Therefore, attracting dozens of projects, hundreds of businesses, thousands of business households to invest in production and business, and forming a dynamic, developed Economic Zone and making the Cau Treo International Border Gate Economic Zone become the highlight of economic development of Ha Tinh province.

In order to manage the business activity in this zone, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province established the Inland Checkpoint of Cau Treo International Border Gate Zone (Gate B) according to Decision No. 2313/QD-UBND dated 19th August 2008, and management agencies include: Customs, Border Guard, Police, and Market Management. In particular, the Customs Branch of Cau Treo International Border-gate Economic Zone was established under Decision No.725/QD-BTC dated 6th April 2010 of the Ministry of Finance.

In period 2008-2014, the business activity and transportation of imported and exported goods at Cau Treo International Border-gate Economic Zone was very crowded and developed. There were many prosperous investors because this zone was considered as one of the 9 key economic zones for 2016-2020 by the Prime Minister.

However, as per statistics from Ha Tinh Customs Department, the revenue at Cau Treo International Border-gate Economic Zone sharply decrease each year. The revenue reached VND 225 billion in 2014, VND 186 billion in 2015, VND 111 billion in 2016, VND 45 billion in 2017. In the first quarter of 2018, revenue reached only VND 11.5 billion with an import and export turnover of US$ 4.4 million.

In addition, the Customs force at the Zone has regularly chaired and coordinated with Customs Enforcement Team, Anti-drugs Team under the Ha Tinh Customs Department, Police and Border Guard force to patrol and grasp the actual situation, ensure security and not permit smuggling hot sites and chains of smuggling and drugs in Customs control area. Accordingly, in 2017 and 2018, competent agencies collaborated to seize 4 smuggling cases and illegal trafficking of goods, including a typical case of 2,198 synthetic drugs.

Many plans for dissolution

Although the Cau Treo International Border Gate Economic Zone has been a pride of Huong Son district in particular and Ha Tinh province in general for a long time, in the context that mechanisms and policies were amended in accordance with the trend of integration, thereby, some projects of Cau Treo international Border Gate Economic Zone are no longer consistent.

The Law on Export and Import Duty took effect since 1st September 2016, and Cau Treo International Border Gate Economic Zone was no longer considered as a non-tariff area, and not subject to enjoy incentive tax policies for goods and services as before, causing confusion for many enterprises and investors in their business and production plan and they no wanted long-term investment here.

Also from this time, the Customs forces have not carried out Customs procedures for imported and exported goods in and out of the non-tariff area. Means of transport and goods which were carried out by Customs procedures at Cau Treo International Border Gate, shall not be inspected when passing Inland Checkpoint (Gate B). The State management of the forces of Inland Checkpoint in Cau Treo International Border Gate decreased to 98% compared with the previous time.

Ha Tinh Customs collaborates to seize nearly 600 synthetic narcotics tablets VCN – According to Cau Treo Customs Branch (Ha Tinh Customs Department), the unit has just collaborated ...

Facing this situation, Mr. Luong Truong Tho, Director of Ha Tinh Customs Department said that in accordance with Resolution 18-NQ/TW on some issues relating to continued reform and restructure for a streamlined and effective apparatus of the political system as well as reducing pressure for businesses when implementing goods clearance and transport goods from Cau Treo Border Gate to inland, Ha Tinh Customs Department has actively reported and proposed to the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province, the General Department of Customs and the Ministry of Finance on the dissolution of the Customs Branch of Cau Treo Border Gate Economic Zone.

On 10th April, 2018, the GDVC issued Official letter No. 1918/TCHQ-TCCB on the dissolution of Customs Branch of Cau Treo Border Gate Economic Zone.

During waiting for official decision by Ministry of Finance, Ha Tinh Customs Department has actively transferred and moved some officials to other branches under the department to avoid waste on staffing in line with the instruction of the GDVC. Currently, Ha Tinh Customs Department has moved 12 Customs officers of Customs Branch of Cau Treo Border Gate Economic Zone to other Branches for the new tasks.