Enterprises in the centre of pandemic: Always receiving quick support from customs

Professional activities at Bac Giang Industrial Part Customs Branch.

Proactively solve problems

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Bac Ninh is the province with the largest value of industrial production nationwide. The export turnover of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang in electronics and mechanics accounts for about 30% of the export turnover of the country. According to the leader of the Bac Giang Industrial Park Customs Branch (Bac Ninh Customs Department), due to the complex situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, business activities were delayed and the workload was significantly reduced. Compared to the past, the flow of declarations registered through the branch was about 1,200 declarations per day, now it has been decreased to about 400 declarations each day.

At Bac Ninh Customs Branch, from May 20 to now, the branch has handled procedures for more than 2,000 declarations, or about 370 declarations daily. Compared to the previous time, the number of declarations through the Customs branch decreased by about 10%. Currently, there are 247 businesses registered to carry out customs procedures at Bac Ninh Customs branch.

To remove difficulties for business, ensure the source of raw materials for production and business, as well as not disrupt the supply chain of goods, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has issued a document to assign Customs departments of provinces and cities and their affiliated professional units together with the Bac Ninh Customs Department to implement many solutions. The branches should guide customs declarants to declare and submit customs dossiers to the Customs authority via the e-customs system.

Talking to Customs News, Nguyen Duc Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Duc Thanh Co., Ltd., said that to timely support businesses, Bac Ninh Customs Department has answered and solved problems by groups of businesses and types of import and export. For procedures performed on the online public service system, the customs officer will check customs dossiers on e-customs system and process the procedures on the online public service system. When declaring documents and data, if arising questions, they are guided by customs officers via online or other forms of guidance. Therefore, although customs officials did not directly contact the declarant, the declarations of business were quickly processed.

Create the best conditions for businesses

According to Le Ha Minh, Director of Eco Garment Vietnam Co., Ltd., compared to previous waves, this time the company was much calmer and more proactive as well as no longer panicked or worried. All production and business activities of business still operated normally. As a result, the business results of the first 4 months of 2021 of Eco Garment Vietnam Co., Ltd. were still better than in the same period in 2020 and the assessment of the second quarter of 2021 was also better than in the second quarter of 2020.

Also receiving support from Customs, Nguyen Phuong Thao, a representative of an export business located in Bac Giang, said during the time of concentrated isolation, to accompany firms overcome the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the local Customs authority listened and supported businesses in carrying out online customs procedures, limiting paperwork, and making online payments of import and export tax 24/7 through the banking system.

“The Customs authority has actively updated information on customs policies, laws, procedures and sent it directly to associations and businesses. From there, conducting surveys and assessing administrative compliance costs in the field of customs and proposing measures to help reduce compliance costs for businesses," Thao added.

According to Luu Tien Chung, Director of Bac Giang LGG Garment Corporation Joint Stock Company (Lang Giang, Bac Giang), although export activities for the garment industry faced many difficulties due to Covid-19 pandemic and partner countries have more regulations on quality control of shipments making it difficult for firms to declare information, businesses were always guided by the customs officials to remove difficulties.

During concentrated isolation, the Bac Giang industrial park Customs branch requested the customs branch where the goods are stored or the customs branch at the export border to help conduct physical inspections. Then, using the test results received from the system to carry out the next procedure as prescribed.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs recently assigned local customs departments to direct the customs branch where goods are stored or the customs branch at the export border to help conduct physical inspections based on the request of Bac Giang industrial park Customs branch. Actively deploying measures to support and create favourable conditions to handle procedures for firms in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces quickly and comply with regulations.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs also assigned units under the General Department and the Customs Departments of provinces and cities to set up teams and groups to monitor the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to promptly summarise, report and handle difficulties and obstacles of organisations, individuals and units when carrying out customs procedures.