Hai Phong Customs: Concentrate on developing Customs – Business partnership

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

On May 7, 2018, Hai Phong Customs Department held a conference to discuss solutions and signed a MoU of Customs Partnership Development Agreement. Immediately after signing, the unit issued internal rules and regulations to implement commitments to the business community responsibly and put the Customs – Business partnership into reality.

After two years of implementation, the Customs - Business partnership at the Hai Phong Customs Department has recorded positive results.

Firstly, creating positive effects in the business community such as 15,620 enterprises have signed an MoU agreement with Hai Phong Customs Department on May 6, 2020; improve the legal responsibility of the business community in the implementation of customs procedures as well as participate and contribute ideas in the process of reforming administrative procedures.

Secondly, changing basic awareness of customs officials about the relationship between the Customs authority and the business community, from "management subject" to "partner"; bringing reform and facilitating enterprises to become the permanent consciousness of each customs official.

Thirdly, Hai Phong Customs Department has built an electronic portal to communicate and disseminate laws. This is an interactive communication channel between Customs authorities and the business community; promptly answering problems and guiding customs procedures. As of May 6, 2020, the department has received 128 problems from people and businesses through the web portal.

The development of Customs – Business partnership of Hai Phong Customs Department has been highly appreciated by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

On January 15, 2020, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued Decision No. 85/QD-TCHQ on the development of Customs-Business partnerships and related parties in 2020. To implement the decision as well as record and collect the opinions on evaluation and satisfaction level of enterprises, Hai Phong Customs Department is the first unit in the whole sector to develop and implement a service quality assessment system after completing the customs procedure for each declaration, the enterprise can assess satisfaction with the service quality of customs official, working teams, and related Customs Department on the customs declaration software (ECUSVNACCS) at the levels: "Very satisfied": 5 *; "Satisfied": 4 *; "Neutral": 3 *; " Dissatisfied": 2 *; "Very dissatisfied": 1 *.

The system was officially launched on April 1, 2020. After being implemented, the system has been responded to by many businesses, coordinating to assess service quality of customs officials, working teams and customs branches. From April 1, 2020 to May 6, 2020, Hai Phong Customs Department received 4,988 opinions from 151,617 declarations registered in the whole department, accounting for 3.3%.

In the future, Hai Phong Customs Department hopes to receive more attention and evaluation of the business community for service quality provided by customs officials through the system. This is an important source of information to help improve and enhance the service quality of customs officials, working groups and customs branches under the department. All evaluation information of the people and businesses will be received, verified and processed by Hai Phong Customs Department, seriously considering responsibility for the cases of officials' violations and showing feedback to the people and businesses.