Hai Phong port border gate Customs Branch of zone 3: Bright spot in reform and modernisation

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Leaders of Hai Phong port border gate Customs Branch of zone 3 and Vietcombank Hai Phong Branch exchange coordination minutes on the implementation of the authorised collection programme. Photo: T. Binh

Pioneer in IT application

In recent years, Hai Phong Customs Department has always been entrusted by the General Department of Customs to firstly pilot many modernisation programmes. And in Hai Phong Customs Department, Hai Phong port border gate Customs Branch of zone 3 is one of the units entrusted by the department’s leaders to detail the above modernisation programmes.

T Hai Phong port border gate Customs Branch of zone 3 was established on January 1, 2002 (formerly Van My Customs), responsible for carrying out customs procedures, inspection and supervision of exported, imported, and transited goods; goods of the bonded warehouse customs regime; customs control; and collection of taxes and other revenues.

The leader of the Customs Branch shared that compared with the 75-year-long tradition of establishment and development of Vietnam Customs or the 65-year history of establishment and development of Hai Phong Customs Department, the branch’s development process is still considered "young". But luckily from its inception, it was also the period when the Customs sector promoted the reform and modernisation process. Therefore, the unit saw the reform of administrative procedures, customs modernisation, and facilitation for enterprises in customs clearance as a top and important political task.

“Since its inception, the branch has been actively involved in implementing a series of major programmes and projects on customs reform and modernisation such as: official launching of the VNACCS / VCIS system; National Single Window mechanism; applying barcode in customs supervision; building concentrated specialised inspection points at border gates; launching an automated system for seaport customs management; and implementing the authorised collection programme,” said the leader of Hai Phong port border gate Customs Branch of zone 3.

In addition to the major and whole sector-scale programmes and plans have become familiar to each public servant (CBCC) and the business community. Through a comprehensive review of the stages and operations which have been done and monitored manually, the unit has proposed and advised the department's leadership in applying IT, thereby reducing a lot of work for civil servants, while ensuring accurate and scientific work management.

One example is implementing customs declaration of import and export activities of bonded warehouses on the VNACCS/VCIS and applying bonded warehouse management software to Customs as well as bonded warehouse operators; piloting cargo surveillance using GPS navigation; finalising the Internal Web Form Support Programme of the branch to update contents to support customs officers and leaders in performing tasks like searching, tariffs, HS code, documents and the contents of meetings.

The leader of the branch also shared many initiatives on IT application to support operations, which shows the activeness and efforts of the unit in customs modernisation. Some of initiatives are finalising the monitoring of feedback described in new regulations of Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BTC dated April 20, 2018 amending and supplementing articles of Circular No. 38/2015/TT-BTC dated March 25, 2015 regulating customs procedures, inspection and supervision; import and export duties, tax administration applied to exports and imports, automatic update of all temporary imports for re-export declarations into the programme, customs officers do not have to enter in the excel file as before; completing tracking of shipments owing quality inspection on the internal web system; monitoring shipments consulted at the branch and records transferred for consultation at department level on the system; building software to transfer records to connect with Hai Phong Customs and General Department of Customs.

Improve the quality of Customs-business partnership

Along with promoting the IT application to operations to facilitate the business community, in recent years, especially 2020, the Hai Phong port border gate customs branch of zone 3 has further focused on improving the quality of Customs-business partnerships.

According to the branch, based on following the key tasks and directions of the leaders of Hai Phong Customs Department, the branch regularly organises seminars and meetings with enterprises carrying out procedures at the branch, training workshops on policies and laws related to the customs procedures to publicise, answer tax policies and customs procedures, and listen as well as share and remove difficulties and obstacles in customs clearance in a timely fashion.

Along with that, disclosing information on solving problems for enterprises in management areas, focusing on answering questions related to new documents and documents about to take effect; support enterprises via email, receive and answers questions sent by enterprises via email in timely manner in tandem with direct support at the branch’s office.

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In addition, the branch arranges areas reserved for customs agents to carry out procedures at the unit, classify enterprises to appropriate professional groups to ensure clearance time and support the Customs in controlling import and export activities.