HCM City Customs and VLA sign cooperation on trade facilitation

HCM City Customs and VLA sign coordination regulation. Photo: T.H

Director of HCM City Customs Department Dinh Ngoc Thang said there were about 400 customs brokers recognised by the General Department of Vietnam Customs operating in HCM City. Many customs brokers wished to establish an Association of Customs Agents in HCM City to have an official professional organisation to interact and improve professional quality. However, due to problems in the implementation of the association establishment procedures in accordance with the law, they have not been established yet.

Meanwhile, VLA already has a Customs and Trade Facilitation Department and among Customs brokers operating in HCM City about 50% of them are members of VLA. Therefore, the HCM City Customs Department and VLA develop a two-way coordination regulation to improve the quality of customs brokers in HCM City, including customs brokers who are not members of VLA.

HCM City Customs Department wanted customs broker to become an effective arm of the Customs authority to serve effectively, comply with the law, and create a healthy environment for implementing customs clearance for import and export goods. On the other hand, the Customs authority also wanted to listen to the community of Customs brokers in the policy development and recommendations as well as the completion of the Customs authority’s operation.

The community of customs brokers wanted to be supported by customs authorities in providing information, policies, legal provisions related to customs procedures and import-export policies in a regular and timely manner as well as in training and coaching the staffs of customs brokers to improve their professional qualifications and skills to improve the quality of their services, build a reputation to attract import and export businesses more.

Chairman of VLA Le Duy Hiep thanked to HCM City Customs Department for supporting businesses. Photo: T.H

"If both sides meet their expectations, the clearance time for goods would be greatly reduced and would contribute to trade facilitation for import and export activities. This was also a goal that the Government, the Customs authority and the business community were looking forward to," Thang said.

HCM City Customs Department hoped that this coordination regulation would serve as the basis for close and regular coordination between the HCM City Customs Department and the community of customs brokers in HCM City by annual agenda with practical content and rich forms, the two sides would implement to achieve the target. Right after signing this coordination regulation, the two sides would immediately implement the 2021 agenda.

Representing the logistics service business community, Le Duy Hiep, Chairman of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association shared that, in recent years, firms highly appreciated the administrative procedure reform and support from the HCM City Department to the business community in import and export activities. The support of HCM City Customs Department to the business community was increasingly clear, as well as effective.

Through the signing of this coordination regulation, businesses expected to continue receiving the companionship and support of the HCM City Customs Department in production and business activities.