HCMC Customs focus on reform procedures, nourishing revenue source

Customs officers of Saigon port area 1 inspect imports goods. Photo: Thu Hòa

Solving difficulties for hundreds of businesses

One of the bright spots in the administrative procedures reform of HCMC Customs Department in the first 6 months of 2017 is the solution for support enterprises. From the early months of 2017, HCMC Customs Department has implemented Plan 494 / KH-HQHCM dated 27/02/2017 with the topic "Business community and Customs are trusted partners and develop together". In order to implement this plan, the Department has selected 400 enterprises that have large number of export turnover and contributed large number of revenue to state budget, accounting for more than 70% of the state budget in 2016 of the Department, to set up plans for supporting production and business activities as well as Ho Chi Minh city and HCMC Customs Department calculate the annual state budget and other contents close to reality. At the same time, the Department also classified the difficulties and problems of enterprises related to Customs procedures, warehouses or specialized inspection ... in order to remove, or propose solutions to the Government, Ministry of Finance, other ministries, and branches for solving difficulties, facilitating to production and operation of enterprises. Up to now, the unit has met 40 enterprises that have a large turnover and tax payments, 10 enterprises of fabric group and 100 Korean companies.

In parallel, HCMC Customs Department has applied for many modern management programs, in order to reduce the intermediary stage. With the specific characteristics of managing many seaports, electronic surveillance procedures under Article 41 of the Customs Laws for seaports are being deployed by the HCMC Customs Department has brought initial results. Accordingly, between Customs authorities and the port enterprises has connected through the information technology system, exchange data on import and export goods clearance. Hence port operator could put export or import goods into storage and move goods to Customs supervision area at seaports. It helps to simplify procedures, reduce time and transport expenses of enterprises.

Furthermore, in March of 2017, HCMC Customs Department has deployed the Online Supervision Division that allows to connect, supervise and monitor export and import activities at ports and Tan Son Nhat Airport. Thus, it is possible to monitor the movement of each import - export consignment, thereby proactively coordinating with Customs units to promptly detect and prevent smuggling; timely detecting and correcting Customs officers who make mistake in performing the procedure.

The Department has also cooperated with Trade and Investment Promotion Center to answer many questions related to e-customs procedures for export goods of more than 150 enterprises; Answering questions, propaganda and guiding Customs procedures for enterprises via telephone was 320 sessions, answering 95 enterprises via a document, 55 enterprises through the website,...

Evaluation of business satisfaction

With those effective solutions, the number of enterprises doing import and export procedures at the border gate of Ho Chi Minh City has increased. Currently, the total number of enterprises participating in the area is 36,624 enterprises, increase by 16.38% over the same period in 2016 (31,469 enterprises). Till 30/6, the total export turnover was $US 46.224 billion, rose by 14.9% over the same period in 2016 ($US 40.230 billion). In that, import value reached $US 24,431 billion, increased by 13.99%; export reached $US 21,793 billion, increased by 15,94% over the same period 2016.

Moreover, to continue to develop the effectiveness, Deputy Director General of General Department of Vietnam Customs - Hoang Viet Cuong directed to HCMC Customs department at the meeting is to carry out effective reforms, reduce clearance time to nurture revenue source. In particular, the work administrative procedures reform is focusing on Plan 494 / KH-HQHCM.

From now to the end of August 2017, the Customs Branches must hold a dialogue meeting with the business community. Ensuring all difficulties and problems under the settling competence of the Customs Branches under HCMC Customs Departments must be resolved; Measure the release time, evaluate the enterprise satisfaction. From the success of the dialogue conference with more than 100 Korean enterprises, Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong directed the HCMC Customs Department to continue to hold conference with the association of enterprises such as Eurocham, JBAH; VSA,…

At the same time, diversify the form of meeting with enterprises, speed up the implementation of Plan 494 / KH-HQHCM. This plan is not only implemented in 2017 but also must continue to be implemented in the following years in order to support enterprises continuously in order to bring about the highest efficiency.

Additionally, in order to continue to remove difficulties for enterprises in the specialized inspection, in August of 2017, HCMC Customs Department will organize a preliminary review of one year implementation of specialized inspection sites under the Scheme of Decision No. 2026 / QĐ-TTg dated 17/11/2015, implementing Customs supervision in accordance with Article 41 of the Customs Law, and evaluating and correcting faults for implementation at Customs Branches.

Moreover, in monthly, HCMC Customs Department will cooperate with VCCI, ITPC, WTO Center, HEPZA, domestic business associations and oversee ... to organize training and dissemination of new regulations on Customs and solving problems related to import-export management mechanism, origin of goods, specialized inspection and intellectual property inspection,… to carry out origin inspection of cargo, specialized inspection, export-import policies and intellectual property and temporary import and re-export,... in order to timely correct the errors in professional Customs activities and support the business community.