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Operations at Hai Phong port zone 3 Customs Branch. Photo: N. Linh

Towards paperless customs

On September 2, 2021, the Prime Minister issued Directive 23/CT-TTg on accelerating the implementation of the Master Programme on State Administration Reform for the 2021- 2030 period.

Concretizing the above directive, the General Department of Customs issued Decision 2764 dated October 29, 2021 on the administrative reform plan for the 2021-2025 period.

To achieve the goal of the electronic working environment (Paperless) in the customs management; building a digital Customs platform based on big data application. The Customs has actively strived to be the leader in the Government's overall plan on digital transformation, striving to become a leading customs authority in the world in the 2026-2030 period.

On February 8, 2022, the General Department of Customs issued Directive 384 on accelerating administrative reform and simplifying customs procedures toward paperless customs by 2022.

In the Directive, the General Department of Customs clearly defined goals and plans and solutions towards paperless customs in 2022 and successfully build digital Customs, Smart Customs in the coming years.

Deputy Director of the Department of Customs Management and Supervision Dao Duy Tam said the General Department of Customs has always determined the reform, modernization, simplification of administrative procedures, and trade facilitation, and reduction of customs clearance time as important priorities.

In addition to the Automated Customs Clearance System (VNACCS/VCIS), the Customs sector has deployed many interconnected electronic systems such as Automated Customs Supervision System (VASSCM), National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window and electronic tax payment system, creating a foundation for the electronification of documents, data related to import and export goods and ready to meet the requirements of digital transformation.

Maximum application of information technology

So far, the General Department of Customs has achieved many outstanding results. Notably, transactions and information exchange between Customs authorities and customs declarants are carried out through the system, such as submission of customs dossiers, tax refund dossiers, license deduction, application for sampling, application for bringing goods for preservation, application for cancelation of declaration.

Customs will accept e-C/O or scanned copies from the original if the information is available on the portal announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Customs Branch performs automatic customs management and supervision at seaports and airports as well as at warehouses, yards and inland locations where goods are imported and exported; and uses an electronic positioning seal to manage goods carried by containers.

As the Standing Agency of the National Steering Committee on ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window and Trade Facilitation, the Customs sector has made great efforts and effectively operated the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window Portals. Vietnam has officially connected the ASEAN Single Window to exchange information on electronic C/O form D with nine ASEAN member states.

In addition, the General Department of Customs has made efforts to connect and exchange information on customs declaration and tax data with related parties to serve the settlement of administrative procedures instead of paper documents, such as with the VCCI, the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the issuance of C/O; with Tax and Treasury agencies in budget management; with the bank in payment activities; with warehouses and ports operators in the management of import and export goods; with police agencies, market surveillance agencies in proving the legality of goods on the market, etc.

Moreover, the Customs authority has actively replaced administrative procedures by switching to the form of connection and exchange of electronic data and information, thereby helping abolish some administrative procedures, contributing to cutting man-hours, saving human resources for management agencies and saving costs for businesses, such as abolishing procedures for certifying origin declarations for imported means of transport; and abolishing procedures for certifying the declaration of aid goods.

Moreover, the implementation of administrative procedures on the Online Public Service Portal has also achieved many outstanding results.

The General Department of Customs has provided online public services at level 3 and 4 for 215 of 237 administrative procedures, accounting for 91% of the total number of administrative procedures performed by Customs, of which 209 administrative procedures have been provided with online public services at level 4 (reaching the rate of 88%) and 98 procedures have been integrated into the National Public Service Portal.

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The results of the Customs sector have been appreciated by the Government, state agencies and the business community, creating a premise for implementing many other solutions to strive to be the leading unit in the Government's overall plan on digital transformation.