Long An Customs removing obstacles to support businesses

Customs officer of Duc Hoa Customs Branch, Long An Customs Department discussed with businesses about customs legal policies. Photo: T.D

Proactively remove difficulties for businesses

When the Covid-19 pandemic is controlled, import-export activities of enterprises are resuming. However, businesses are still heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the world, the “Zero Covid” policy in China, inflation, etc., that impact production and business results.

Faced with that situation, Long An Customs Department has implemented many solutions, actively removed obstacles and facilitated import-export activities of enterprises in management areas (Long An, Tien Giang and Ben Tre).

Director of Long An Customs Department Nguyen Ngoc Huan said that leaders of Long An Customs Department identified one of the key tasks was always accompanying and supporting businesses to promptly remove difficulties, and promote import and export activities. The unit has proactively updated important policies related to import-export activities in each period.

In addition, the unit reviewed inadequate and inappropriate regulations. During the implementation of customs procedures, the Customs authorities always monitor and grasp the difficulties of enterprises to solve them in a timely manner. When facing problems, businesses immediately send documents or information in many forms such as phone, email, Zalo application. Thus, professional units will provide timely guidance.

At the same time, Long An Customs Department always focuses on carrying out clearance procedures for import and export goods quickly and complying with regulations from the stage of receiving and checking dossiers, conducting a physical inspection, checking tax obligations and completing clearance procedures.

Furthermore, providing instructions to enterprises at the stage of carrying out procedures so that enterprises can do it correctly, avoiding errors that slow down the clearance process. The system of receiving and making declarations has ensured the clearance of goods 24/7.

Deputy Manager of Duc Hoa Customs Branch Nguyen Quoc Hung said that to ensure the cargo clearance of enterprises, the unit had maintained the task of providing instructions on procedures, grasping difficulties and obstacles of enterprises through various channels such as phone, email, Zalo group.

Notably, the "Customs coffee" which is the meeting between the Customs authority and enterprises, is held periodically on the first Monday of every month. Through "Customs coffee", the Customs Branch would listen to enterprises' difficulties and problems when carrying out customs procedures to support, answer and solve them promptly. At the same time, the Customs Branch would inform the business community about new management documents and policies so that businesses can promptly study and comply with regulations.

At Ben Luc Customs Branch, where the number of businesses registering for customs procedures accounted for a large proportion of the whole Department, business support was always a top priority. Sharing about the companionship of Customs with import and export activities of enterprises, Mr. Nguyen Tan Tai, Logistics Director, Long An International Port Operation and Management Joint Stock Company, said that the current volume of import and export goods of enterprises at Long An international port recovered and was relatively stable.

The typical operation at the port was that cargo ships often dock outside of office hours and have to anchor. In order to quickly release goods and shorten the clearance time, Ben Luc Customs Branch has facilitated and arranged customs officers to work outside office hours at the port to support businesses.

Simplify administrative procedures

Recognizing the importance of administrative procedure reform and customs modernization associated with enhancing management efficiency, in 2022, Long An Customs Department has continued to effectively implement an Automated Customs Management System (VASSCM). Accordingly, goods exported and imported at warehouses, yards and ports are automatically tracked and supervised, helping to reduce paperwork, time and costs for businesses. Continue to measure the time of goods release in the period of processing professional operations of the customs officer from the time that the enterprise registers a declaration to the time the customs authority decides to clear or release the goods.

Following the direction of the General Department of Vietnam Customs on implementing digital customs, smart customs, Long An Customs Department will continue to reform and simplify administrative procedures, promote the application of information technology into professional stages; participate in competitions to assess the capacity of leaders at the departmental level and below; promote learning and exchange of experiences internally as well as learning from other local Customs authorities; prioritizing the implementation of quick procedures in order to reduce time and costs for enterprises, especially for fresh fruit products; applying risk management measures, implementing online public services, automated seaport management, national single window to facilitate and quickly clear import and export goods for enterprises.

With the initiative and efforts to support businesses, in the first 10 months of 2022, there were 1,984 enterprises carrying out customs procedures for import and export goods at Long An Customs Department, increasing 2.9% over the same period in 2021. In particular, the number of FDI enterprises is 706, accounting for 36%; domestic enterprises are 1,278, accounting for 64%, the total import-export turnover under commercial contracts reached US$16.1 billion, an increase of 20.3% compared to the same period in 2021.

As of November 3, the total revenue of the whole Department achieved VND 3,869.7 billion, reaching 82.91% of the assigned target.

Despite achieving remarkable results, the leader of Long An Customs Department said that the unit is also facing many challenges in completing the task in 2022, especially the revenue target because the revenue for the state budget mainly comes from imported goods, but the turnover of key imported goods with tax decreased sharply due to the influence of market supply and demand, inflation, increased prices of fuel, etc.

For example, in 10 months of 2022, taxable turnover reached US$1.48 billion, declining 20% compared to the same period last year.

Faced with the above situation, leaders of Long An Customs Department have instructed their attached units and branches to continue implementing revenue collection solutions in association with further facilitating import-export activities, timely grasping difficulties and solving problems from enterprises in the management area.