NoiBai Customs quickly clears entry passengers’ luggagedue to Covid-19 pandemic

Officers of Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch perform their duties in Covid-19 pandemic period.

Regarding the Customs area, Deputy Manager of NoiBai International Airport Customs Branch Tran Hoai Nam said the branch has quickly performed customs clearance for entry passengers’ luggage, especially for thoserequired to implement isolation measures.

In recent days, amid the large number of entry passengers ofoverseas Vietnamese with high medical examination requirements, the branch has also coordinated closely with other forces in carrying out customs clearance for passengers’ luggage.

Because the number of passengers beinglarge and they come from different countries, to prevent the pandemic effectively, competent forces at NoiBai International Airport have taken the initiative, provided specific measures and followed directions from the General Department of Vietnam Customs in the channel classification of luggage of entry passengers,Nam said.

Quickly clearingluggage of entry passengers.

For Customs officers at NoiBai International Airport, Nam said this is a huge challenge for customs officers and other forces because they directly contact passengers and their luggage, so the risk of infection is high. Therefore, in recent times, the branch has taken measures to preventand control the pandemic and provided medical equipments for officers. It also regularly disinfects and sanitises the working area and complies with there commendations of the Ministry of Health and sectors. Customs officers must wear masks, gloves and wash their hands with disinfectant water oftenand strictly follow the Health Ministry's recommendations.

According to the instruction issued on March 18 from the General Department of Vietnam Customs on the procedures for luggage of entry passengers, entry foreigners will carry out entry procedures and medical procedures at the international arrival terminal.

For Vietnamese entry passengers, after the aircraft lands,they do not enter the terminal and will be put on a vehicle to move to the isolation area according to regulations.

Therefore, to ensure supervision and management for the luggage of Vietnamese entry passengers, if competent agencies at airports do not classify the channel under the direction, municipal and provincial customs willdirect customs branches managing international airports to carry out procedures and customs supervision for the luggage of entry passengers as follows:

For luggage sent on the same trip, after screening, if there are grounds to determine the luggage containsgoods in excess of the prescribed duty-free limit, suspicion of goods on the list of goods banned from import, temporarily suspended from import and luggage of subjects in specialized cases of the police agency according to information provided by the General Department of Customs or relevant agencies, customs agency will seal and hand over (full information on customers, about goods) those luggage items will be sent to the transport agency for storage and notify and guide entry passengers to contact the Customs agency to carry out customs procedures and fulfill obligations for violations (if any).

NoiBai International Airport.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, if luggage of subjectsis under the specialised cases of police authorities, customs branches will propose police authorities provide appropriate handling measures.

For other cases, the transport agency will return luggage toentry passengers.

For personal effects, the Customs shall arrange customs officers to supervise luggage inthe area where the aircraft on entry will stop; supervise and classify luggage of entry passengers. If entry passengers saytheir luggage must be declared, the customs shall seal the luggage and hand itover to the transport agency for storage, and notify and instruct entry passengers to contact Customs to carry out customs procedures after the isolation period.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, if detecting suspicious signs of entry passengers carrying goods in excess of the duty-free limit but failing to declare; entry passengers carrying luggage containing goods subject to list of goods banned from import, temporarily suspended from import and luggage of subjects in specialised cases of police agency, the customs agency shall seal the luggage and hand it over to the transport agency to screening area for inspection, if there are not violations, the luggage will be handed over to the transport agency to return to the passengers.

If there are grounds to identify violations,customs branches willseal goods, make report and transfer it to the transport agency for storage,inspection and handling after the isolation period.

If entry passengers are under the specialized cases of the police authorities, customs branches shall propose the police authorities to provide appropriate handling measures.

According to the guidance of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, for passengers who carry out entry procedures at the terminal area, the procedures and supervision for luggage of passengers on entry comply with current regulations.

In addition, theGeneral Department of Vietnam Customs has required municipal and provincial customs departments to assign officers to supervise and handle procedures for luggage quickly; to provide plans to ensure safety and prevent avoid coronavirus infection (Covid 19) for officers while performing their duties.