Perfecting the legal framework to facilitate trade and improve management efficiency under the National Single Window

The connection and information sharing through NSW is expected to contribute to creating more breakthroughs for Vietnam's import-export activities and improve the management efficiency of relevant ministries and sectors.

Deputy Director of the Customs Information Technology and Statistics Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs) Pham Duyen Phuong said that despite impressive achievements, the implementation of the NSW also showed some shortcomings need to be overcome and perfected to further improve the quality of public services of state authorities; bring administrative procedures carried out on NSW to work in a substantive manner; reduce costs and compliance time for businesses while still ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of state management.

Currently, the implementation of NSW is in the context of the development of science and technology, especially the achievements of the fourth technological revolution, the movement of cross-border trade and of the global supply chain gradually shifted to paperless forms, electronic transactions, e-commerce…

To realize the requirements of national digital transformation, develop the digital economy, digital government and overcome the shortcomings in the implementation of NSW, the Ministry of Finance has reported to the Government and the Prime Minister for approving the development of a: “Decree regulating the connection and sharing of information in the field of exports, imports, and goods in transit, people on exit, entry, and transit and means of transport under NSW”.

The Decree will be a legal tool for state agencies to carry out the digital transformation of state management in the field of trade and cross-border transport, affecting administrative procedures which are carried out in form of papers.

The Decree is expected to address six important groups of issues, including:

Firstly, reusing information issued by state agencies through administrative decisions and documents; eliminating overlaps, redundancies and duplications in the requirements for dossiers when performing administrative procedures of state agencies.

Secondly, making use of information on documents, records and transactions provided by parties involved in cross-border trade and transport activities once and reused many times by many agencies and organizations; minimizing costs and compliance time of enterprises when carrying out administrative procedures in the field of import, export, immigration and transit.

Thirdly, improving the reliability, timeliness, and updateability of information and data; enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of state management for law enforcement agencies at border gates as well as for line ministries.

Fourthly, providing multi-dimensional information through a centralized database system to serve the direction, administration, planning and policy formulation of ministries, sectors, localities and fields.

Fifthly, providing information to measure the performance of state agencies through measuring the time to carry out administrative procedures; finding bottlenecks in policies, procedures, dossiers and missions to make appropriate adjustments.

Sixthly, creating a legal framework for information exchange towards mutual electronic document workers with Vietnam's trading partners; facilitating cross-border trade, implementing cross-border paperless administrative procedures.

After nine months of working with relevant ministries and sectors and suggestions from localities, by July 2022, the General Department of Vietnam Customs had gathered 431 information from 21 ministries and sectors expected to be connected and shared via NSW.

According to the reporter's observations, most ministries and sectors have at least 10 types of information that need to be connected, of which the most is the Ministry of Transport with 53 types of information.

Only five ministries and sectors have less than 10 information to connect and share, including: Ministry of Planning and Investment (7); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (6); Government Inspector (6); Ministry of Education and Training (4); Vietnam Federation of Industry and Trade (2).