Preventing low quality imported fertilizers from the border gate

The raw materials for importing fertilizer through Cat Lai port. Photo: T.H.

Unqualified imported fertilizers are forced to re-export

By the end of September/2018, there were two enterprises imported nearly 350 tons of fertilizer which did not meet the requirements of standards as regulated by the law, were imposed administrative fines and forced to re-export by the Customs Sub-Department of Saigon Port, Zone 1. In particular, the Customs Sub-Department of Saigon Port Zone 1 issued the decision to fine H.V Trading Co, Ltd., (Bu Dang district, Binh Phuoc province) VND 30 million and forced to re-export over 292 tons of imported fertilizer. These imported fertilizers are determined not to meet the requirements on conditions and standards as prescribed by law.

At the same time, V.P. limited liability company (Go Vap, HCMC) imported 50 tons of fertilizer through Cat Lai port in Ho Chi Minh City. The quality inspection results show that these fertilizers did not meet the conditions and standards prescribed by law. The Customs Sub-Department of Sai Gon Port, Zone 1 made a written administrative violation, fined the company VND 30 million, and forced to re-export the whole lot.

Previously, at the end of August, 2018, the Customs Sub-Department of Saigon Port Zone I discovered that the import lot of more than 317 tons of inorganic fertilizers, worth nearly 700 million was imported by the A.K. trade one member limited liability Company (Lang Son city, Lang Son province) importing via Cat Lai port did not meet conditional requirements and standards in accordance with the law. In addition to being fined 30 million dong, the company also was forced to take all 317 tonnes of fertilizer out of Vietnam.

According to the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City, from early 2018 up to now, the customs sub-departments at the border gate discovered nearly 20 lots of imported fertilizer that did not meet the conditional requirements, standards and regulations as prescribed. The amount of fertilizer kept is more than 1,000 tons. The amount of imported fertilizer in each violation case is very high, ranging from a few dozen to several hundred tons of fertilizer. The enterprises importing these fertilizers, in addition to being sanctioned for administrative violations, shall be additionally dealt with by being forced to re-export all of these fertilizers out of the Vietnamese territory.

There are many violation dossiers transferred to police for investigating

Not only finding many cases of importing fertilizers that are not good quality, the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City also discovered some cases for arbitrary consumption of imported fertilizers do not meet standards and quality. Typically the case of C.S.V. International Joint Stock Company imported 144 tons of fertilizer, worth nearly 600 million, did not to meet the import quality standards; V.A. Production Trading Co. Ltd., (Binh Chanh, HCMC) imported 100 tons of organic fertilizer, valued at over 516 million VND did not meet standards and quality as prescribed. However, this company has put all of the low quality goods into the consumer market, so the Customs has transferred the whole file to the Ho Chi Minh City investigation police for clarification.

Along with that, after the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City inspected a number of fertilizer importers, they detected many procedural mistakes in importing raw materials for fertilizer production. In early September, 2018, inspecting two enterprises importing raw materials for fertilizer production, Inspection Unit of Department of Ho Chi Minh City found that these enterprises made many mistakes in tax declaration and payment. It was suggested to collect over 12 billion tax.

In particular, the inspections at the headquarters of V.T.P Fertilizer and Chemicals Company. During the period from 2013 to 2017, the Department of Inspection found that the enterprise had committed wrong declarations of goods number, import tax and value added tax in 158 Customs clearance sheets at many Ho Chi Minh City customs departments, leading to shortage of tax payable over 4.6 billion. The inspection at the HNN Co. Ltd., for the dossiers of import raw materials for fertilizer production from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017, the inspection division, concluded that the company declared wrong code, tax rate of some goods, wrong tax declaration ... leading to the tax payable to nearly 7 billion …

The Customs Department HCMC will continue to closely inspect the imported fertilizer lots of enterprises avoiding tax and taking advantage of imported goods that are not good quality, affecting the crops in the agricultural sector and farmers; At the same time, coordinating closely with the police offices to strictly handle individuals and enterprises deliberately putting unqualified goods on the market.