Quang Ninh Customs: Reducing revenues from key items

Customs officer of Hon Gai port Customs Branch (Quang Ninh Customs) checked import-export goods. Photo: Việt Dũng

Revenues from petroleum, coal decreased

As of September 14, Quang Ninh Customs collected VND 6,611.4 billion, hitting 55.1% of the target set by the Ministry of Finance (VND 12,000 billion); achieved 52.4% of the target set by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (12,600 billion VND); decrease 29% from the same period in 2020 (equivalent to 2,694 billion VND).

The revenue comes from six groups of products including imported petroleum (contributing VND 1,483.7 billion), exported coal (contributing VND 358.4 billion), imported coal (VND 1,239.1 billion); raw materials for producing animal feed (VND 804.5 billion); imported raw materials for manufacturing vegetable oil (VND 210.9 billion) and machinery, equipment and production materials of FDI firms (VND 302.1 billion).

Key commodity groups such as gasoline and coal all reduced in revenue collection compared to the same period in 2020. Imported petroleum fell by more than VND 1,003 billion; coal exports decreased by more than VND 203 billion; imported coal decreased by VND 1,991 billion.

A representative of Quang Ninh Customs Department explained due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, manufacture and transportation activities were halted, and demand for gasoline decreased. Along with that, the Vietnam National Petroleum Group has reduced import volume to consume finished products of domestic refineries and petrochemical plants under the Government's administration. On the other hand, the coal inventory is high, while the demand for coal for electricity production decreases, leading to a sharp decrease in the amount of coal imported in 2021 compared to 2020.

Support and accompany businesses

Currently, the revenues of Hon Gai Port Customs Branch account for more than 50% of the total budget revenue of the entire Quang Ninh Customs Department. Facing the turbulence of theCovid-19 pandemic, Hon Gai Customs officers and employees are also under a lot of pressure to maintain growth in both declarations, import and export turnover, and increase the number of firms carrying out customs procedures.

As of the end of August, Hon Gai Customs collected and paid VND 3,390.2 billion, 54.29% of the target (VND 6,245 billion); the number of declarations jumped by 90%, import and export turnover reached more than $4.3 billion, up 60.3% over the same period in 2020; attracted nearly 120 new businesses carrying out customs procedures.

To fulfill the budget revenue target, Hon Gai Port Customs Branch is focusing on reviewing and simplifying procedures, quickly clearing goods of firms, actively accompanying and guiding the procedures for investment projects in the area, connecting shipping lines with firms in the industrial park towards opening an international container ship route to Cai Lan port (in the first half of September, there were the first two container ships dock at Cai Lan port- reporter). At the same time, the unit also inspects and supervises imports and exports goods and strictly controls declaration of goods' names, quantities, codes, values, and tariff rates.

On the other hand, at Cam Pha Port Customs Branch, since the end of August, this branch has established and maintained a team to support and handle problems related to customs procedures to promptly receive and handle problems 24/7 for customs declarants related to customs procedures, ensure fast clearance of import and export goods in accordance with regulations. Simultaneously, communicating and disseminating about submitting customs dossiers via customs electronic data processing system to customs declarants, not to print and submit customs declarations and other documents of customs dossiers directly at the division of detailed examination of dossiers.

In addition, the branch has strengthened customs modernisation reform, simplified administrative procedures, fully applied information technology systems in customs management, and promoted the implementation of online public services. to facilitate firms in import and export activities. On the other hand, the leaders of customs branches and the working teams/groups strengthen on conducting regular and irregular inspections of task performance of customs officer, requesting customs officer at professional stages to focus on processing customs procedures quickly and accurately.

With the efforts of the whole unit as well as the pandemic is gradually being controlled, it is hoped import and export activities in Quang Ninh will soon recover and develop, boosting the revenue of the Quang Ninh Customs Department for the rest of 2021.