The HCMC Customs removes many obstacles for Dutch companies

The HCMC Customs dialogue with Dutch companies. Photo: Thu Hoa

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Carel Richter from Netherlands consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City said that through this conference, Dutch companies grasped full information related to Customs policies and procedures aimed at increasing import-export activities in Vietnam

"The Netherlands has selected Vietnam as a priority country for business investment, there are many Dutch companies doing business successfully in Vietnam. We would like to have conferences like this to connect between competent agencies and companies. At the same time, companies can exchange and share unknown information and problems with the Customs “added by Mr. Carel Richter.

Deputy Director of the HCMC Customs Department Nguyen Huu Nghiep said that over the past time, besides the periodical business dialogue conferences, the Department has held specialized conferences to direct dialogue with foreign-invested enterprises by region and territory to focus on guiding and removing specific problems and obstacles.

With the desire to continue to listen to the opinions from the business community to respond promptly in order to guide companies to abide by the law and to know as well as to enjoy Vietnam Government’s incentives fully and comprehensively.

According to the HCMC Customs Department, most of the Dutch importers of goods which are machinery and foodstuffs must be governed by many documents, so Customs agencies are responsible for guiding and issuing specific solutions to help the companies understand and strictly follow these documents.

In order to guide businesses, the competent units of the HCMC Customs Department have introduced a number of new documents and policies on management of imports and exports, which are applied in 2017; latest tax policies, as well as warned common violations for enterprises to actively avoid.

At the conference, the HCMC Customs Department answered questions related to analysis and classification of goods; exchange rate; the right of export and import of foreign-invested enterprises and commodity code identification.

Regarding questions of Philips Vietnam Company on the temporary import and re-export, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy head of the Supervision and Management Department under the HCM City Customs Department answered that according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Circular No. 11/2017 / TT-BCT, temporary import, re-export and transshipment does not apply to foreign-invested enterprises.

Regarding import procedures on the e-Customs system, a representative from a company reflected that his company has registered e- Customs declaration and the shipments have been cleared, but when his company received goods, they still submitted paper dossier

The HCMC Customs Department replied that now, Customs procedures have been applied through VNACCS / VCIS, companies are required to submit paper dossiers for shipments which are classified into Yellow and Red channels. The submission can be implemented electronically or directly at Customs offices when carrying out Customs procedures.

The types of documents required to submit in the paper include import/ export license, notification of specialized inspection results, or exemption from specialized inspection, C / O if companies have not joined the National Single Window Portal. For the Green, channel companies are not required to submit any paper documents. Regarding these reflections, the HCMC Customs Department noted that companies should study current regulations to implement and not to carry out any requirements beyond the regulations.

Answering the questions from Hitec Vietnam Co., Ltd on determination of wastage rate of imported raw materials processed and produced for export, a representative of the HCMC Customs Department stated that according to current regulations, companies do not have to declare the norms at the registration time of Customs declaration, the Customs inspects at the time of companies’ final settlement. Companies carry out the self-declaration and have self-responsibility for those declarations, thus, the companies must prepare full related records and documents when liquidating the Customs declarations.

In order to better facilitate import and export activities, Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghiep notified that according to the current regulations, companies are entitled to apply for the advance ruling of their goods code, Customs value, and origin to the Customs. The related forms and guiding documents are publicized on the website of the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Companies are required to pay attention to and use their rights in import activity, especially goods imported at the first time.