Vietnam's import and export facilitated thanks to e-Customs

	Enhancing automation in Customs procedures implementation
	The new functions on e-Customs support Customs and enterprises
	Compliance Management - an advanced Customs management method

The trading across border index of Vietnam has increased by 15 rankings. Photo: N.Linh.

The reform which is noted by the World Bank as "the process of Vietnam’s export and import which has created more favourable conditions for enterprises thanks to the system of electronic Customs clearance".

The clearance time of goods in the top 4 of Southeast Asia

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the "commercial transactions across borders" index is the result of measurement of time and cost in the process of export and import, including 3 main activities. The first activity is the preparation and implementation of import and export dossiers such as declaration and submitting of documents on transport, Customs clearance, the actual inspection, loading and unloading of goods at the request of relevant agencies (the Customs force, specialized inspection force, companies in the field of port trading and shipping companies). The second activity is the implementation of procedures at borders (specialized inspections and port trading), Customs clearance procedures and the physical inspections of Customs authorities, and procedures for loading and unloading at ports. The third activity is the transportation of exports and imports in the domestic market. However, when assessing the ranking index, the World Bank has only focused on the first and the second activity. Because inland transportation is influenced by many factors such as geography, terrain, distance, traffic from inland warehouses to the ports / gates.

According to the results from the annual report on the ease of doing business index published by the World Bank in 2017, many positive results of Vietnam have been noted. For the index of trading goods across borders, Vietnam was ranked the 93^rd of 190 countries, an increase of 15 rankings compared to last year. The results also showed that Customs clearance time of goods across the borders of Vietnam had been significantly shortened, in the top 4 of Southeast Asia (including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam). In particular, the preparation time for import and export dossiers was reduced significantly (the preparation time for import dossiers was reduced from 106 hours to 76 hours and the preparation time for export dossiers was reduced from 83 hours to 50 hours).

The results of the World Bank showed that Customs clearance time of goods across the borders of Vietnam achieved the target set out in the Government Resolution 19/2016 / NQ-CP: "The time for clearance of goods across borders is up to 10 days for exported goods and 12 days for imported goods”. The reform which is mainly noted by the World Bank is "the process of Vietnam’s export and import which has created more favourable conditions for enterprises thanks to the system of electronic Customs clearance".

Many solutions to enhance the index

Positive results on the clearance time of goods across borders in 2016 are the prerequisites for the General Department of Vietnam Customs to implement measures under the Action Plan of Resolution 19/2016 / NQ-CP. Accordingly, by 2020, Customs clearance time of goods across the borders of Vietnam will have been under 36 hours for exported goods and 41 hours for imported goods.

Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs shall continue to improve the system of Customs law with a focus on construction of documents about the Law on export and import duty in 2016; amendment and supplement of legal documents detailing the Customs Law and construction of legal documents to implement the National Single Window.

In particular, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has been assigned by the Ministry of Finance to accelerate and supervise the assigned tasks of the Prime Minister under the Scheme on solutions to improve effectiveness and efficiency of specialized inspections for exported and imported goods, and an active coordination with relevant Ministries to revise legal documents on specialized inspections. Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs shall coordinate with the Ministries to issue a full list of items subject to specialized inspections, details of HS codes as well as standards and the national technical regulations for goods subject to specialized inspections on the basis of checking the quality of goods. The General Department of Vietnam Customs also needs to coordinate with relevant Ministries to promote the implementation of specialized inspections for exported and imported goods to meet the requirements of strong export activities, saving the State's investment. In addition, the General Department of Vietnam Customs is also continuing to expand the National Single Window for the administrative procedures of relevant Ministries and connect with the Ministries which have not implemented the National Single Window.

The National Single Window Portal still working normally VCN - The National Single Window Portal (https://vnsw.gov.vn) is being updated but it can still be accessed ...

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has also set out several measures to reform administrative procedures and enhance Customs modernization by continuing to improve and raise the efficiency of the automated customs clearance system VNACCS/VCIS; exchange information electronically on the goods at ports to reduce paper documents, improve the efficiency of the State management on goods and containers at ports; improve the quality of risk management in Customs operations; decrease the rate of Yellow and Red Channel; enhance post-clearance audits on the basis of the full application of risk management techniques; guide businesses to observe the Customs Law, facilitate enterprises in the field of import-export activities and prevent cases of commercial fraud in a timely fashion.