Customs focus on reforming and modernizing

VCN- Implementing Resolution 01/NQ-CP dated January 1st, 2017 and Resolution 19/201/NQ-CP dated February 6th, 2017 of the Government, the General Department of Vietnam Customs concretized into key tasks to assign to units. In the first six months of 2017, the Customs has achieved remarkable results in the implementation of professional and specialized operations.

From the beginning of the year, the administrative procedure reform and control have been promoted by the Customs, thereby contributing to shortening Customs clearance time for imports and exports and facilitating enterprises. The administrative procedure reform has been strengthened at all stages: Building of institution, policy and law; handling the administrative procedures; applying information technology. The administrative procedures reform between the Customs and relevant agencies and units, especially handling the administrative procedures for enterprises has been also focused.

Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued the plan of Customs administrative procedure reform in 2017; 35/35 provincial and municipal Customs Department issued the plan of Customs administrative procedure reform in 2017 and implementation of Resolution No.19-2017/ND-CP of the Government; Deploying the plan of administrative procedure management in 2017.

123 administrative procedures are provided online public service

Applying information technology and providing online public services in Customs Management, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has upgraded the risk management system connected to the VNACCS/VCIS to ensure stability, security and safety in implementing e-Customs procedures through VNACCS/VCIS.

At the same time, deploying resolutions to ensure for information security and reserve information system of the General Department of Vietnam Customs. The General Department of Vietnam Customs officially has launched on the Customs Electronic Information Portal since March 1st 2017 by expanding public service at level 3 and level 4 for 46 administrative procedures at all provincial and municipal Customs Department; 126/178 administrative procedures are provided minimum at level 3 (reaching 70% the number of administrative procedures), in which 123 administrative procedures are provided online public service at level 4. Until June 15th 2017, 22,300 of administrative procedure dossiers were received and 5,700 enterprises joined. The Customs has reviewed and built the plan of deploying online public service minimum at level 3 for the 52 remaining administrative procedures.

Receiving dossier and returning result of handling administrative procedure via public postal service for 14 Customs administrative procedures; Promoting reform and shortening the process and reducing time and cost in implementing the administrative procedures; Closely controlling the Customs administrative procedures; Publicizing the administrative procedures at offices receiving and solving the dossiers in timely fashion.

Expanding the implementation of National Single Window

In the first six months of 2017, as the role of the standing office, the General Department of Vietnam Customs closely collaborated with ministries and sectors to actively deploy new administrative procedure expand the scope and number of enterprises implementing the administrative procedures via the National Single Window. Currently, the National Single Window has officially connected with 11 ministries, sectors and 38 administrative procedures have been implemented. Until June 15th 2017, total 395,900 of administrative procedures dossiers were implemented and 12,300 enterprises joined.

Along with that, the General Department of Vietnam Customs also issued a plan for coordination between the standing office and relevant ministries and agencies to propagandize information to the business community and government agencies to implement the ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window and trade facilitation. Currently, it is implementing pilot inspection and exchange of information on cargo, passengers, booking (PNR Passenger Name Record) with Vietnam Airlines and other airlines.

The implementation National Single Window initially brought efficiency in administrative procedure reform, reducing cost, time and goods clearance time. Thereby, enhance competitiveness of enterprises and efficiency of State management. Compared to 2016, administrative procedures increased 7 procedures, more 2 ministries and sectors joined, total of handled dossier increased more than 4 times, number of enterprises joining increased 2 times.

Promoting efficiency of inspection and supervision

For the Customs supervision, the General Department of Vietnam Customs promoted the supervision and management for goods in seaport, airport, independent transportation; management for goods are processed and produced for export, goods in transit; applying modern supervisory tools (container scanner, camera) contributing to promoting Customs supervision; reducing human resource and detecting violations in a timely fashion.

Regarding to the anti-smuggling, closely following the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee 389 and as the role of Standing Office of Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Vietnam Customs regularly directs the units in monitoring situation and strengthening coordination with the relevant agencies and units to build and deploy plans of fighting and arresting and handling effectively violators on smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods; Actively coordinating with ministries, agencies and competent agencies to consult the Ministry of Finance-National Steering Committee 389 to submit to the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Head of National Steering Committee 389 to direct the implementation of many overall solutions in line with the situation.

The revenue collection in the first 6 months has been actively implemented by the General Department of Customs with drastic and synchronous solutions and achieved positive results with state budget revenues reaching about 141,000 billion vnd, reaching 49.5% of estimate, up 9.4% over the same period of 2016. All items reached good growth, but the revenues increase mainly in major items such as automobiles and spare parts, Petroleum products, steel, machinery and equipment (accounting for 50% of total revenue): petroleum products increased by 31.4% in value; CBU cars increased by 3.5%; Iron and steel increased by 24.3%; Machinery increased by 37.8%.

From January 1st to June 30th 2017, the Customs has implemented 4,090 of post-clearance audits, with a total imposed tax of 833.6 billion vnd, equal to 97% compared to the same period of 2016. The total revenues contributing to State budget is 863, 2 billion vnd, equal to 99% compared to the same period of 2016, reaching 43.1% compared to the plan in 2017.

Thus, in the first six months, 7,216 cases were detected and arrested (down 11.4% compared to the same period of 2016), the value of infringing goods is estimated at 292 billion 454 million vnd (down 2.7% compared to the same period of 2016), 155 billion 979 million vnd was collected and contributed to the State budget, 20 criminal cases were prosecuted by the Customs.

By Thu Trang/Ngoc Loan