Anti-smuggling cigarettes - need to prevent outside, control the inside

Mr. Dam Thanh The, Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Smuggling, Commercial Fraud and Counterfeiting.

Regarding this matter, the correspondent of the Customs Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Dam Thanh The (picture), Director of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Smuggling, Commercial Fraud and Counterfeiting (National Steering Committee 389).

Recently, the anti-smuggling work has been paid attention and directed by the Government, the National Steering Committee 389. How have the ministries, branches, and localities implemented?

Smuggling cigarettes cause great harm to the economy such as the loss of the state budget and the influence of tobacco producers and traders, especially the public health. Facing this situation, the National Steering Committee 389 has advised the Prime Minister to issue Directive No. 30/CT-TTg dated 30th September 2014 on strengthening the fight against smuggling.

On the basis of the Instruction 30, when building the Resolution No. 41/NQ-CP on promoting the fight against smuggling of trade frauds and counterfeit goods in the new situation, the Government also determined that tobacco is a kind of goods that need to pay attention to fight and prevent foreigners from smuggling from abroad into the country.

From the direction of the Prime Minister, the Head of the National Steering Committee 389 has issued many plans, the Ministry of Electricity to direct the ministries, branches, localities and functional forces to intensify the fight against cigarette smuggling. This clearly defines the responsibilities of the collective and individual, especially the leader in the management of the area or area in charge. Specifically, the border area (including Customs, Border Guard, Coast Guard); In the inland (including police, market management, tax etc.) to prevent outsiders, control inside, focus on fighting the destruction of the lines, groups, no area prohibited in this work.

After nearly 3 years implementing the Government's guidance, the National Steering Committee 389, the functional forces have focused on the situation, building many plans to organize fight, prevent smuggled cigarettes and identify 6 key areas including: Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, An Giang, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap and Can Tho. As a result, from September 30th, 2014 to June 30th, 2017, forces discovered and seized 20.8 million packs of cigarettes of all kinds. In particular, the forces have seized 10.3 million cigarettes in 2015; 6.2 million packets of cigarettes in 2016; 4.3 million bags in the first 6 months of 2017; Litigated 347 cases / 475 subjects; destroyed more than 21 million cigarettes; The support cost is 68.5 billion VND. This result has contributed to economic development, ensuring social order and protecting the health of consumers.

Although the fight against smuggling of cigarettes is quite high, the smuggling of cigarettes is still complicated, especially in the Southern border provinces such as Long An, An Giang, West. Ninh. What is the cause, sir?

The main reason is due to the border terrain is long, wide and complex. Besides, there are limited resources while the profit from cigarette smuggling is huge. In addition, some localities have not paid enough attention to the direction and administration; Some functional forces have not yet caught up with the situation. Along with that, the responsibility of the heads of agencies and units to the situation of smuggling cigarettes is complicated and has not been seriously dealt with, the situation is couched and avoided. On the other hand, people's lives in the border areas is facing many difficulties, lack of stable jobs, limited legal awareness, which are easily caught by trafficked persons.

In addition, the mechanism of policies, regulations are inadequate, overlapping and cause difficulties for the functional forces in the handling. Specifically, the Investment Law of 2014 stipulates that cigarettes are not prohibited. However, in the Official Letter guiding the examination of criminal liability, only the handling of smuggling and illegal cross-border goods transportation by the Supreme People's Court shall determine that cigarettes are prohibited goods. Therefore, the practice of detecting and dealing with smugglers and cigarette carriers is still limited, not enough to deter them.

In order to improve the effectiveness of the fight against tobacco trafficking in the last months of 2017, what is the role of the Standing Office in this work?

Besides intensifying the fight against smuggling of cigarettes, petrol, and oil, the functional forces are concentrating on combating smuggling, producing and trading in western medicine, functional foods and cosmetics, especially commodities serving the essential needs of the people.

At this point, the Standing Office will promptly advise the Head of the National Steering Committee 389 to develop and sign a High-Level Plan to fight smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeiting before, during and after the Lunar New Year. The plan will specify the responsibilities of the ministries, branches, localities and functional forces in managing the areas and managing the assigned areas and goods.

For the customs forces, the Permanent Bureau will continue to coordinate with the General Department of Customs to develop a plan to grasp the situation, control and prevent the exploitation of smuggling through the temporary import, transshipment; Fighting to prevent unauthorized transport of goods through the border areas of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Lao Cai.

The Standing Office will coordinate with other ministries and sectors to strengthen the implementation of the guidance of the Government and the National Steering Committee 389, on the basis of which proposals for rewarding and encouraging collectives and individuals who have good achievement, as well as correcting, processing, reminding localities, units implementing tasks are not seriously.

The Standing Office always grasp the situation, advise in time, handle the shortcomings in the fight against smuggling, trade frauds, and counterfeits.

Thank you, Sir!