Ho Chi Minh City Customs: Creating positive changes in customs supervision

	Ho Chi Minh City provides legal support to attract strategic investors
	Ho Chi Minh City Customs warns about violations in export processing and production

Import and export goods through Cat Lai port. Photo T.H

Do not leave virtual backlogs on the system

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Do Thanh Quang said that the unit is managing 13 seaports, 7 ICDs, 17 bonded warehouses, 12 CFS warehouses, 3 airport and extended aviation warehouses, 10 petroleum warehouses, 6 duty-free shops, 2 export processing zones and 1 high-tech zone; Supervision and inspection at 43 ports and floating terminals, management and processing of immigration clearance for nearly 10,000 ships and more than 80,000 flights each year.

In recent times, with the attention and direction of the leaders of the General Department of Customs, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has implemented many solutions to ensure strict management of all activities related to means of transport, goods and passengers in the management area.

Regarding the transportation, loading and unloading activities of carriers, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department organized two thematic dialogue conferences with shipping lines and airlines to listen and remove difficulties, problems of this target group. Through the organization of these conferences, many arising issues have been resolved and many contents that need to be adjusted accordingly have been noted.

Regarding loading, unloading and storage of goods at ports, warehouses and yards, the Customs Department has drastically handled the virtual storage of a large number of containers on the VASSCM system in recent times. The unit has established working groups to work directly with port business units, establishing many groups to exchange, support and work continuously to process virtual data on the system.

​Change warehouse management methods

Notably, in 2023, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has changed the management method for warehouse operations, exceptionally the transportation of goods between warehouses, warehouse management data, and especially strict inspection of complying with regulations on warehouse business conditions according to Decree 68/2016/ND-CP dated July 1, 2016, amended and supplemented in Decree 67/2020/ND-CP dated June 15, 2020.

Not only bonded warehouses, CFS warehouses, and duty-free shops are strictly controlled, in the future, cases of outsourced warehouses of export processing enterprises and warehouses of export processing enterprises will also be controlled and monitored by cameras. The unit will randomly check warehouse entry and exit data and camera data to ensure compliance of the warehouse business.

Regarding inspection and supervision during the process of loading and unloading goods using screening methods, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has strengthened direction to increase the screening rate. Through the screening process, many cases showing signs of violation have been transferred to the department for handling during the customs clearance process. This is an activity that is both a deterrent and demonstrates the application of Customs technology to manage and supervise goods during the loading, unloading and transportation process.

For independent transportation activities and transportation between customs supervision areas, the unit has actively deployed the application of electronic positioning seals and itinerary monitoring. In particular, the unit regularly reviews and checks cases of overdue transportation both to and from the system. Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has used the HCAS system to conduct periodic analysis daily (at the branch level) and monthly (at the department level) for all cases on the system to promptly detect the shipment that exceeds the prescribed time and has coordinated handling measures.