Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs: Efficiency from thoroughly applying technology to management

	Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department actively removes difficulties for enterprises
	Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs signs Coordination Regulations with Customs Department of Good Verification
	Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs solve many procedural problems related to raw materials

Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs has effectively put into operation 2 mobile container scanners at the centralized goods inspection location Cai Mep Thi Vai and container exploitation ports: Gemalink port, SSIT port, CMIT port, TCTT port, TCIT port. Photo: N.H

Efforts to apply technology

In recent years, with the development of the seaport system and the participation of large enterprises and shipping lines in transportation, the flow of goods through the Ba Ria - Vung Tau seaport route has increased. To improve management capacity, Vietnam Customs in general and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs in particular have continuously promoted IT applications such as screening technology into customs operations processes to meet their tasks entrusted.

Talking to Customs Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department, said that the General Department of Customs had paid attention and invested in a modern container and luggage screening system for Customs. Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Thanks to that, the unit had applied goods screening technology using non-intrusive inspection equipment (NII) to improve the ability to detect and prevent contraband goods such as drugs, weapons, illegal import and export goods, helping the Customs agency to strictly control all types of imported, exported, transited, port-transferred goods contained in container systems, specialized transport vehicles, goods contained in packages, and hidden in areas where manual work is done, and it was difficult for sniffer dogs to detect.

In addition, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs focuses on digital transformation, security solutions, anti-smuggling and trade fraud, and application of artificial intelligence (AI) in commercial modernization and development; blockchain solutions in transportation, manufacturing, finance, trade, energy, services; manage risk, enhance compliance; port operations, public services, transportation; one-stop mechanism; risks management and facilitation in import and export activities, transit, and border-gate transfer of goods domestically and internationally.

With the number of equipped scanners, in 2023, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs officially put into operation two mobile container scanners at the centralized goods inspection location Cai Mep Thi Vai. and container operating ports: Gemalink Port, SSIT Port, CMIT Port, TCTT Port, TCIT Port with screening results reaching 5,506 containers; The number of documents processed through the ASEAN Single Window reached 18,226 sets; resolved 3,559 documents and procedures on online public services... Notably, thanks to being equipped with container scanners at some seaport border gates, pre-screening of import and export goods had been carried out to reduce clearance time. improve efficiency in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud.

Currently, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs is conducting a quick lookup of transport vehicle information on historical data of law enforcement information, countries and territories where the vehicle has passed, and length of stay, difference... quickly analyze the manifest of goods carried on the vehicle to assess risks, carry out procedures, and alert the Customs office where the vehicle is anchored, transferred to port, loaded and unloaded import and export goods. Implement IT applications to look up, identify types of goods, law compliance status of ships, crew members, passengers, consignees, and shippers to advise heads of units to apply in customs supervision in accordance with the actual situation, ensuring tasks in accordance with procedures and customs procedures, determining reasons for adjusting manifests...

However, the flow of import and export goods is increasing, the crime situation at home and abroad is experiencing extremely complicated developments, and the scientific and technical level of crimes is increasingly sophisticated, making it difficult for management in general and management of the Customs agency. For better control, in addition to equipping modern machinery, improving the capacity of civil servants to apply technology systems to the customs processes is an extremely important step.

Desiring IT application promotion

According to Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, applying IT in professional activities, focusing on training and retraining of civil servants to improve public service performance skills was extremely necessary. In addition, it was necessary to invest so that 100% of units were equipped with machinery and equipment such as cameras, line length determination machines, steel coils... computers connected to the internal network to create favorable conditions for officials to review and look up information, meet requirements on customs clearance time, and control information about businesses, information about regularly imported and exported goods, history of compliance with the law… and automatically analyze goods information on customs declarations to warn Customs officers for abnormalities, supporting civil servants and leaders in making decisions on specific shipments.

Forecasting the situation and illegal activities that had occurred in a number of similar areas nationwide, Ba Ria - Vung Tau should be identified as a key area that needs to be paid attention.

From a personal point of view, Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang proposed that in the coming time, the Customs should further promote the application of IT in professional activities. This would create favorable conditions for the Customs agency in the customs procedure process to increase automation of professional lines, improve inspection and control capacity and efficiency in state management of customs and fighting against smuggling, trade fraud, illegal transportation of goods across borders. At the same time, application of IT in the automatic customs supervision system would effectively support the Customs agency in customs supervision. In particular, the application of IT would also help seaport businesses and customs declarants conveniently move goods into and out of customs supervision areas in compliance with the law.

In particular, the implementation of surveillance cameras at border gates and seaports created conditions for Customs authorities to identify, detect, and deter illegal acts, a premise for changing the consciousness of people, businesses, and people doing customs procedures respect and strictly comply with customs laws in particular and state laws in general.

At the same time, if the Customs agency applied IT and was allowed to shared by state management agencies from satellites, from ship management software, road motor vehicles... into professional activities. the fight against smuggling would be increasingly strengthened and tightened, enhancing the position of the Customs in the international arena.