Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs: Ready to welcome new growth in import and export

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Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs officers supervise import and export goods at Cai Mep port area. Photo: N.H

The growth lever comes from infrastructure

In the early 2024, ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area welcome many international ships to the port for customs clearance. After many quiet months due to the influence of the world economic situation, since the third quarter of 2023 until now, the volume of goods passing through the port area has gradually regained growth momentum, so the atmosphere at the ports has also become more exciting.

According to a report from the Department of Transport of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, the volume of goods through the ports in December 2023 continued to increase by nearly 4% compared to the previous month, estimated at 5.8 million tons and rose over 4% year-on-year. It is estimated that for the whole year, the volume of goods through the ports will reach 73.5 million tons, growing nearly 3%.

​The Department of Transport of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province forecasts that there are many factors affecting the seaport industry in the near future, including the recovery of consumer demand from importing countries; revenue of seaport businesses can grow better thanks to stable service prices and the volume of goods through the ports will increase.

In addition to the recovery of the flow of import and export goods, in the last days of 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 1629/QD-TTg approving the planning of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province for the 2021-2023 period, vision to 2050. The highlight of this decision is the orientation to develop and modernize the Cai Mep - Thi Vai international gateway port into a large international transshipment hub in the Asian and in the World. At the same time, forming a national logistics center, a free trade zone associated with Cai Mep Ha seaport, attracting strategic investors and designing a complete and comprehensive ecosystem in accordance with the international standards.

In fact, since Ba Ria - Vung Tau seaport is identified as one of two special seaports in Vietnam's seaport system according to Decision No. 804/QD-TTg in 2022 of the Prime Minister, Cai Mep - Thi Vai port system has received great investment attention from the Government, the province and businesses. Maritime infrastructure projects are prioritized for investment, including: upgrading the Cai Mep - Thi Vai channel to serve ships of up to 200,000 tons; meeting customs clearance of goods from 1.1 - 1.4 billion tons, of which, container goods from 38 - 47 million TEU; establishing the first dry port of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, and free trade zone project.

In particular, Vice Chairman of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Cong Vinh assessed that the operation of Phu My Dry Port - the province's first dry port - will be an "extended arm" to transport goods, helping the service industry thrive, especially logistics service. Phu My dry port has a built-in customs clearance system that will open up an ecosystem to serve the development of the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster in the future.

Previously, capturing the spirit of Resolution 24-NQ/TW, from mid-2022, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province decided to adjust the medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period, adding more than VND10,000 billion to invest in 10 important intra-regional and inter-regional transportation projects.

Continuing projects and new projects are being actively implemented in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. Such as key projects such as the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway section through the province worth nearly VND5,000 billion, road 991B connecting National Highway 51 with Cai Mep downstream port with a total investment of nearly VND3,900 billion, Phuoc An bridge connecting Ba Ria-Vung Tau province with Dong Nai province with a total investment of VNDnearly 4,900 billion, coastal road 994 with a total investment of more than VND6,500 billion.

Ready to welcome growth

With the strong development of the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port system as well as connecting transport infrastructure and logistics infrastructure, it is forecast that the flow of imported and exported goods through here will increase rapidly in the near future.

As the import-export management unit in the area, Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Director of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department, said that the unit has been preparing in all aspects to be ready to meet the needs of increase in goods flow.

First is the best support to help businesses comply with customs laws and facilitate trade on the basis of continuing to promote administrative reform activities, ensure transparency and create favorable conditions for import and export activities. Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department also strengthen dialogue, especially with associations and businesses to remove obstacles in mechanisms and policies, and propose solutions to reduce time and costs of administrative procedures in the field of customs.

Internally, the unit will strengthen discipline and administrative discipline, reasonably arrange civil servants to carry out customs procedures quickly to serve the business well; announce the list of officials, civil servants and units carrying out administrative procedures; prevent delays or inconveniences, especially increasing procedures, records, papers, and requirements that do not comply with regulations.

Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang also said that in 2024, it is expected that the Circular on open ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area will be approved and take effect. At that time, goods transported among ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster will not have to be sealed in case there is a shipping company seal. This will help reduce paperwork as well as declaration criteria on shipping documents subject to customs supervision, thereby significantly reducing the customs clearance time for businesses as well as customs authorities.

Previously, from 2022, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department officially put into operation two container scanning machines in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area, helping to reduce time for physical inspection and save costs and time for both businesses and Customs. In the future, the unit will continue to promote the effectiveness of cargo container screening to save costs and time in carrying out customs procedures.

With the preparation in terms of human resources, facilities and new programs and solutions, Director Nguyen Truong Giang is confident that Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department will well meet all import and export needs for businesses in the near future.