Customs: Determined to complete targets of budget revenue in 2017

	Many domestic revenues reached a relative level in January, 2017
	Revenues from import-export increase 15.8% in January, 2017
	A Customs Branch collected more than 10 trillion vnd

Customs surveillance operations at Yen Binh, Thai Nguyen Customs Branch, Customs Department of BacNinh . Photo: T.Trang.

The average revenue for each month forCustoms to be at least 23,750 billion (an increase of more than 1,000 billion per month compared to 2016). Determined to accomplish this task, the Customs sector has been focusing on some solutions.

According to preliminary data, the total import and export value reached $US 27.5 billion in January of 2017, increasing by 4.6% compared to January 2016. Of which, exports value reached $US 14.3 billion, increasing by 5.4% over the same period, import value reached $US 13.2 billion, increasing by 3.8% over the same period last year. The trade balance surpluses increased to $US1.1 billion in January. At the end of January2017, State budget revenues of the whole sector reached 20.081 billion vnd, reaching 7.05% of the 285,000 billion vndbudget plan allocated by National Assembly.

On the results of the State budget revenues of local Customs departments in January, was that some departments reached high collection a rate compared to the target assigned,examples are Gia Lai - Kon Tum, Nghe An, Dong Thap, and KhanhHoa. Among the large Customs departments, some revenues have increased over the same period for example the Customs Departments of Ho Chi Minh City, HaiPhong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Da Nang. Some revenues decreased over the same period such as Hanoi, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Lang Son, and Can Tho.

With export turnover in January this can be seen as a positive first step for the situation of State budget revenue of Customs in 2017. However, according to economic experts, in 2017, the growth of the world economic is expected to continue to be slow, the financial and monetary markets may be volatile, unstable and unpredictable after the US President election and the TPP decision of the United States. The process of Britain leaving the European Union (EU) and the rise of protectionism may adversely impact the growth of global economies. This context will impact significantly on the collection of Customs duty.

In particular, the difficulties from the previous year such as the impact from the turnover of some large import turnover commodities which switched flow and affectedState budget revenues of the Customs sector continue.

Completing the task of collecting State budget revenues in 2017 will be difficult for the Customs sector, requiring drastic measures in the implementation of collecting revenue and preventing loss. Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has identified the measures which need to be focused on:

Creating maximum favorable conditions for enterprises to participate in export activities, continuing to maintain quick problem resolution, performing regular dialogue with enterprises in order to listen and remove difficulties and problems arising under the jurisdiction relating to Customs procedures, tax policy, tax management, accounting, and the refund or exemption system. Continuing to promote the reform of Customs procedures, tax procedures management, and maximum facilitation for export activitiesis also required.

Focusing on checking and monitoring the situation of tax debt at the units, classification of debt groups which are capable of collecting, or inability to collect, and each debt group will have a detailed evaluation of debt by each enterprise, the actual situation of enterprises, the cause of having not recovered debt,and taking appropriate measures to settle the debt following the debt management process.

Strengthening inspection of cases of tax reduction, refund, and absences. In particular, focusing on inspecting the cases of mistaken forms declaration for export goods which have to be 100% physically checked according to regulations, enterprises are classified as high risk on Customs, and tax risks, and export commodities which were subject to risk management. Coordinating with the tax agency to compensate the amount of VAT which was refundable for enterprises in the tax office.

Along with that, the General Department of Vietnam Customs also requires units to strengthen post-clearance inspection, inspection work, and internal inspection. In particular, focusing on businesses inspection, sectors, high-risk key commodities, and improving the efficiency of post-clearance inspection. At the same time, checking the implementation of the recommendations and conclusions of the inspection and auditing team at the local Customs Departments. Requesting the units to collect the tax accurately and fully for the State Budget, proposing timely treatment for those individuals and units who have not fully implemented these proposals, and conclusions.

For the fight against smuggling, the General Department of Vietnam Customs requires the units to strengthen the control against smuggling, trade fraud and risk management. To advise the Government, the Ministry of Finance in directing the fight against smuggling, as well as the standing agency assisting the 389 National Steering Committee to create strong turnaround in the fight against smuggling, fraud trade and counterfeiting.

Simultaneously, units have to closely grasp the movements of situation in each area, timely warn about new methods and tricks of criminals, strengthening coordination with functional forces, promoting the establishment of enterprises' profiles, focus on forms, commodities, major areas, freight routes of temporary import for re-export, transshipment, imports by air; identify commodities, objects, major fields, methods, emerging tricks and methods in each area. Keeping collecting, verifying and clarifying information about the actual paid value and import-export activities of enterprises.

The General Department of Customs will handle cases of officers who do not comply with the assigned responsibilities and tasks,have bad attitudes, behaviors which caused troubling, and harassment for enterprises. At the same time, strictly implement regulations on responsibility regime and handling of the head and head deputy when the incident happened in the unit.

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Besides, the General Department of Customs requires local Customs departments to closely monitor and manage revenue and timely report problems as well as the regimes and taxation policies which affect the management and collection of State budget.

Thu Trang/Hoang Nam