Customs digital transformation plan to bring benefits to three parties

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Operations at the Customs Branch of North Thang Long Industrial Park (Hanoi Customs Department). Photo: T.Binh

Fundamental changes in customs management

As reported, the Director of the General Department of Customs has just signed Decision 707/QD-TCHQ approving the customs digital transformation plan up to 2025, with an orientation to 2030.

Digital transformation is expected to bring many benefits to all three parties, including Customs; businesses and people; and regulators and stakeholders.

For the Customs industry, digital transformation will provide fundamental and comprehensive reform, improve the efficiency of state management of customs, and improve the labor productivity of public servants; improve the business environment, create facilitation and reduce costs for people and businesses in the customs clearance process.

Digital transformation will help the implementation of customs procedures to be conducted in the digital environment, anytime, anywhere and on any devices through the IT system and big data source with the strong support of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data.

Customs operations are automatically managed in the digital environment before, during and after customs clearance, ensuring smooth management from the beginning to the end for import, export, transit of goods and means of transport.

In addition, digital transformation also brings great benefits such as efficiency in customs management; using resources; reducing costs for both Customs and trading partners through fast clearance of goods; providing more timely and accurate information; giving better controllability; and reducing congestion at seaports and airports.

Automating customs procedures associated with electronic exchange of information such as cargo data and declaration, which allows information to be processed prior to goods' arrival and/or departure.

The information processing before the goods actually enter the customs territory or are about to leave the customs territory will allow Customs to check the information and conduct a risk assessment of the goods. With the received information, customs will promptly decide to release goods by using the electronic method.

When the IT system is effectively used by Customs authorities, legal authorities and businesses, all parties involved in an export/import transaction may transfer data to one centralized processing system.

Customs can send data at the request of customs clearance units at border gates, thus creating a quick "single window" clearance mechanism for the Customs industry.

The requirements of state management on customs must be uniformly implemented with all transactions handled in a consistent manner, ensuring consistent application of the country’s laws and equal treatment with all trading partners.

The acceleration of digital transformation and online tax collection will contribute to ensuring tax revenue, and quickly settling over-due debts and bad debts.

Meanwhile, data analysis is more accurate; customs statistics are also more accurate and timely.

Fast customs clearance, reduced costs for businesses

In addition to the benefits to the Customs, the promotion of digital transformation of the Customs industry brings benefits to the country in general, international trade activities, import and export enterprises, ministries and agencies and stakeholders.

For businesses, benefits will be enjoyed such as quick customs clearance time, reduced logistics costs, and improved competitiveness of enterprises.

The digital transformation will facilitate businesses in the customs process, allow businesses to declare and carry out customs procedures anytime, anywhere, on any devices; only make declaration of goods once to carry out many administrative procedures through the national single window system.

Digital transformation will improve transparency; anti-corruption work and help businesses easily monitor the progress of state management agencies in the supply chain.

For ministries, agencies and stakeholders, the digital transformation of the Customs industry will contribute to raising management capacity, efficiency and transparency in the management of ministries and agencies, promoting the development of E-Government and Digital Government in Vietnam.

Accordingly, ministries, agencies and stakeholders can receive information about export and import shipments through the system without asking for permission from the customs, helping improve the efficiency of State management and becoming a foundation to build E-Government, Digital Government in Vietnam.

Moreover, ministries, agencies and stakeholders can work with the customs agency to increase the efficiency of State management for import and export shipments during customs clearance and after customs clearance.

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Ministries, agencies and stakeholders can carry out administrative procedures (licensing, specialized inspection) related to imports and exports on one system, helping reform administrative procedures and saving costs in developing an IT system.