Customs disseminates policies on issues of businesses’ concern

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Customs units regularly hold business dialogue conferences. In the photo: Customs – Business dialogue conference held by Thai Binh Customs Branch (Hai Phong Customs Department) on June 9, 2022. Photo: T.Binh

Efficiency from dialogue

Business dialogues have become an indispensable activity in the management of the Customs sector. Dialogue conferences held annually at all levels are an effective tool for Customs to listen, understand and remove obstacles and better support businesses and import and export activities.

Through dialogue conferences, Customs gained useful information for administrative reform and handle negative manifestations of customs officers.

Especially, after each dialogue conference with the business community held annually by the Ministry of Finance and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in the North and South, a number of documents, customs policies, procedures and tax management processes have been revised and issued to create more favorable conditions for businesses in production and business activities.

The results show that the General Department of Customs has actively promoted the completion of customs mechanisms, policies and laws. Accordingly, in 2020 and 2021, the General Department of Customs studied and proposed to reduce and simplify 5% of regulations and 5% of costs related to business activities according to Resolution 68/NQ -CP dated May 12, 2020 of the Government; and proposed to cut and simplify 19 of 29 business conditions, cut 22 of 52 components of dossiers for recognition of warehouses, yards, ports and duty-free shops.

According to Mr. Dao Thinh Vinh, Deputy Director of the Legal Department (General Department of Customs), Customs authorities at all levels regularly organize dialogue conferences, so that enterprises have a chance to share problems related to import and export management policies, customs procedures, and attitude of Customs officers in the official performance and the customs can capture information, promptly develop guiding and implementing documents throughout the sector. Since 2012, Customs has compiled and published over 270,000 legal documents and leaflets on new regulations in the field of customs and relevant subjects, mainly customs declarants, taxpayers and businesses.

In addition, following the direction of the Ministry of Finance, the Customs sector has always focused on supporting and providing information to customs declarants, taxpayers and businesses through conferences and seminars, training sessions and dialogues. Every year, Customs offices at all levels develop plans to organize conferences to create maximum conditions for customs declarants, taxpayers and businesses to raise their opinions on issues in the field of customs.

Especially, since 2012, the Customs sector has coordinated with press agencies and media inside and outside the sector to carry out 3,842 television reports and articles and news related to the customs field; published on the publications of the Customs News and the portals 67,650 legal documents and mechanisms and policies; and 103,456 answers through websites and emails.

Helping businesses recover and develop

To help businesses recover and develop after the pandemic, Customs has been applying customs risk management measures, thereby reducing the burden on customs procedures during the customs clearance process for businesses.

The General Department of Customs has requested provincial and municipal customs departments to work with other authorities at border gates to maintain solutions to ensure customs clearance, improved the efficiency of IT solutions to support customs declarants and taxpayers; coordinated with ministries and agencies to carry out administrative procedures, Mr. Dao Thinh Vinh said.

In addition, the General Department of Customs has also reviewed and completed the legal framework and customs procedures for import and export goods, means of transport on entry, exit and in transit; simplified customs dossiers, abolished unnecessary documents, streamlined procedures and requested local Customs units to maintain trade facilitation measures to avoid cargo congestion and ensure fast customs clearance.

In particular, through dialogue conferences, Customs will understand and solve difficulties and problems during customs clearance at border gates. Also, Customs will disseminate new legal documents and regulations to businesses, raising awareness of law compliance in the business community and coordination with the Customs in law enforcement, anti-smuggling and anti-trade fraud, as well as developing a healthy business environment in the business community.

The Customs agency wants businesses to be more proactive in responding to difficulties and obstacles in law enforcement. At the same time, actively contribute and propose solutions to management agencies in developing, amendment and supplementing laws related to taxes and customs to ensure feasibility, fairness, transparency, easy to understand, and easy to implement legal documents. From there, promptly solve problems and propose to superiors to solve problems according to their decentralized authority.

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Customs expects businesses to more actively share obstacles in law enforcement and actively propose solutions to management agencies in the development, amendment and supplementation of laws related to taxes and customs to ensure the feasibility, fairness and transparency of legal documents in order to promptly solve problems and report the senior levels on problems beyond their power.