Customs sector is under pressure from revenue collection from the beginning of the year

	Customs sector has reduced the amount of tax debt by over VND 157 billion
	In 2017: Customs sector successfully completed many tasks assigned
	The Customs strives to exceed 3-5% of revenue target in 2018

Providing maximum support to import and export businesses is the leading solution as well as the key solution in Customs operation. In photo: Customs officers of Cai Lan Customs Branch guide policies for businesses. Photo: T.Tr

Meanwhile, the estimated target of State revenue assigned by the Prime Minister to the Customs sector is VND 283,000 billion, and the additional target assigned by the Ministry of Finance is to exceed a minimum from 3 to 5% of the estimate (equivalent to VND 292,000 billion -295,000 billion). This is a difficult task.

Striving to exceed the target

The estimated target of State revenue is VND 283,000 billion (reducing 0.7% compared to the 2017 estimated target of VND 285 trillion), the Customs sector must collect VND 23,853 billion per month on average. However, according to the Import and Export Duty Department (under the General Department of Vietnam Customs), in 2018 the revenue will be reduced to about VND 30,150 billion due to the implementation of international integration commitments and the reduction in tax rate to 0% for over 90% of commodity lines under ATIGA. Of which, some commodities with high revenue will be subject to tax reduction, such as automobiles down from 30% to 0%, automobile parts from 5%, 20% to 0%, iron and steel from 5% to 0% and agricultural products, cigarette, alcohol and etc. In 2018, the current tax rate of 5%, 7%, 10% of over 400 commodity lines under ACFTA, AKFTA will be cut to 0%.

Without tax, the Customs Office has no revenues. This is an objective fact and a factor that greatly affects the performance of the revenue collection task of the Customs sector in 2018. However, determining that this is not only a difficult task but also the key task, at the conference on deploying the task in 2018 of the GDVC, the Director General, Nguyen Van Can promised with the leaders of Ministry of Finance that the Customs will reach the State revenue of VND 293,000 billion (an increase of over 3% compared to the assigned target).

Accordingly, in order to complete the task of revenue collection in 2018, from the beginning of the year, the GDVN will issue Directive on deployment of revenue collection task in 2018. In addition, assigning target of State revenue to municipal and provincial Customs departments and striving to complete the revenue collection task in 2018. Instructing and closely coordinating with provincial and municipal Customs departments and units under the GDVC to actively take measures for revenue collection.

Facilitating import and export activities

According to the Director of Import and Export Duty Department Luu Manh Tuong, providing maximum support to import and export businesses and implementing solutions and tasks of administrative reform is the leading solution as well as the key solution in Customs operation.

Besides, the Customs continues to effectively deploy its key schemes under the new management mode such as the Automated system for seaport and airport Customs management, scheme on management for processed and manufactured goods for export, the scheme on e-tax payment and Customs clearance 24/7 to facilitate import and export activities, restrict the taking advantage of loopholes in policies by businesses to make profit, and effectively prevent smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and State revenue losses.

Promoting the deployment of National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window to facilitate import and export activities and shorten time of Customs clearance and goods release and strive to reach the average level of ASEAN-4 countries under Resolution 19-2017/NQ-CP.

Drastically implementing Resolution 36a/NQ-CP, in which setting the target of providing online tax payment service at 4, providing the maximum support to tax payers at anytime, anywhere and any means (the GDVC has signed coordination agreements with some banks to deploy the scheme on e-tax payment and Customs clearance 24/7, including Vietcombank, Techcombank, BIDV, MBbank, VietinBank, Sacombank, SCB, HD Bank, VP Bank, Mizuho, Lietvietpost bank, TP Bank).

Drastically preventing revenue losses

Mr. Luu Manh Tuong added that besides facilitation for import and export activities, the Customs focused on taking measures to prevent State revenue losses such as handling and recovering tax debt, accurately and promptly classifying recoverable debts and irrecoverable debts; strengthening inspection of cases subject to Tax reduction, Tax exemption, Tax refund and non-Tax collection in accordance with provisions of the law; Promptly handling incorrect cases and violations; proposing amendments and supplements to policies which have shortcomings and loopholes.

Strengthening the post clearance audit and internal inspection in accordance with the law to limit the taking advantage of loopholes in the stages of before and during Customs clearance to evade tax by businesses. Strictly implementing the approved plans on specialized inspection and internal inspection. Implementing the task of unscheduled inspection as required by the General Director of Customs. Closely coordinating with relevant units in preventing tax losses, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

Focusing on inspecting key businesses, areas and commodities with high risk; reviewing tax debts arising due to tax assessment under decisions on post clearance audit and decisions on inspection of the GDVC and provincial and municipal Customs Departments in accordance with provisions of the law to recover tax debts.

Besides, strengthening the inspection to rectify the inspection, valuation, rulings, post clearance audit on value for cases suspected of low declared value. Thereby, preventing missing and inventory of dossiers suspected of declared value without rulings and post clearance audit. Promptly reviewing on imports and exports in local Customs Departments and developing relations among 3 levels to instruct in a timely fashion. Resolutely handling violations; reviewing data in the system to detect commodities with sign of trade fraud in price and making plans on inspection under scheme.

In 2017: Customs sector successfully completed many tasks assigned VCN- Drastically implementing state budget revenues: To accelerate the reform of administrative procedures and the application of ...

Mr.Tuong stressed that from the beginning of the year, municipal and provincial Customs Departments must monitor revenues to assign targets to Customs units in line with reality and adjust the targets in accordance with the situation of revenue collection. The GDVC continues to adjust targets in line with each municipal and provincial Customs department to ensure the effective collection from the beginning of the year in order to exceed the assigned target.