Customs sector makes major reform: Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung

	Cutting specialized inspection procedures saves VND 6,300 billion
	“Key” for reform of model of quality control and food safety inspection
	Risk management – mandatory requirement in specialized inspection reform

The Government press conference on Resolution No. 01/ND-CP and Resolution 02/NQ-CP. Photo: H.D

On January 4, in Hanoi, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the Government’s spokeman, chaired a press conference about Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP and Resolution. 02/ NQ-CP.

If we do not reform or reform more slowly, we will regress

From the beginning of the term to now, Resolution 01 and 02 have been issued to set drastic solutions for implementing socio-economic development tasks. Of which, Resolution 01/NQ-CP on major tasks and solutions for implementing the socio-economic development plan and State budget estimate in 2021 and Resolution 02/NQ-CP on measures and tasks to improve the business environment and raise national competitiveness in 2021.

Speaking at apress conference, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung notedthe socio-economic results and achievements gained by Vietnam in 2020.

The outbreak of Covid-19 since the beginning of the year hit hard the socio-economic development goals. However, with the motto "fighting against the pandemic like fighting a against enemies” and determination for implementing the “dual-goal” to prevent and fight the pandemic as well asrestore and develop the economy, Vietnam has developed the economy with the highest possible results.

In 2020, the macro-economy continued to be stable, with inflation controlled and major balances of the economy ensured; GDP continued to grow 2.91%; Vietnam wasone of the 10 countries in the world with the highest GDP growth rate and one of the 16 most successful emerging economies in 2020. Social security and people's lives wereguaranteed, while foreign affairs achieved many important marks.

Regarding Resolution No.01, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said the Resolution No.01 focuses on the major tasks and solutions for implementing the Socio-Economic Development Plan and State budget estimate in 2021.

Along with comprehensive completion of 12 major targets assigned by the National Assembly, the Government’s spokesman said the Government sets a target of striving for a GDP growth rate in 2021 is about 6.5% in 2021. At the same time, the Government sets specific 96 targets for sectors and fields as a basis for ministries, sectors and localities to develop implementation plans and a basis for inspection, evaluation and measurement of results of implementing the resolution.

To achieve targets and goals, the Government has identified eightkey directions, including 11 groups of major tasks and solutions and 188 tasks for ministries, sectors and localities.

Resolution No.02/NQ-CP on key measures and tasks to improve the business environment and boostnational competitiveness in 2021 which was issued in the context that the Government issued Resolution No.68/NQ-CP on the programme of reduction and the simplification of regulations related to business activities in 2020-2025, sets a target of cutting and simplifying at least 20% of regulations and 20% of the cost of the compliance with regulations related to business activities.

“Resolution No.02 provides the Government’s message that the improvement of the business environment and the enhancement of national competitiveness is the continuous and key task, because if we do not reform or reform more slowly, we will regressed,” Dung said.

Reduce custom clearance time and save US$200 million per year

The Minister and Chairman of the Government Office highly appreciated the reforms of administrative procedures of the Ministry of Finance with solutions for customs and tax modernisation.

“The reform of specialised inspection procedures aims to a focal point as the Customs and focuses on post-clearance audit, excluding fields related to plant and animal quarantine,” he said.

At the press conference on the control of administrative procedure reform, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said we cannot monitor the reform basedon books but on the basis of smart assessment by international organisations. Moreover, the Prime Minister's Administrative Procedure Reform Advisory Council and foreign businesses usemany smart and transparent assessment tools.

According to Dung, it is necessary to reform institutions, procedures, review and cut barriers that cause difficulties and aretime-consuming and costly for people and businesses. The cuts should be conducted in a drastic and transparent manner, and there should be assessment tools and supervision by the businesses, press and people.

“The Customs sector makes a major reform. There are 12 million import and export dossiers, of which, 3.8 million import and export dossiers have been reduced customs clearance time from 62 hours to 56 hours; 6 million dossiers have been reduced the time from 58 hours to 55 hours, saving 37 million working days. Thus, we save more than VND 4 trillion or more than US$ 200 million,” Dung said.