Customs supports businesses

	Ha Nam Ninh Customs supports enterprises
	Hanoi Customs supports and encourages businesses to voluntarily comply with customs laws

The Customs authorities at all levels annually organize hundreds of Customs-Business dialogue conferences. In the photo: Representatives of Ha Nam Ninh Customs Department answer questions for businesses at the 2023 Customs – Customs-Business Dialogue Conference. Photo: H.Nu

The relationship between the Customs and the Business as a partnership, the Customs has held hundreds of dialogues with businesses. This is a regular activity of Customs authorities at all levels, an opportunity to discuss, listen, share and find solutions to promptly handle and remove difficulties and obstacles, creating more favorable conditions for imports and exports.

The Customs determines the Customs-Business Dialogue Conferences are one of the forms of dissemination, support and updating of key legal information of the Customs sector, helping the business community to raise awareness and customs law enforcement ability.

As one of the localities that are recognized to organize Customs-Business dialogue activities well, Lang Son Customs Department has implemented various methods to answer and resolve problems related to customs regulations and policies. Accordingly, the department has regularly held Customs-Business dialogue conferences with the business community. In addition, the department has also set up working teams and coordinated with the local government to work and grasp the status of enterprises to remove difficulties.

Notably, on March 17, Lang Son Customs Department collaborated with the working team of the local government to work at Vietnam Machine Investment Development Joint Stock Company (VIMID) to exchange, listen to opinions and resolve obstacles and create favorable conditions for businesses with import and export activities across the province.

In Ha Tinh, Customs has instructed and disseminated legal polices and supportive programs for the business community, aiming to help enterprises understand regulations, comply with the law and avoid errors.

Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Customs Department, Dinh Van Hoa, said that the department hopes to get feedback from the business community through dialogue conferences. At the same time, the department also wants to receive comments on the service attitude of Customs officers by enterprises to provide better service in the near future.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thu Nhieu, Director of Ha Nam Ninh Customs Department, dialogue is an opportunity for the Customs to receive more comments and suggestions in amending and perfecting policies in line with provisions and the practice for the development of local imports and exports. Especially, enterprises have proposed contents related to a determination of declared customs value, consultation and delay in goods information…

Assigning specific target

VIMID’s Director Nguyen Vu Tru, said that in the past, the company carried out customs procedures and if it was reminded or fined, it did not know about the mistake. Currently, the company is instructed by the customs officer at any time.

Through practical discussions, the interaction between the Customs and the business community plays an important role. Mr. Nguyen Vu Tru said that the Customs authority increasingly considers businesses as partners to fulfill tasks better, with high consensus, creating voluntary compliance with customs laws and other laws.

According to the Legal Department, under the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the Director General of Vietnam Customs signed and issued Decision No. 123/QD- GDC on the assignment of administrative reform targets, simplifying customs procedures, and facilitating trade in 2023. Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs requires subordinate units to improve the quality of dialogue, and promptly remove difficulties and problems for businesses.

Specifically, complete the resolution of problems related to customs procedures within two working hours; enhance online dialogue with businesses at least once a quarter at the customs branch level and twice a year at the provincial and city customs department levels... At the general department level, dialogue conferences will be held once within six months or one year, in parallel with dialogues with different businesses.

Statistics show that in the past 10 months, Customs authorities at all levels have conducted more than 100 dialogues, with the participation of thousands of import-export enterprises. From the above results, the representative of the Legal Department said that through dialogues, the Customs agency realized that most of the arising problems were related to intersectional administrative procedures. Accordingly, to resolve problems, the Customs agency will research, discuss and coordinate with relevant agencies to get the fastest answers for businesses.

Assessing the effectiveness of the dialogues, Mr. Dinh Van Hoa also said that recently, the dialogue conferences have been held online or offline, or in a combination of two forms. The effectiveness of this work is promoted, and highly appreciated by the business community. Efforts from both sides of Customs and businesses have followed the Government's motto "placing people and businesses at the heart to serve” and in the spirit of accompanying, listening, and sharing with businesses to together overcome difficulties and challenges, proactively adapt, and develop sustainably.

To further improve the effectiveness of support and promptly remove problems, the representative of the Legal Department said that the Customs agency hopes businesses to be more proactive in responding to difficulties and obstacles in law compliance. At the same time, actively propose solutions to management agencies in developing, amending, and supplementing laws related to the tax and customs sectors to ensure feasibility, fairness and transparency, ease of understanding and implementation of legal documents.