Developing Customs - Business Partnerships: Efforts from both sides

Civil servants of the Investing Management Customs Sub-department - Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City guide the procedures for enterprises. Photo: T.H.

Focus communication

According to Mr. Hoang Dinh Trung, Deputy Director of the Customs Modernization Reform Commission, in 2017, the development of the partnership focused on the business community, people in effective law enforcement cooperation, meet the guidelines and requirements of the Government in implementing the commitments to further facilitate trade and investment for enterprises. In addition, the development of the Customs-business partnership also contributes to the fulfillment of the state budget revenue task of the customs sector through activities to assist enterprises in carrying out procedures and controlling the implementation of good customs procedures. Enterprises pay right, enough tax into the state budget. Implementing this objective, effective and transparent law enforcement support is provided from the central to local levels.

At the General Department of Customs, the highlight of the development of the Customs-business partnership is the organization of communication conferences for the implementation of the ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window, trained and facilitated trade Project, in order to communicate and mobilize enterprises operating in the field of import-export and international transport understand and actively participate in the above activities. Four conferences have been organized by the Customs Modernization Reform Commission in coordination with the Departments under the General Department of Customs in two big cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in June and August 2017. There were more than 600 participants representing the Private Sector Forum; Association of Japanese companies in Vietnam; The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry etc. Mr. Hoang Dinh Trung said that through this communication conference, businesses will clearly see the benefits of participating in the ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window, specialized inspection Project and the international commitments. The role and responsibilities of the business community have also been clearly recognized when participating in the above activities such as: taking initiative in updating information, participating in consultations with customs authorities during the implementation process; timely reflect the difficulties and obstacles to competent management agencies etc.

Many highlights of the partnership development

At the provincial and city customs departments, the development of partnerships and cooperation with enterprises is considered one of the solutions to promote customs operations in the area; at the same time, this is also a channel to propagate new and effective legal policies quickly and effectively.

For example, in Binh Duong Customs Department, cooperation and partnerships with the community are always focused on the implementation of professional activities, through the regular organization of dialogue with enterprises in each field, special subject and regularly strengthen the Consultant and Online Answering Team and Partnerships Development Team based on actual work.

From the beginning of this year, the Consultant and Online Answering Team has consulted and answered over 140 questions for enterprises in the form of email, telephone and through its website. Along with that, Binh Duong Customs Department has organized 11 training workshops, guiding legal documents with the participation of 1,000 enterprises; 37 legal documents have been disseminated to the business community. In consultancy activities, at the sub-department level, there were 12 meetings in which the two sides exchanged and promptly resolved difficulties and problems related to legal policies and customs procedures for enterprises. The party has reached consensus on the problems that exist on the basis of mutual understanding, trust, and support.

According to the Binh Duong Customs Department, in 2017, besides regular conferences with associations, dialogue activities have been reformed by the unit in the direction of actively exchanging information with associations to grasp the need. To find out the customs regulations of the directors of the enterprises, then to develop the program and organize the training for the subject of the director according to each subject matter. This is a way to fit the actual needs of enterprises, ensuring the depth and detail of each content compared to the way of holding the conference in traditional or mass forms. Thereby, the Department has listened to the difficulties and obstacles of enterprises to remove or propose competent authorities to solve; thanks to that, the first step to create confidence for the business community, help businesses rest assured production from which export turnover increased, contributing to maintaining stable state budget revenue.

At Quang Ninh Customs Department, in 2017 has recorded the initiative and innovation in the method of information exchange with enterprises by organizing direct missions to meet with 42 companies. Through this, the customs department has grasped the situation of production and business activities, listening to the difficulties and obstacles of enterprises in the process of customs procedures. The results recorded 21 problems faced by enterprises, many of them have been answered, some problems have been reported to be answered.

In the consultancy activities, Quang Ninh Customs Department has strongly encouraged enterprises to actively participate in consultations with the customs authorities by proposing contents and solutions to issues being consulted, in which priority is given to consultants who regularly carry out procedures. As a result, 6 consultations with Customs and businesses and stakeholders were held, in which the consultants agreed with the solutions for consultations and agreed to submit them to the competent authorities to consider and decide on issues that go beyond authority.