Director General of Vietnam Customs works with EU-ASEAN Business Council

Speaking at the working session, Director General of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Van Can highly appreciated the program of the delegations this time in order to explore Vietnam's preparation for the ASEAN Vietnam Year 2020, as well as discuss opportunities to promote the relationship between the EU – ABC partnership and Vietnamese Government agencies.

Director General Nguyen Van Can also highly appreciated the close cooperation and partnership of EU-ABC and EUROCHAM with Vietnam Customs in recent years.

Scene of the working session. Photo: H.Nụ

Mr. Can said that, in Vietnam, Customs authorities from the central level to the provincial Customs Departments, including the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, Customs Reform and Modernization Board, International Cooperation Department, Hai Phong Customs Department and Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department had working programs and organised dialogues with the European Business Council in Vietnam (EUROCHAM). Thereby, discussing and agreeing measures to promote cooperation including trade facilitation activities and anti-smuggling efforts to protect the legitimate interests of businesses, together building the business environment in Vietnam in the spirit of equality, competition and transparency.

“This is the first time the General Department of Vietnam Customs has welcomed the EU-ABC Delegation at the headquarters of the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Through this meeting, I would like to promote the Customs - Business partnership to facilitate European businesses in Vietnam. At the same time, it also coordinated to prevent smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in order to protect the interests of businesses and consumers. This was a major concern and a priority focus of the General Department of Vietnam Customs in implementing tasks besides important tasks such as facilitating customs procedures, ensuring revenue for the state budget with a series of measures of Customs modernization which applied international standards, scientific and technological advances to cargo clearance,” Director General Nguyen Van Can said.

In addition, through an exchange at the meeting, Mr. Martin Hayes, EU-ABC Vice President, Southeast Asia Director of Robert Bosch, said EU-ABC was the only official representative of European businesses present in Southeast Asia. In the process of ASEAN economic integration and Vietnam's role as ASEAN Chair 2020; developments in Vietnam's customs policies and procedures, including automation, development of the ASEAN Single Window and other relevant regional initiatives, the EU-ABC desired to have better understanding in Vietnam Customs priority about this process.

At the meeting, Director General Nguyen Van Can answered a number of problems raised by representatives of businesses in the EU-ABC regarding the ASEAN Transit Agreement; ASEAN Single Window and express delivery services.