Dong Thap Customs: Facilitating enterprises in import and export of agricultural and fishery products

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Officers of Dong Thap Port Customs Branch carry out procedures for export goods. Photo: Thu Hoa

Understanding difficulties of enterprises

Director of Dong Thap Customs Department, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Toan, said that many fishery export enterprises, especially pangasius export enterprises in the area, were greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The difficult export market and low prices significantly reduced import and export goods of enterprises.

“In addition to solutions to support and facilitate clearance of goods for enterprises during the pandemic, Dong Thap Customs Department organized meetings with enterprises to discuss and understand their difficulties and expectations, thereby introducing appropriate solutions to support, share and help them gradually recover production and business, contributing revenues to the state budget,” said Toan.

In particular, there are very few taxable goods in Dong Thap, the main types are export processing and production and export of agricultural and fishery products, so most of them are non-taxable or subject to zero tax rates. For goods and activities of domestic import and export enterprises, their activities reduced and suffered impacts due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in leather, footwear, garments, goods processed and produced for exports and exports of agricultural and fishery products.

Facing the above situation, Dong Thap Customs Department determined this year as a very difficult one for import-export activities of enterprises, as well as the state budget collection. To support enterprises, the leaders of Dong Thap Customs Department directed competent divisions and branches to diversify support forms for enterprises via email and phone; to encourage enterprises to do online transactions to exchange and grasp information, especially enterprises related to countries generating the disease in order to provide timely support and treatment; and to create favorable conditions for enterprises. In particular, the competent divisions and branches have paid special attentions to the facilitation of rapid clearance of goods, machinery, equipment, materials and supplies for production of enterprises; understand and promptly solving difficulties and problems arising among enterprises, facilitating them in carrying out customs procedures.

Improving satisfaction index of enterprises

Recently, Dong Thap Customs Department has focused on reforming administrative procedures, facilitating goods exchange activities of border residents and import and export activities of enterprises in the area, with the goal of improving the satisfaction index. According to the public administrative reform(PAR) index in 2019 of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities and the satisfaction index of administrative service in 2019 announced by the Government steering committee for administrative reform, Dong Thap province ranked third out of 63 provinces and centrally-run cities with the index of 84.43%, an increase of 0.72 points.

According to the Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS) published by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dong Thap gained 87.62%, ranking 15th out of 63 provinces and centrally-run cities. With this ratio, the satisfaction index is calculated corresponding to 8.77 of10 points of this criterion in the PAR Index. This result has had a significant contribution of Dong Thap Customs Department in reforming procedures, facilitating import-export activities and creating an open investment environment, which is appreciated by local agencies and enterprises.

Mr. Ong Han Van, Deputy General Director of Truong Giang Seafood Joint Stock Company, said that as a company specializing in pangasius processing and export, the companyhas recently suffered great impacts due to the pandemic on production and business. The company’s pangasius exports fell from 30-50%, the price of pangasius also dropped deeply, causing difficulties for the company. Facing the difficulties of the company, units in Dong Thap province have supported and created favorable conditions for the company. In particular, Dong Thap Customs Department has supported and created the most favorable conditions for fish export shipments. The problems related to procedures and the liquidity of declarations have been guided and removed quickly by customs officers.

As a major seafood exporter, Mr. Phan Van Tam, Deputy Director of Cadovimex II Seafood Import Export and Processing Joint Stock Company, said that the company exports several hundred containers of pangasius each month, mainly to China. "With a large volume of exports, we are very satisfied with the current customs procedures. In addition to being able to use fast customs procedure applications, we are also supported and guided by Dong Thap Customs Department and Dong Thap Port Customs Branch on new documents and policies, problems arising during implementation," Mr. Phan Van Tam said.

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At a dialogue with businesses community held by Dong Thap Customs Department in early 2020, nearly 60 enterprises attending the conference and implementing survey questionnaire highly appreciated and were satisfied with the customs procedure reform, trade facilitation and support by Customs.