Ensuring Covid-19 pandemic prevention, following closely revenue collection activity

Director General Nguyen Van Can spoke at the meeting. Photo: T.Bình

More than VND 20,000 billion in revenue collection

Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the monthly progress meeting of General Department of Vietnam Customs had to be delayed and strictly complied with requirements on pandemic prevention.

In April and the first four months of 2021, the whole sector achieved good results in every aspects of its key tasks.

Notably, revenue collection has reached VND 122,434 billion, equivalent to 38.87% of assigned current appropriation, 37% of the striving target, increasing by VND 20,209 billion, equivalent to an increase of 19.77% over the same period last year.

In terms of anti-smuggling, in April, the whole customs sector handled 1,397 cases of violation with a total value of infringing goods estimated at more than VND 113,393 billion, and paid into State revenue VND 11,564 billion. Customs authorities prosecuted three cases and transferred five cases to other agencies for prosecution.

In the first four months of the year, the whole Customs sector handled a total of 4,642 cases of violations with an estimated value of VND 1,094 billion 434 million and paid to State revenue reached 64 billion VND 393 million. Customs authorities initiated eight tasks and transferred knowledge to different agencies 28 times.

Effective pandemic prevention, associated with trade facilitation

Speaking at the meeting, Director General Nguyen Van Can requested that, amid the current complex development of pandemic, in May and the last months of the year, the whole sector continue to closely grasp, analyse and evaluate the situation of revenue collection movements by monthly and yearly to ensure the completion of estimate targets and at the same time taking as a basis for building the revenue estimate of 2022.

Regarding anti-smuggling, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement key topics and plans. Along with that, focusing on evaluating and analysing information to detect new violations and tricks, especially in the complex pandemic situation to take effective measures.

For customs statistics, it is necessary to have estimates and forecasts close to reality. Notably, for a number of key commodities and fields with big changes, it is important to update the statistics in time and report to the leaders of the General Department for weekly updates.

Regarding the development of the draft decree regulating state quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods, the Director General emphasized, functional units need to point out any shortcomings and breakthrough reforms in trade facilitation when implementing the new model (approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 38/QD-TTg dated January 12, 2021).

In particular, it is urgent to develop and issue a decree on quality inspection and food safety inspection for import goods to implement this new reform model.

Regarding the amendment of Decree 08/2015/ND-CP and Decree 59/2018/ND-CP of the Government on regulations and implementing measures to implement the Law on Customs on customs procedures, inspection and supervision and customs enforcement, it needed to supplement and updated content related to building a smart customs model and digital customs.

Regarding the complex situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Director General asked the whole sector to continue to strictly and effectively implement the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Finance and the guidelines of the health sector. In particular, for officials and workers working in border and border-gate areas, the forces performing tasks are required to move frequently such as the customs enforcement unit, they are requested to pay attention and pioritise to vaccinate in time besides fully implementing measures of anti-pandemic work when performing their duties.

Besides pandemic prevention, the whole sector continues to promote solutions for trade facilitation, clear the flow of import and export goods and improve the effectiveness of anti-smuggling and trade fraud and illegal transport of goods across borders.