Enterprises improve brand reputation when voluntarily complying with customs laws

	Interest rates continue to decrease further to push money out into the economy
	Lang Son Customs revenue shows many signs of prosperity
	Hanoi Customs supports and encourages businesses to voluntarily comply with customs laws

Leaders of Quang Ninh Customs Department sign a memorandum of understanding with businesses. Photo: Quang Ninh Customs

Disseminating and promoting the program

According to the Risk Management Department (the General Department of Vietnam Customs), the achievements of the implementation of the pilot program to support and encourage enterprises to voluntarily comply with the Customs law show that local customs departments have actively run the program and provide initiatives and methods to disseminate and support enterprises in participating in the Program, which are recognized and appreciated by the business community. For example, the Customs Departments include Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Binh Duong, HCM City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang.

The Risk Management Department will notify when issuing the certificate so that the local customs departments will receive the certificate and award to local member enterprises.

Customs departments of Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, HCM City... have actively disseminated the program at periodically Customs-Business Dialogue Conferences. At the conferences, enterprises have recorded benefits of the program and expressed their desire to participate in the program.

As of June, 213 import-export enterprises, customs brokers have participated and recognized as members of the Pilot Program to support and encourage enterprises to voluntarily comply with customs laws at 34 local customs departments.

With the goal of increasing at least 20% of enterprises participating in the program in 2023, to implement phase II and remove obstacles, the department has required the departments to direct relevant units to build plans and take measures to disseminate the program with the business community and introduce key contents about benefits of enterprises when participating in the program.

The enterprises will be supported by the Customs to improve the compliance level, thereby reducing the rate of customs inspection for import and export goods, and enjoy incentives in voluntary compliance with the law. Enterprises are certified as members of the Program by the Customs, helping them improve their brand reputation and enjoy incentives in the business production and import and export activities.

According to the department, besides the positive results brought by the program, the measures to disseminate the program have not been taken regularly and decreased in quality and effectiveness. As a result, some businesses still do not understand the program, especially the benefits when becoming the member of the program. Enterprises still voice concern about arising more administrative procedures, and subject to control by the Customs, so they have not yet participated effectively. The regular information exchange and interaction mechanism between the Customs authorities and member enterprises within the framework of the program has not been fully implemented, leading to the ineffective support enterprises.

Diversifying the types of participation

To expand the program, diversify the types of participation, and create a flexible mechanism for the provincial and municipal Customs Departments in phase II, the Risk Management Department recently has requested local customs departments to continue implementing the pilot program to support and encourage enterprises to voluntarily comply with the customs law.

Accordingly, in addition to enterprises selected under the program's criteria, the local Customs Departments can invite enterprises to participate in the program. At the same time, actively coordinate with relevant units to train and instruct enterprises to avoid customs offences in the Partnership Programs for the business community in the area.

The department has asked local customs departments to promote the support actives and implement the second phase of the program. Specifically, department has required the local customs departments to support and facilitate enterprises; ensure the reporting regime, implement the action plan and periodically notify within the framework of the Program for member enterprises in import and export activities in the locality.

Share and apply creative methods of information exchange, effective communication and interaction with member enterprises (via hotline, zalo software, viber on mobile phones, etc.) to disseminate and instruct enterprises, and recognize problems of enterprises to promptly handle…