Experts highly appreciate digital transformation by Customs industry

	People and businesses highly appreciate the digital transformation of the Finance Sector
	Digital transformation of Customs and Taxation brings many benefits

One of key goals set by the Customs sector in the Digital Transformation plan is to process 100% customs procedures online. In the photo: Working performance at Cao Bang Customs Department. Photo:T.B

Facilitating people and enterprises

As recognized Customs Magazine, experts and representatives of the business community highly appreciate the Customs industry's efforts in customs modernization and reform as well as digital transformation to facilitate people and enterprises in customs process.

Dr. Can Van Luc, member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council, said that the digital transformation of the Customs industry has had positive impacts on people and businesses. It has provided online public service at high level. The Customs needs to implement to effectively implement digital transformation.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Cuc, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tax Consulting Association, highly appreciated the effectiveness of digital transformation of the Customs and Tax industries, which considers the leading area of digital transformation in the Finance industry. “If there is no digital transformation, no electronic customs procedures, e-invoice …enterprises will face difficulties in carrying out customs and tax procedures, taking a lot of time and costs …” Cuc said.

Representing the business community, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said that the Customs industry is one of the leading authorities in applying modern management tools in managing and supporting people and enterprises. The digital transformation by the state regulators has helped people and enterprises understand to interact with the Customs administration, thereby fulfilling their obligations, resolving problems in the business production as well as in customs procedures and tax payment.

Despite achieving remarkable results, experts said that the digital transformation of the Customs industry is still in the early stages and have much space for implementation. The Customs industry should predict difficulties and challenges to respond effectively.

The arising difficulties and challenges such as thinking about digital transformation in a part of officials requiring them to change to create orientation in operational processes, and problems on cyber security.

“The digital transformation in the Customs and Tax fields has achieve positive results. However, the work still requires the direction of all levels and the provision of technical facilities along with legal framework.

To gain success in digital transformation of the Customs industry, the factors that play a decisive role are the direction of leaders at all levels and the participation of the whole Customs industry with comprehensive solutions such as developing and completing legal documents, operational processes, organizational structure, management processes, and the application of information technology in customs control. The support by people and enterprises is also a key factor in digital transformation, thereby creating motivation to promote the development and success of digital transformation of the Customs industry", Mr. Nguyen Bac Ha, Head of the VCCI’s Membership and Training Department said.

​Associate technology applications with business process improvements

According to Deputy Head of Customs Control and Supervision Division of Exports/Imports Bui Minh Hai, the Customs has obtained positive results in customs reform and modernization. In order to provide better services and effectively manage, the Customs industry always promotes reform, simplifies administrative procedures, and facilitates trade.

The Customs industry focuses on implementing Digital Customs, while continuing to reduce and simplify administrative procedures, especially procedures for imports and exports.

“Currently, products in Group II subject to specialized inspection by ministries and local government agencies are classified into Yellow Channel when going through import and export procedures. However, when building Digital Customs, the Customs sector has calculated and provided solutions to avoid that 100% of goods of group II will not be classified into the Yellow channel. This will be based on input data, checking the enterprise's declaration with data of the Customs and of ministries and local government agencies ...”, Hai said.

The Customs expects and aims to increase the rate of goods classified into Green channel (automatically cleared) and reduce the rate of goods classified into Yellow and Red channels. This is a breakthrough that the Customs industry make great efforts to bring effectiveness to businesses.

The Customs sector also promotes the application of information technology, modern technologies to customs management to execute the digital transformation in a practical and effective manner.