Hai Phong Customs: Creating online interactive channel to support businesses

	Import and export reached a record at Hai Phong Customs during complicated pandemic time
	Import – export turnover at Hai Phong Customs tops $8 billion in April, increasing by more than 47%
	Hai Phong Customs collects more than VND15,000 billion

During the Covid-19 pandemic, by launching online support channels, customs branches under Hai Phong Customs Department have minimised direct contact with businesses at the Customs office.

Timely response

Hai Phong Customs Department identified the themes for 2021 as further promoting the Customs – business partnership; improving management methods, applying information technology in work performance; unifying the management mechanism; improving efficiency of coordination and reforming and strengthening inspections in all areas.

For the development of the Customs-business partnership, Hai Phong customs realised the needs of the business community from Customs are advice, answers, and problem-solving during customs processes.

The leader of Hai Phong Customs Department said unlike problems related to policies that require a lot of time to understand, study and report to authorities; the problem-solving in customs process must be done quickly to ensure customs clearance time for businesses.

Customs branches under Hai Phong Customs Department have many diverse ways to promptly receive and handle problems amid the complex Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, customs branches take advantage of information technology and social networks (phone, email, Zalo and Facebook) to interact with the business community, notably creating groups on Zalo to advertise new mechanisms, policies and regulations, especially solving daily problems for businesses.

The Zalo group "Hai Duong Import-Export Association" is an example. Established by the leader of Hai Duong Customs Branch at the end of 2020, by the beginning of June, the group had more than 800 members and attracted most of the employees in the field of import and export in Hai Duong. The group also has leaders and officials of Hai Duong Customs Branch.

The leader of Hai Duong Customs Branch said, to concretise the Customs-business partnership and to create a regular, timely, easy, convenient and effective communication channel and apply the achievements of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the customs branch created the Zalo group "Hai Duong Import-Export Association".

Through this group, the customs branch has disseminated new mechanisms, policies and regulations to the business community in a timely fashion and received and answered questions from businesses quickly and effectively.

“Especially amid the complicated Covid-19 pandemic, the use of groups on Zalo is more effective. Dozens of questions are exchanged between the customs branch and the business community," the leader of Hai Duong Customs Branch said.

For branches which have many businesses carrying out procedures such as four border-gate customs branches, theycreate groups on social networks as a type of business, by field of activity to capture information and solve problems effectively.

At the processing and investment customs branch, the unit has developed a plan to work with businesses, especially those which have headquarters or production facilities outside Hai Phong to grasp information, make business profiles and assess risks to have effective business management measures and build and develop a long-term Customs - business partnership.

In 2020, the branch sentsome delegations to work directly at firm headquarters, factories, and production facilities with dozens of firms in Phu Tho,Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Hung Yen, Thai Binh and Thanh Hoa. But in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, through pre-established contacts, the unit has increased exchange and consultancy for businesses by online via phone, email and social networks.

Timely adjustment to match with reality

Developing the Customs-business partnership is a major policy and a focus that the Party Committee and leaders of Hai Phong Customs Department have set and are determined to implement with drastic directions and feasible solutions to carry out this task effectively.

Recently, Hai Phong Customs Department has continued to revise contents of the agreement on developing the Customs-business partnership and set out specific commitments.

They are: maintaining and developing the website of Hai Phong Customs Department, posting documents of regimes and policies; and publicising answers for common questions on the website.

Establishing a group to solve and advise policy regimes at the branch level and department level to receive comments and promptly check and handle all acts of harassment and negativity and publicise information to firms.

Organising training courses for customs officers and employees in charge of customs procedures when required; and coordinating with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in Hai Phong to organise training course to disseminate policies and laws for the business community.

Support firms to propose timely handling of problems related to unreasonable mechanisms and policies to competent authorities; accompanying firms to actively participate in the development of a customs legal system on the principle of facilitating import and export activities of firms.

Use of container scanners at Hai Phong Customs Department changes fundamentally

Notably, for customs agents, Hai Phong Customs Department is committed to creating favourable conditions for the activities of customs agents. Specifically, branches give a separate door to carry out procedures for agents, ensuring fast and effectiveness to promote and further expand the activities of customs agents.

In addition, Hai Phong Customs also noted comments and suggestions from the business community to the People's Committee of Hai Phong City to promptly report and propose to the People's Committee to solve them.