Hai Phong Customs promptly handles hundreds of businesses’ problems

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Customs operations at the Hung Yen Customs Branch (the Hai Phong Customs Department). Photo: Thai Binh.

Timely

The problems focus on two main groups: problems arising from normative legal documents and problems arising during the implementation of legal documents of Customs officers.

One of the major problems of enterprises which perform Customs clearance procedures at the Hai Phong Customs Department is the time for submitting C/O (according to the guidance of the Ministry of Finance in Official Dispatch No. 12802 / BTC-TCHQ of 14^th September 2016). Accordingly, this problem was reflected by Hai Ha Road and Water Transport Company Limited and the Vietnam Petroleum Association. In order to resolve difficulties of enterprises, the Hai Phong Customs Department has promptly reported to the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs for seeking solutions. On 13^th March 2017, the Ministry of Finance issued Official Letter 3109/BTC-TCHQ to tackle the problems as mentioned above. Accordingly, the problems of Hai Ha Road and Transport Company Limited were promptly solved. After the guidance of the Ministry of Finance, on 13^th March 2017, the Hai Phong Customs Department issued Official Dispatch No. 2678 / HQHP-GSQL to respond tov enterprises and the Vietnam Petroleum Association.

Regarding the time of submission of C/O, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association reflected that enterprises must submit C/O to Customs authorities at the time of performance of Customs procedures for 9-seat or less than 9-seat cars. This association proposed that "the time for submission of C/O for 9-seat or less than 9-seat cars shall comply with the provisions of the Ministry of Finance's Official Dispatch No. 13959/BTC-TCHQ of 4^th October 2016.

According to the Hai Phong Customs Department, this problem was related to the management of imported cars of the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Official Dispatch No. 16875/BTC-PC of 25^th November 2016, Official Dispatch No. 11552/TCHQ-GSQL of 8^th December 2016 and Official Dispatch No. 12129/TCHQ-GSQL of 28^th December 2016 stipulated that imported cars (except for those subject to preferential treatment, diplomatic immunity, trucks including special-use cars and container trucks) must submit C/O at the time of Customs clearance.

In order to resolve problems of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association, the Hai Phong Customs Department has proposed to the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs that enterprises must submit C/O at the time of Customs clearance only where they want to enjoy special preferential rates. At present, the General Department of Vietnam Customs is consulting the draft circular on inspections and determination of origin of exports and imports, which stipulates whether enterprises must submit C/O at the time of Customs clearance.

Accompanying with enterprises

With the theme "Customs accompanies business", Vietnam Customs has considered enterprises as a cooperative partner, ensuring the harmony of interests of enterprises and strict management of Customs. In recent years, the Hai Phong Customs Department has built Customs-Business Consultant Teams at Customs Branches to promptly assist and support enterprises in handling of problems. However, due to lack of agreements on the coordination, there have been still a number of problems affecting the business community. In order to overcome this situation, the Hai Phong Customs Department has contacted with about 60 business associations to discuss the mechanism on handling problems effectively and have built regulations on coordination with 17 business associations (on 30^th March 2016).

At a conference to review the one-year implementation of the regulations to resolve problems of business associations on 17^th March 2017, the Hai Phong Customs Department and the business associations said that the two sides enhanced cooperation to solve the problems and difficulties of enterprises at Hai Phong port. A representative of a business association highly appreciated the efforts of the Hai Phong Customs Department in strengthening the Customs-Business partnership in the process of Customs clearance. This has created sympathy and trust for enterprises as well as facilitating enterprises to expand business investment and production. Thereby, the number of enterprises carrying out procedures at Hai Phong has increased drastically and the revenues from taxes paid to the State budget are higher than the previous year.

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According to the Hai Phong Customs Department, in the coming time, it will continue to closely cooperate with associations to further promote the results in the implementation of coordination to solve problems. Also, the Hai Phong Customs Department will consider organizing a dialogue conference to exchange information on a large scale with the participation of many enterprises and associations. Especially, the Hai Phong Customs Department will strengthen the connection and interaction with the business community to jointly solve the problems, further reforming the Customs Law enforcement as well as promoting responsibilities of civil servants and Customs officers.