Hanoi Customs ensures quick customs clearance of goods during Lunar New Year

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Customs officers of Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch at office. Photo: N.Linh

Deputy Director of Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch Tran Hoai Nam said the volume of imported and exported goods through Noi Bai international airport every Lunar New Year usually soars by 20-30% compared to weekdays. To ensure customs clearance of businesses during the Tet holiday, the leader of the branch has asked customs officers to work with urgency and promptly report problems to have a timely solution.

The branch has set up a team to deal with customs clearance problems during the Tet holiday and arranged customs officers to work 24 hours, seven days a wekk, including holidays, to clear and release goods for businesses.

“The branch has requested customs officers in each unit to do all work up to the end of working time. Only when there are no customers, the working time finishes.

“For under-processing shipments, they are required to be handled the same day to avoid extra storage costs for businesses," said Mr. Nam.

In addition, Mr. Tran Hoai Nam said the increased volume of goods has also posed risks of smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of contraband goods. Therefore, the branch developed a plan to fight smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal cross-border transportation of banned goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year. The branch assigned the Customs Enforcement Team to regularly patrol and supervise hot spots in the Noi Bai international airport area to prevent acts of fraud.

Furthermore, the branch regularly requests the customs supervision unit, based on information on the Customs Cargo Advance Screening System to identify suspicious signs and work with the inspection units, and strengthen the collection and analysis of information from software and risk analysis to conduct advance screening.

At the same time, the unit is also asked to strengthen coordination in patrol and control with other authorities and the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department to promptly detect violations.

Following the direction of the General Department of Customs and Hanoi Customs Department, the Northern Hanoi Customs Branch has introduced many solutions to ensure customs clearance of goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year. The head of the Northern Hanoi Customs Branch Tran Thi Lan Anh said that to help customs declarants deal with customs clearance procedures and meet the "dual goal" of anti-pandemic work and smooth import and export activities, the branch has developed some customs clearance measures during the peak period of Tet.

For example, the branch has implemented Circulars issued by the Ministry of Finance to solve congestion, allowing enterprises to submit electronic documents instead of paper ones for fast customs clearance such as: Circular 82/2021 dated September 30, 2021 of the Minister of Finance providing for customs supervision of imported goods in border-gate transfer for imported goods stuck or at risk of congestion at seaports where social distancing is applied according to Directive 16 dated March 31, 2020 of the Prime Minister on the implementation of urgent measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic; Circular 121/2021 dated December 24, 2021 of the Ministry of Finance providing for customs procedures for imported goods serving urgent requirements for Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control; submission of documents in customs dossiers and physical inspection of imported ad exported goods amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, following the direction of the General Department of Customs, the branch has also closely coordinated with relevant authorities in the area to conduct fast customs clearance for goods and ensure combating against smuggling, trade fraud during the traditional Tet holiday. In addition, the branch has also established a team to support and handle customs procedures for import and export goods (especially goods serving the prevention of Covid-19 such as medical supplies and equipment, new drugs, vaccines, biological tests, etc.).

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Similarly, other branches have implemented specific solutions, such as arranging customs officers to handle customs clearance procedures smoothly, set up teams to answer problems for businesses, thereby making customs clearance activities fast and convenient.