Hanoi Customs sees decrease in revenue collection of first quarter, many solutions have been deployed synchronously

Professional activities at Gia Thuy Customs Branch.

Decrease in turnover of taxable goods

Amid the complex developments of Covid-19, most markets have suffered impacts leading to a decrease in turnover and revenue in the area of Hanoi Customs Department. For example, for the European market, at the beginning, these countries had not drastically implemented measures to control the pandemic, so State revenue collected from the import-export of goods with these markets was not greatly affected. However, when European countries applied strong measures to control the pandemic, it caused a great impact to the revenue of the Hanoi Customs Department. Because according to the Hanoi Customs Department, through working with several large enterprises, it forcast that revenue would fall in the future.

Besides that, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe has caused a serious impact on companies exporting products to this market such as Garment Corporation No. 10 (garment products) and Goldsun Vietnam Joint Stock Company (kitchen BBQ components), Stanley Vietnam Electrical Company Limited (motorbike turn signals), VICOSTONE JSC (artificial paving stone), Ha Nam Green Resources Development and Investment Co., Ltd. (cotton fabric), and Ngoc Son bamboo and rattan enterprise (fine-art and crafts). It is forcast that the export volume of these enterprises into the European market would decline sharply. In addition, the markets such as US, Japan, and South Korea would also have fluctuations according to the pandemic situation.

Specifically, in the first quarter, total import-export turnover of Hanoi Customs Department reached US$6.3 billion, up 1.4% over the same period, of that export turnover reached $3.12 billion, up 6.6% over the same period; import turnover reached $3.17 billion, down 3.3% over the same period.

Hanoi area had total import and export turnover of $3.17 billion, down 8.7%, export turnover reached $1.49 billion, down 2.7%; import turnover reached $1.68 billion, down 13.4% over the same period in 2019.

Although overall structure of import and export turnover increased slightly but the import-export turnover with tax decreased. According to Hanoi Customs, the import-export turnover with tax in the first quarter reached $1,041 million, down 7.1% from the same period in 2019, of that export turnover with tax hit $12 million, down 14, 5% over the same period; import turnover wth tax reached $1,029 million, down 7% over the same period in 2019.

In Hanoi, import-export turnover with tax reached $761 million, down 3.8% compared to the same period of 2019; including export turnover with tax at $9 million, down 17.1%; import turnover with tax at $752 million, down 3.7% over the same period in 2019.

The Hanoi Customs Department assessed that the Covid-19 pandemic mainly affected revenue collecting from import activities. Specifically, 7 out of 11 main commodity groups decreased revenue over the same period in 2019 (declined VND 250 billion), including: chemicals and chemical products (down 8%, equivalent to VND 8 billion); iron and steel of all kinds (down 48%, equivalent to VND 31 billion); computers, electronic products and components (down 4%, equivalent to VND 7 billion); mobile phones and accessories (down 16%, equivalent to VND 24 billion); machinery, equipment and spare parts (down 12%, equivalent to VND 100 billion); spare parts of automobile with less than nine seats (down 4%, equivalent to VND 14 billion);and the completed automobile segment decreased 100%, equivalent to VND 66 billion.

Meanwhile, there are four main commodity groups with a revenue increase over the same period of 2019 (up VND 49 billion), including: pharmaceuticals and raw materials (up 26%, equivalent to VND 14 billion); plastic and raw materials (up 5%, equivalent to VND 9 billion); electrical appliances and components (up 26%, equivalent to VND 12 billion); and components and spare parts for motorbikes (up 19%, equivalent to VND 13 billion).

As a result, in the first quarter (as of March 15), Hanoi Customs Department collected VND 4.005/23,300 billion of State revenue (reaching 17.2% of the assigned target, 96.1% of the same period in 2019).

Need to collect nearly VND 19,300 billion

Amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, directly affecting the import and export activities, the Hanoi Customs Department has focused on synchronous implementation of solutions, facilitation and removing difficulties for businesses to complete the task of revenue collection.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Customs Department Nguyen Truong Giang said the unit has implemented measures to prevent and control Covid-19 under the directives of the Government and the Prime Minister on urgent tasks and solutions for removing difficulties for production and business, ensuring social security to cope with the pandemic.

To facilitate businesses in the cargo clearance, the Hanoi Customs Department has seriously implemented Decision 155/QD-BTC dated February 7, 2020 and Decision 436/QD-BTC of the Minister of Finance on promulgating a list of commodities eligible for import duty exemption for prevention and control Covid-19. At the same time, timely guiding enterprises to carry out import and export procedures for these items so they could implement the procedures quickly and smoothly.

Besides that, leaders of Hanoi Customs Department have regularly directed all branches, grasping movements of enterprises in the area, promptly listening to their problems to solve difficulties as well as recommending solutions to competent authorities for removing obstacles.

Simultaneously with the solution to facilitate businesses, Hanoi Customs Department also directed units to strengthen anti-smuggling and trade fraud efforts during the peak of pandemic prevention to prevent businesses from profiteering. Thereby, Hanoi Customs has discovered and arrested many cases such as exporting 1,442 plastic guns and 500 electronic cigarettes without license. "Besides that,Co the unit focused on assessing the operation of enterprises with sign of risk signs to have plans for conducting specialised inspection and post-clearance audit to combat revenue loss," Deputy Director General Nguyen Truong Giang said.

Hanoi Customs Department has directed units to disseminate and grasp all customs officials and employees about the directives of the Government, the ministries, the General Department of Vietnam Customs and the Hanoi People's Committee related to the work of pandemic prevention, strictly implementing regulations on social isolation. Besides that, arranging customs officials to ensure a quick clearance and facilitate to enterprise 24/7, avoiding congestion in import-export activities.