Hanoi Customs seizes more than 372kg of drugs

Scene of the conference. Photo: N.Linh

Revenue collection for the whole year is expected to reach over VND 33,500 billion

On December 14, Hanoi Customs Department held a conference to review the work in 2022 and deploy tasks in 2023. Deputy Director General of Vietnam Customs Hoang Viet Cuong attended the conference and gave a speech.

Reporting at the conference, Hanoi Customs Department actively implemented solutions and achieved positive results in all aspects of work in 2022.

Prominent in the implementation of customs management and supervision, Hanoi Customs Department has closely followed the plan to facilitate import and export activities of enterprises under the management of the Hanoi City People's Committee; coordinate with departments and sectors of Hanoi city and localities (Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Hoa Binh) to implement solutions to support export and import enterprises in the area.

Effectively deploying the Aviation National Single Window, the automated customs supervision process at Noi Bai International Airport, warehouses and locations that are assigned to manage and expand.

The unit also actively coordinated with units under the General Department of Vietnam Customs to advise and study the development of regulations, legal documents, and customs procedures.

Thanks to the effective performance of customs supervision and management, it has facilitated smooth import and export activities and made an important contribution to the accomplishment of Hanoi Customs Department’s targets.

In 2022, there were about 1,452,000 customs declarations registered at Hanoi Customs Department, an increase of 5.4% over the same period last year; total import-export turnover reached US$60.69 billion, rising 22.4% over the same period last year. In particular, export was US$29.61 billion, import was US$31.08 billion; the total number of passenger flights checked-in was 21,665 flights (growing 455.8% over the same period in 2021).

Another task that also achieved outstanding results in 2022 of Hanoi Customs Department is revenue collection. The unit focused on facilitating and removing obstacles for businesses with many key solutions such as focusing on implementing regulations on VAT exemption and reduction; implementing the process of tax exemption, tax reduction, tax refund, and handling of overpaid tax on exported and imported goods; performing directives of Director General of Vietnam Customs to synchronously and drastically implement measures to facilitate trade, improve the effectiveness of state management, and prevent revenue loss.

Up to now, the Hanoi Customs Department has collected and paid more than VND 31,593 billion to the state budget, an increase of 15.2% of the current appropriation and 16% over the same period last year. It is estimated that by December 31, 2022, the State revenue collection of the whole Department would reach over VND 33,500 billion, climbing 22% of the current appropriation.

Regarding the task of combating smuggling, trade fraud and drugs, in 2022, Hanoi Customs Department continued to achieve many impressive results.

From the beginning of the year, the Department has determined that smuggling, trade fraud and drugs in the area would take place complicatedly with many sophisticated tricks, difficult to detect, especially via the air route from Europe to Hanoi.

Under the direction of the Ministry of Finance and General Department of Vietnam Customs, Hanoi Customs Department actively coordinated with competent forces to promptly prevent, detect and handle cases of smuggling and illegal transport of drugs.

As a result, in 2022, Hanoi Customs detected and handled 1,029 cases of customs law violations, with a fine of VND29.5 billion, tax arrears of VND1.8 billion; detected and handled 50 cases of smuggling and trade fraud. The seized exhibits include mobile phones, computers, cigarettes, seahorses, and rhino horns. The unit has prosecuted five cases; transferred seven cases to the police.

Notably, in the work of drug control and prevention, the unit has chaired and coordinated with the Hanoi City Police forces (PC04), the C04 Department of the Ministry of Public Security, Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs) to launch seven specialized drug projects and inspect 48 shipments of goods sent by air, seize 372.7 kg of drugs of all kinds and arrest 39 subjects. The above cases have been handed over to the police agency to continue fighting, investigating and handling in accordance with the law.

Determine to accomplish the tasks in 2023

Deploying the missions in 2023, Director of the Hanoi Customs Department Duong Phu Dong said that on the basis of the results achieved in 2022, the Hanoi Customs Department determined to make efforts to promote reform and modernization, facilitate import and export activities, strengthen the training of customs officers to meet the requirements of customs reform and modernization, striving with determination to complete the assigned tasks and targets.

The unit has continued to promote the online working environment at the Department and its affiliated units; applying 4.0 technology in the management and administration of internal activities. Continuing to strengthen the implementation of trade facilitation solutions, improve the effectiveness of state management, prevent revenue loss, and determine to accomplish revenue collection task in 2023.

In addition, Hanoi Customs Department continued to strengthen the task of anti-smuggling, anti-drugs and control of precursors in key areas such as airports, express delivery, and off-airport cargo terminal and some export processing zones, industrial parks, and bonded warehouses.

Deputy Director General of Vietnam Customs Hoang Viet Cuong highly appreciated the results of Hanoi Customs, completing all aspects of work, and contributing to the overall results of the whole sector.

In particular, the groups of tasks achieved outstanding results including focusing on promoting reform and modernization, applying information technology to facilitate the business community; effectively implementing state revenue collection; anti-smuggling, prevent trade fraud, especially the results of drug seizures.

Regarding the tasks for 2023, the leaders of the General Department agreed with the goals and tasks set by the unit. In 2023, it is forecast that the global, regional and domestic economic situation would face many difficulties, thus to implement the assigned tasks, Hanoi Customs needed to develop a plan and come up with specific solutions.

Furthermore, Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong noted that the unit should develop a plan to implement the Plan of Reform, Development and Modernization by 2025 of Hanoi Customs Department, and organize and manage the implementation to achieve the targets as set.

With outstanding achievements in anti-smuggling and preventing trade fraud, especially in the fight against drugs, Hanoi Customs would review and evaluate comprehensively to learn from mistakes and coordinate with other units to develop handbooks to share experiences in special projects.