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Officers of Zone st Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch inspect imports and exports. Photo: : L.Lich

Tax revenues plunged about VND10,000 billion

According to HCM City Customs Department, the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected the production, imports and exports of enterprises.

The total trade in the first half of 2021 surged by 28.1% year-on-year to US$70.6 billion. The tax revenues sharply increased by 29% to VND62,300 billion year-on-year.

However, the sharp decrease of about US$10 billion in trade in the third quarter caused tax revenues to plunge around VND9,800 billion.

As of September 30, the department collected tariffs on imports and exports worth VND87,000 billion. This figure was equal to 81% of the estimate and 77% of the target.

After October 1, enterprises must meet nine criteria when resuming operation, while only a few enterprises satisfy these criteria.

In addition, enterprises have suffered from difficulties due to the impact of the pandemic, the decrease in demand and revenue, the increase in transport cost, the difficulties in goods circulation, disruption of supply chains, the lack of workers and experts, as well as difficulties in accessing support policies.

Therefore, the department’s tax revenue is predicted to be greatly affected in the three remaining months of the year.

The department has provided two scenarios of revenue collection in the remaining months of the year.

In the first scenario, if the pandemic is controlled, revenue is expected to be from about VND24,000 billion to VND25,000 billion. The department will collect about VND8,000 billion on average per month.

As of December 31, the revenue is expected to be VND111,000 billion, meeting 102.8% of the estimate.

In the second scenario, if the disease still develops, the revenue in the three remaining months is expected to be from VND20,000 billion to VND21,000 billion. As of December 31, the revenue is estimated at VND108,000 billion, meeting 100% of the estimate.

Making great efforts to achieve target

According to the leader of HCM City Customs Department, the Covid-19 pandemic is still developing across the country. This has had a great impact on the department’s revenues in the remaining months.

The department has set five key tasks and provided solution groups to achieve the target in 2021.

First, the department considers pandemic prevention and control the top priority and makes great efforts to complete the Government’s dual goals of effectively controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and implementing programs to support the business community to overcome difficulties due to the impact of the pandemic.

Second, the department will develop and implement short and long-term trade facilitation programs and plans to minimize the impact of the pandemic, support businesses to overcome difficulties and challenges to restore and boost business production and socio-economic development.

Third, the department will implement customs reform and modernization, and focus on widely applying information technology; improve customs procedures in the direction of standardization, simplicity, efficiency at the highest level to reduce customs clearance time.

Fourth, it will enhance management efficiency, combat smuggling, trade fraud, origin fraud, illegal transshipment, protect business, competition and equal rights in accessing resources, and ensure legitimate business opportunities of enterprises.

Fifth, the department will maintain administrative discipline; improve the responsibility of the leaders in the performance of public services; administer the fiscal policy in a close, effective, open and transparent manner; enhance thrift practice, corruption and waste prevention and fighting.

HCM City Customs Department has focused on solutions to support enterprises to restore production and export; maintained and promoted the efficiency of the department’s Rapid Response Team to promptly assist and solve problems of enterprises in customs; provided solutions to prevent revenue loss in each targeted area, enterprise and product.