HCM City Customs ensure customs clearance 24/7 while applying social distancing measures

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Customs officials of 1st Zone Sai Gon Customs Branch inspect imported goods. Photo: L.Lich

Consider various possible scenarios

Director of HCM City Customs Department Dinh Ngoc Thang chaired an online meeting with leaders of the department’s subordinate units and required units to comply with the Prime Minister’s Directive 16 on applying social distancing measures; and perform plans to assign officers to work online and offline.

HCM City Customs Department has assigned customs officials to work in two groups. The first group is the department’s divisions, Post Clearance Audit Customs Branch, General affairs team, Duty Management Team of customs branches. Heads of units arrange officials to work at the office, but not more than one third of the total number of officials. The rest of officials work online from home.

The second group consists of teams of customs branches, two customs enforcement teams. Heads of units will decide the number of officials working at the office in an appropriate manner based on their requirements and workload to avoid goods congestion. The Customs facilitates customs process for import and export goods, especially for vehicles, equipment, chemicals, supplies, biological products, and medicinal ingredients and vaccines for Covid-19 prevention and control.

Director of HCM City customs has also requested heads of units to direct the pandemic prevention and control at their units. Consider various possible scenarios, including the plans in case the office is lockdown. Regularly, update their scenarios in response to the disease development to maintain customs clearance 24/7 and ensure the smooth clearance for import and export goods.

In addition, units must monitor and analyze the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the turnover and state budget revenue to provide timely solutions.

Make great efforts

HCM City has made great efforts to overcome difficulties and ensure customs clearance 24/7 amid the public health crisis.

The department’s customs branches have changed the working methods and carried out procedures online or via phone, and minimized direct contact between the customs officials and businesses.

The Investigation/Processing Customs Branches has supported enterprises in carrying out customs procedures and price rulings by applying information technology such as Zalo, Viber, e-mail and via the branch’s websites.

Manager of Tan Son Nhat Airport Customs Branch Bui Le Hung said the branch has followed directions of leaders at all levels in pandemic prevention and customs clearance. However, the goods imported and exported by air mainly depend on flights, especially export goods. To protect customs officials’ health, the branch has arranged officials to work online and support business out of working hour.

At Cat Lai Port where has huge volume of goods, 1st Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch has processed from 1,000 to 2,000 customs declarations. The branch has assigned officials to work online and offline in an appropriate manner to minimize direct contact. In the first days of social distancing, the branches cleared around 900 export shipments.

HCM City Customs Department has coordinated with seaport operators to quickly implement procedures for payment and receiving goods. At the same time, collaborate with specialized management agencies to quickly perform customs clearance.

Motivated by the great efforts of HCM City Customs Department and the agreement of the business community, thousands of import and export shipments have been cleared smoothly per day.