HCM City Customs recommends many contents to promote import and export activities

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Customs officers at Hiep Phuoc port check imported cars. Photo: Thu Hoa.

Enhance competitiveness for businesses

In particular, for the specialized management, the HCM City Customs Department said that this was one of the issues that caused difficulty for many businesses. In order to facilitate enforcement agencies and businesses, the HCM City Customs Department recommended continuing to reduce import and export permits. Accordingly, import and export conditions are in line with the Law on Enterprises 2016 on the principle that enterprises are allowed to engage in import-export business if not prohibited by Foreign Trade Administration Law No. 05/2017/ QH14.

Customs forces shall focus on deploying the automatic Customs supervision and control system at seaports and airports (VASSCM) in order to create maximum convenience for the business community while increasing the management capability of the State agencies in the field of import and export. The leader of Ho Chi Minh City directed departments, business associations, warehouse businesses to fulfill the rights and obligations to increase the competitiveness of enterprises in the trend of industrial application 4.0.

In the field of Customs agents, there are currently more than 300 enterprises that have been recognized as Customs agents, and it is necessary to quickly establish a Customs agent association in order to support the existing agents to develop and operate, creating favourable conditions for enterprises in import-export activities. At the same time, Customs forces shall guide enterprises operating in the area to apply the customary agent mechanism in line with world trend, improving the competitiveness of enterprises, and meeting the requirements of international integration.

2018 is the first year when the city implemented a special mechanism under Resolution 54 of the National Assembly. Regarding the mechanism and policy, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department proposed to continue consolidating the organizational structure of the National Assembly to build a clean and strong Customs force under a new organizational model and strictly follow the revised Customs Law. In addition, the Customs forces shall enhance human resources to ensure that each Customs officer will be of high quality and have the ability to work professionally, serving the import-export business community well.

It is important to include in the scheme to develop a special mechanism on the State budget revenue. State management agencies can not use administrative measures to prevent and regulate goods at ports as previously done.

Policies on management of imports and exports should be in line with actual conditions and international commitments, avoiding the imposition of group interests, thus affecting business activities of enterprises.

Thorough studying of the Law on Charges and Fees to advise leaders to consider submitting to the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City to organize the collection of charges and fees related to import-export, exit, entry, port transfer, thereby increasing revenues for the city budget.

Mechanisms and funding for modernizing administrative reform

HCM City Customs Department is one of the two main units to collect budget for the city. Apart from the budget allocated by the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department needs more attention from the People's Committee and People's Council in setting up the mechanism and funding for the operation to reform the administrative procedures and modernize the Customs to serve the development of the city and the business community.

In addition, in order to improve the efficiency of the port infrastructure, from now to 2020, it is proposed not to license new container terminals in port group No. 5. In addition, enhancing port connectivity, and developing logistics services.

Regarding other infrastructure projects connecting to Hiep Phuoc port, the competent authorities should have plans to deploy and complete other infrastructure projects connected to the port urban area (upgrading Ring Road 3, 4 and inland waterway routes) with investment progress in line with the demand for use to support the increase of the value of the project to generate revenues.

Facilitating the development of river transport and promoting the inland waterway transport capacity of the river and canal systems in the region to meet the volume of goods (excluding liquid cargo), equal to 100 million tons per year and 326 thousand passengers per year by 2020.

Creating conditions for Hiep Phuoc port to expand its activities in the field of logistics and value-added services for CBU automobiles, providing warehousing, registry services, Customs services and technical inspections to meet the rapidly growing demand of imported car market in Vietnam, developing Hiep Phuoc port cluster into the center of exploitation and import of the largest number of automobiles for Ho Chi Minh City in particular and the South in general.

Developing plans, deploying regulation of goods through ports to reduce local congestion in Cat Lai port area.

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Ms. Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, Chairman of the HCM City People's Council, highly appreciated the recommendations of the HCM City Customs Department, which would not only help the Customs officers to operate effectively, but also help the relevant departments in carrying out the tasks, facilitating trade.