HCM City Customs suggests speeding up the scheme of reforming specialised inspection model

Inspection of importing goods at Cat Lai port. Photo: T.H

Adapting safely and flexibly

According to Director Dinh Ngoc Thang, the customs authority is an economic frontline unit, ensuring the maintenance of supply chains and the security and safety of cross-border trade. It is forecast that in 2022, the Covid-19 pandemic would continue to develop, especially the Omicron variant, it could result in high international logistics charges, and the phenomenon of storing goods at the port that is overdue, causing difficulties for import-export enterprises.

Faced with the above situation, in order to adapt safely, flexibly, and effectively control Covid-19, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department continued to request the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to provide support for anti-pandemic equipment and booster shots for officers; propose the General Department of Vietnam Customs to have a flexible and key control mechanism, facilitate businesses to comply and strictly control subjects with high risks.

Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department proposed the Ministry of Transport to establish the Southern Center for Safety Inspection and Emissions Test, in order to shorten the time to register new vehicles and help businesses to clear goods quickly.

It is necessary to speed up the implementation of the Scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods, creating momentum and shortening the time for export and import activities.

Regarding planning and institution building, according to Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, import-export turnover in 2021 grew strongly despite the pandemic. In the 2021-2030 period, Vietnam joined and implemented new generation FTAs ​​(EVFTA, RCEP), joined many value chains, took charge of many new global supply chains, hence import-export turnover is forecast to grow strongly.

Therefore, the work of building institutions is synchronized with the smart customs system, in line with international commitments, and facilitating trade.

The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department also proposed the General Department of Vietnam Customs to suggest the Ministry of Finance to request ministries and sectors to immediately abolish and adjust regulations that are not suitable with reality, have unclear contents, and cause confusion in implementation.

Speeding ​​up the process of Smart Customs project

Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department proposed the institutional building in the period of 2022 - 2025 and the following periods must be foreseen, fully prepared for the exception of regulations of emergency situations, ensure that processes, procedures and documents are clearly defined, and the responsibilities of relevant agencies are clearly defined.

Regarding the reform and modernization of the Customs sector, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said that in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the renovation of modern state administrative management, digital transformation, application of science technology was an inevitable trend, so speeding up the Smart Customs project was an urgent task.

In particular, the development of a smart customs system with digital platform solutions, people at the center, the subject must meet the capacity for use and requirements associated with transformation, application of science, new working methods suitable to the technical platform of the intelligent customs system.

From the above request, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department proposed that the General Department of Vietnam Customs, along with the transformation to a smart customs model, need to organize a change in management methods, methods and working styles.

At the same time, developing and promulgating a set of rules, standards, and a cultural value system for modern customs officers and employees, including prescribed management methods, working methods, and personal responsibility, as well as the outputs of each task.

Deploying training programs, training on new management and working methods based on the technical platform of the smart customs system.

In particular, the HCM City Customs Administration System (HCAS) developed by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department in the past two years has maintained management and administration activities 24/7 during the peak time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The system has evolved and achieved high completion. The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department proposed the General Department of Vietnam Customs to supplement the system development estimate and allow the database to be connected to the smart customs system.

The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department also recommended a comprehensive approach to fiscal policy planning based on data analysis on logistics capacity, competitiveness, GRDP growth, disease risk and local economic resilience; the organization of the state administrative apparatus should apply a specific mechanism on the number of deputy heads at customs units that have large workloads, to ensure convenient and effective operation and management, and ensure security and safety of cross-border trade.