HCMC Customs: quickly deploy the Automated System for Customs Management

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ICD Phuoc Long port is one of the three ports piloting the Automated System for Customs Management. Photo: T.H.

At the recent meeting with the HCMC Customs Department, General Director of Customs Nguyen Van Can, said that the Customs sector had successfully implemented the Vietnam Automated Customs Clearance System VNACCS/VCIS, whereby 99% of import and export declarations had been made on the electronic system. However, the supervision had still been made manually. The implementation of Automatic System for Customs Management would basically change the method of management and supervision of import and export goods at seaports, reform and simplify the procedures, and reduce clearance time. HCMC Customs Department should take the initiative in preparing the pilot implementation of the system at seaports and airports, ensuring that its implementation in early 2018 gains the best efficiency.

Abiding by the direction of the Director General, Deputy Director of the HCMC Customs Department, Dinh Ngoc Thang said that Ho Chi Minh City Customs was the first unit in the South, which was selected by the General Department of Customs to pilot the project. Thus, the HCMC Customs Department had concentrated all its resources to prepare for the implementation. So far, the HCMC Customs Department has organized a training program for seaport and airport enterprises, and this basically finishes the preparation for carrying out the project at 4 seaports and airports from 1st January 2018. 3 seaports and 1 warehouse which were selected to be piloted this time were: Lotus Port (Saigon Port Zone 3 Customs Branch); SP-ITC port (Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch), ICD Phuoc Long Port (Saigon Port Zone 4 Customs Branch), and SCSC warehouse (Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch).

According to Mr. Dinh Ngoc Thang, leader of the HCMC Customs Department, this program integrated many modern management programs, helped to closely monitor the process of movement, change and status of goods in and out of ports and warehouses, as well as transportation between areas under Customs supervision. Effective implementation of this program would create new breakthroughs in Customs management at seaports and airports, shorten the time and costs for enterprises, strengthen the management of Customs, improve compliance of enterprises, and prevent fraud and smuggling.

Deputy Director of the HCMC Customs Department, Head of Steering Board for Automated System for Customs Management in HCM city, Nguyen Huu Nghiep, stated that the automated Customs clearance program via VNACCS / VCIS had brought advantages for enterprises and further facilitated the import and export activities, and encouraged the HCMC Customs Department to continue implementing the automated supervision program. During the pilot period, the Customs authority has selected 4 ports and warehouses with a medium volume of import and export for convenience, and then will expand to other ports and warehouses. In addition, the General Department of Customs has supported the HCMC Customs Department as well as the port, depot and warehouse operators to develop substitute measures in order not to affect the Customs clearance of import and export enterprises. All import and export goods, including vehicles which are transported, loaded and unloaded at the ports must be strictly inspected and supervised by the automated system.

In terms of enterprises, representatives of port, depot and warehouse operators participating in this pilot scheme said that they were trained by the Customs authority and were ready to pilot this new management system. Deputy Director of ICD Phuoc Long port Trinh Chinh Sinh, said that in past years, the Customs sector had implemented many modern management programs, Customs procedures reform, and the implementation of this project would create more favourable conditions for import and export enterprises in the process of taking goods into and out of ports. The most important is that the concerned parties agreed to follow the plan set out by the General Department of Customs, facilitating import and export enterprises, transporters and warehouse operators.

Deputy Director of SCSC Nguyen Thai Son said, that SCSC has deployed the software to manage import and export goods under the standard of the International Air Transport Association. Therefore, there are many advantages when implementing the Automated System for Customs Management. However, during the pilot period, in order to achieve the best results, the technical support from the Customs authority is a necessity.

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Everything is ready, the HCMC Customs Department is planning to pilot the implementation in early 2018.