Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department actively trains and guides policies for businesses

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Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh city speaks at the conference. Photo: T.H

The conference was jointly organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) and the Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and chaired by Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai.

Customs actively train businesses

According to the organizers, Korea is currently one of the city's major trading partners, ranking 4th out of 120 countries and territories with direct investment in the city. Currently, Korea has 2,135 investments projects valued at more than US$5.5 billion (accounting for 9.64% of the total foreign investment capital in the city).

Affirming that the success of businesses is the success of Ho Chi Minh City, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City always strives to create a favorable investment environment for foreign investment enterprises in general and Korean enterprises in particular; and that is the driving force for Ho Chi Minh City to constantly improve the investment environment and accompany the business community.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Choi Bun Do, Chairman of The Korean Chamber of Business in Vietnam (KOCHAM) in the Central and Southern regions said that the authorities of Ho Chi Minh City have answered 13 questions out of a total of 21 questions raised by the Korean businesses in the 2022 Dialogue Conference, especially the solution to promptly handle the problem of charging port infrastructure fees.

In which, Deputy Director of Customs Department Head of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Nguyen Huu Nghiep answered and noted questions and recommendations of businesses on on-the-spot import-export policies and procedures.

According to Mr. Nghiep, on-site import-export activities are regulated in Decree 08/2015/ND-CP dated January 21, 2015 of the Government detailing and implementing measures to implement the Customs Law on customs procedures and inspection and supervision.

During the implementation of the proposal to amend and supplement Decree No. 08/2015/ND-CP, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai directed the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs to review the implementation of Clause 1, Article 35 of Decree No. 08/2015/ND-CP, to report to the Government for consideration and amendment.

Following the above direction of the Deputy Prime Minister, the General Department of Customs has been gathering opinions from relevant agencies and organizing many conferences and seminars with the business community nationwide on amending, supplementing Clause 1, Article 35 of Decree No. 08/2015/ND-CP, ensuring the legal basis as well as trade facilitation.

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Nguyen Huu Nghiep answers questions for businesses. Photo: T.H

In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department also held a meeting with relevant units to actively research, analyze and assess the implementation of on-the-spot import-export procedure so far to ensure legality and avoid disturbance, causing loss to the enterprise.

"Businesses do not worry too much, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has opened a number of training courses for businesses to grasp and comply with regulations."- Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghiep said.

Regarding the on-the-spot import-export content, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai added that, currently, in the process of amending Decree 08, Ho Chi Minh City has also held a conference to collect opinions from businesses for the amendment to this Decree. “Appreciating the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department for providing additional instructions for businesses, training courses on new policies and contents to support businesses to grasp and implement accordance with regulations, avoiding problems arising." Chairman Phan Van Mai said.

Troubleshooting VAT refund

For enterprises' problems about VAT refund on exports, through practical operations, Deputy Director Nguyen Huu Nghiep gave some notes to businesses. Accordingly, businesses note that when importing goods according to the type of domestic consumption business, but when finding an export market, the enterprise must declare clearly and fully, accurate the customs declaration to ensure complete tax refund documents as prescribed. Those who does not make complete declaration, will encounter difficulties in tax refund processing, and authorities must consider more relevant documents.

According to Mr. Nghiep, the Customs authority has run the automated customs clearance system. In the process of declaring the export declaration, if the enterprise does not make declaration in accordance with regulations or standards, the customs declaration will not be liquidated and has not been approved through the customs supervision area on the system, so when making tax refund procedures, the enterprise will be stuck and the enterprises must visit the office where the declaration is registered to ask for change.

At the conference, the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department also answered and guided VAT refund documents for businesses. However, some specific problems of enterprises, Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department noted to report to competent authorities for consideration and guidance.

At the conference, the departments and branches of Ho Chi Minh City answered more than 15 questions of enterprises related to the issues of import and export policies on the spot; VAT refund; and work permit for foreigners.

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For questions that have not been answered at the conference, Chairman Phan Van Mai assigned ITPC as the leading contact to solve these problems and report to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City in August 2023.