Ho Chi Minh City Customs: Providing many solutions to raise revenues

	Ho Chi Minh City: Automated supervision of goods at 4 seaports and airports by 1st January 2018
	Shortcomings on specialized inspections are continuously reported to the Government
	Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department: Removing obstacles for processing business

Customs officers at Ta Son Nhat Airport inspect imported goods. Photo: T.H

Drastically implementing from the beginning of the year

According to the analysis of Import and Export Duty Division, in 2018 there are many factors affecting the State revenue collection.

For commodities with high tax rate, such as cars of 9 seats or less, will be obstructed by technical barriers prescribed in the Government’s Decree 116/2017/ND-CP dated 17th October 2017 on requirements for imported cars (in the first month of 2018, there have not been any cars imported at Ho Chi Minh City border gates). In addition, since 1st January 2018, import duty for cars of 9 seats or less from ASEAN countries was reduced to O%; Petroleum products-the major revenue of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department is no longer as in previous years; Tariff rates under FTAs are reducing. With these effects, in 2018, revenue collected from imported goods under FTAs is forecasted to reduce to about VND 30,150 billion (for the country). Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department revenue will reduce to about VND 11,000 billion.

From this actual situation, the Department has determined that the revenue collection in 2018 is a difficult task, if there have no breakthrough solutions, it cannot fulfill the target. From the beginning of 2018, the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has provided a series of solutions to reform administrative procedures and facilitate trade and attract businesses and raise revenues. In the first working days of the year, the Department has piloted the automated system for Customs management at Lotus Port and SP-ITC port.

It is expected that in the second quarter of 2018, the Department will review all port and warehouse operators in Ho Chi Minh City. The application of the Automated system for Customs management does not only affect the Customs authority, but also strongly affects port, warehouse operators, shipping lines, airlines, forwarders, shipping agents, and especially importers and exporters. Paper dossier exchange between importers and exporters with forwarders and the Customs will be reduced. Thereby, reducing the burden in carrying out declaration procedure, accelerating the goods clearance and saving cost.

Focusing on businesses

otably, in a series of solutions provided by Ho Chi Minh Customs Department, the Department continues to focus on businesses towards the goal of administrative reform and providing the best conditions for import and export activities, and trade. Along with administrative reform and facilitation, on 16th January, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department issued the plan for the program, “Business community and Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department are reliable partners and accompany for development in 2018”.

According to the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the program for the goal that the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and business community in the city will discuss is on solutions to develop actual action plans for the development.

Revenue of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department lacks 1,000 billion VND due to decrease in imports VCN- According to Ho Chi Minh Customs Department, until the end of September 2017, State revenue of ...

Implementing this program, the Department has fully complied with commitments on trade facilitation for the business community. Strictly implementing “disciplines-rules”, trade facilitation, and to shorten clearance time from 108 hours to 70 hours for exported goods, and from 138 hours to 90 hours for imported goods.

At the same time, reviewing the list of goods subject to specialized inspection, to consult with the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs to reduce the rate of specialized inspection to less than 15%.

With the actual plan, the Department will assist legitimate enterprises and strengthen administrative procedure reform by initiating Customs modernization and shortening clearance time for imported and exported goods in order to prevent harassment and increased costs for business.

First of all, the Department will set up a hotline to receive and handle complaints from businesses, and systematize new legal documents related to State management on Customs to propagandize for businesses.

According to the leader of Ho Chi Minh City, the Department will also implement schemes for discussing and removing obstacles for the business community. In January 2018, the Department held a dialogue conference with the US business community, and this was highly appreciated by businesses for discussing and removing obstacles.

In addition, the Department will organize training courses on specialized operations and online conferences with the business community to remove difficulties with Customs procedures and policies and provide the best conditions for import and export activities.