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Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Nguyen Huu Nghiep speaks with businesses. Photo: T.H

Proactively supporting businesses

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Nguyen Huu Nghiep said that in the first months of 2024, import and export goods of businesses through Ho Chi Minh City port border gates increased, specially exports. Mr. Nghiep appreciates the efforts of businesses that always accompany the Customs agency in implementing and complying well with regulations on customs procedures, increasing trade turnover, contributing to raising State budget revenue.

“At the beginning of every year, Ho Chi Minh City Customs commits to businesses on facilitating and supporting businesses. Based on these commitments, the advisory offices and customs branches have all performed very well" - Deputy Director Nguyen Huu Nghiep said.

According to Mr. Nghiep, 95% of businesses' problems reported through the hotline of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department have been raised at the border gate. Therefore, businesses have proactively contacted the customs branch where they open customs declarations for specific instructions, avoiding wasting time to transfer information from the Department to the branch,

Regarding problems related to other ministries and agencies, when reporting to the Customs agency, businesses are requested to suggest solutions. Because businesses are the ones clearly understanding their problems.

Recently, the Prime Minister requested the Customs sector to further accelerate digital customs and smart customs. Currently, the Customs sector and Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department are actively reforming, modernizing and implementing digital customs and smart customs plans, with the goal of creating more convenience for businesses.

Dialogue on four major topics

At this dialogue conference, there were over 300 businesses. The questions and problems of businesses have been significantly reduced compared to the previous dialogues, the problems are mainly about procedures and policies.

Ms. Nhat Linh, representative of Song Nguyen Trading and Services Co., Ltd. asked a question, according to Circular No. 01/2024/TT-BNNPTNT, there is product code HS 07129090 in the List of imported products subject to food safety inspection and plant quarantine before customs clearance. At the same time, this HS code is also in the List of post-customs clearance quality inspection in this circular. So, what are procedures for the post-customs clearance quality inspection and why is an item controlled both before and after customs clearance?

Answering the above question, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said, pre-clearance quality inspection: goods in the heading 0712 are plants and plant products (Part III, Appendix II HS code table for the list of imported goods must undergo specialized inspection before customs clearance under the management authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).

Post-customs clearance quality inspection of goods in the heading 0712 that are raw materials for producing aquatic feed and raw materials for producing animal feed originating from plants (Part C.2 Section IV and Part B Section V APPENDIX III HS code table for the list of imported goods subject to specialized inspection before customs clearance under the management authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).

In addition to the 25 questions sent in advance from businesses, representatives of divisions of Ho Chi Minh City answered many more questions related to customs supervision issues; post-customs clearance inspection order and procedures; import and export tariff quotas; registration, correction and additional information of customs declarations; on-the-spot import and export; regulations on application of priority regime in carrying out customs procedures; declaration of standard conformity with imported and exported goods; and customs procedures when merging businesses...

Head of Customs Supervision Diviison Vuong Tuan Nam speaks with businesses on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: T.H

Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam, Head of Customs Supervision Division, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, said that Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has many support channels, procedural guidance, and answers to problems for businesses, such as email, problem solving teams at branches, dialogue conferences... businesses proactively contact for timely guidance, ensuring import-export activities through Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the 2024 key program of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the unit will conduct thematic dialogues on four major topics, including: export processing enterprises; export manufacturing and processing enterprises; warehouse and port operators and customs brokers.