Ho Chi Minh Customs: Commitment to cut 50% goods clearance time

Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Customs exchanges with US companies. Photo: T.H.

Answer many difficulties for businesses

US companies present at the conference mentioned a lot of problems related to post-clearance inspection, processing goods, and export production. Commenting on the results of the response, the US Trade Representative (Amcham) said that although there were many areas mentioned at the meeting, the answer is very clear with the spirit of openness.

Regarding the post-customs clearance inspection, Deputy Director of Customs Department of HCM City Dinh Ngoc Thang, said that the customs office is now implementing modern customs management, moving from pre-clearance to post-clearance through the application of risk management. In the case of the Customs clearance inspection, the General Department of Customs will approve the annual inspection plan before implementation to avoid duplication. The inspection of customs mainly focused on the signs and intentional violations.

Answering a number of enterprises on the inspection of enterprises by the Customs, leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, said that the inspection of enterprises under the annual plan is based on the principle of risk management through collecting information to serve the state management in the customs area, and conducting compliance assessments for enterprises operating in the field of import and export (not fully tested). The inspection of enterprises shall comply with the current regulations.

At the conference, some companies questioned whether the import was advised by customs authorities to check the declared price. Answering this question, Deputy Director of Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Huu Nghiep said that the customs inspection of taxable value of imported goods with suspected value of customs declaration was to prevent tax evasion, trade fraud through price, create fairness in the investment environment for business community. The reference price is the basis for the customs office to conduct the inspection, not the reference price to calculate the tax for businesses.

Commitment to 50% clearance time

In addition to satisfactory answers of enterprises, at the meeting, leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department committed to the business community that it will continue administrative reform, modernization, cut 50% for goods clearance time, and reduce costs for businesses etc.

To carry out the above commitments, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department is carrying out a series of solutions to facilitate enterprises, such as implementing customs management and monitoring systems at two seaports. It is expected that in the second quarter, the unit will be deployed massively at all seaports and warehouses in Ho Chi Minh City to reduce procedures, time and costs for businesses. Implementing the program, "Business community and customs agencies are reliable partners and development partners"; simplification of customs procedures through abolition, simplification of administrative procedures; reduction of documents in the customs dossier and allow enterprises to submit electronic files; Transparency and reduction of customs clearance time, inspection of actual goods etc.

Appreciating the positive cooperation of the US business community with the customs authorities in the past, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Dinh Ngoc Thang, said that over the past years, the Ministry of Finance, General Customs Department and Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City regularly coordinate and exchange information, organize many dialogues to inform about new regulations in import-export activities, solve problems of enterprises. The purpose of today's conference is to send a message to the business community about the commitment of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on trade facilitation, timely settlement of difficulties and problems in the process of customs procedures at the border gates; Disseminating new legal documents and regulations so that businesses can understand and implement customs procedures correctly; Step by step raise the awareness of law observance in the business community and coordinate well with the customs authorities in law enforcement; Zero customs officer corruption; combating smuggling, trade fraud, creating a business environment and healthy competition among enterprises.

Besides, many new policies to facilitate import and export activities will also be issued in the coming time. Specifically, the Ministry of Finance is drafting amendments to Decree 08 and Circular 38 has basically changed. That is, after registration of the declaration, enterprises have not received the same results as the current flow, but only the flow when the goods have been docked for imported goods, and goods in the yard for export. For the national one-stop shop and specialized inspection, the Ministry of Finance has drafted a decree to submit to the Prime Minister, in which specialized inspections will also be streamlined according to risk management and implemented on the National Single Window system etc. aimed at facilitating trade, export and import.