Implementing VASSCM at Cai Lan port: Customs sector, port enterprises and shipping lines all get benefits

The VASSCM system helps customs officials eliminate manual operation. In the photo: Professional activities at Cai Lan Customs Branch. Photo: Quang Hùng

Cai Lan Customs Branch is the first unit to be chosen to implement the VASSCM system by Quang Ninh Customs Department. According a Customs News reporter, the VASSCM system has supported Customs authorities to manage the developments of import – export goods at ports, warehouses, yards and history of the shipment since entering Vietnam till it is taken out from the supervision area.

The system also helps customs officials eliminate manual operation, using paper documents in some work of customs officials, contribute to streamline the organizational structure and downsize the personnel in order to concentrate on human force for control and enforce cargo shipments, key enterprises with high risk, preventing trade fraud, against smuggling and national security.

For two enterprises operating warehouses, yards and ports (Quang Ninh Port Joint Stock Company and Cai Lan International Container Terminal Limited Company - CICT), the results were more clear. The cutting down on procedures of presenting paper vouchers to Customs authorities for checking and verifying goods that are eligible to go to the supervision area. It helps shorten procedures of freight forwarding, reduce time and traveling costs for implementing procedures to take goods in and out of the port area.

Additionally, the implementation of the management regime, statistics, keeping documents of goods delivery as archives, ensuring speed, accuracy and transparency. Not only that, enterprises can monitor goods that are taken in and out of ports, and make statistics of inventory that is automatically implemented on the system and provides quicker solutions.

Thanks to the VASSCM system, port enterprises could improve their prestige, increase their ability to receive and exploit goods, improve business efficiency and competitiveness.

Talking to Customs News’ reporters, representative of Vimaflour Ltd said that the implementation of VASSCM system at Cai Lan Port Customs Department has helped businesses operating import and export through ports work more conveniently and save time on transporting goods and vouchers are digital. At the same time, enterprises are more proactive in registering import and export consignments through electronic data 24/7. So, when enterprises implement electronic declaration they are not dependent on the working time of the customs authorities.

In the implementation process, Cai Lan Customs Branch has always actively grasped information, supported and accompanied port enterprises to promptly report to Quang Ninh Customs Department and proposed plans to the General Department of Vietnam Customs in order to handle and not impact on import and export activities through the locality and production activities of enterprises.

Specifically, according to the provisions of Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BTC, within 15 minutes, port enterprises must provide goods information which has been passed through the monitoring area to the system of the Customs authorities. In the implementation, the port enterprises should base on the quantity of goods declared on the bill of lading to implement Getin, the goods are loaded and implement Getout according to the declaration. However, the number of actual cargoes and the number of goods declared on the bill of lading and declarations are not equal, leading to the fact that the actual quantity of the declaration is not correct. The Customs authorities had to cancel the entire goods of being Getout and correct the actual number of Getin and then the port will implement the Getout.

Here, Cai Lan Customs Branch would continue to operate the system at CICT port and Quang Ninh port, accompany port enterprises, import-export enterprises, customs declarants in order to promptly detect arising problems in the operation, reporting at all levels for prompt solutions. On the other hand, the Customs Branch continued to implement the second phase of VASSCM system for 2 bonded warehouses in the area in accordance with the schedule of the General Department of Vietnam Customs.