Japanense Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognizes benefits of developing Customs-Business partnership

Mr. Yoshihara Toru, Head of Customs, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (JCCI) shared at the Customs-Business Forum 2024. Photo: Thái Bình

3 benefits of developing partnerships

Sharing about the benefits for businesses through the development of Customs-Business partnerships, Mr. Yoshihara Toru, Head of Customs, Japanense Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), emphasized three advantages for businesses through the development of Customs-Business partnerships.

The first benefit is that the good cooperation between JCCI and the General Department of Vietnam Customs has helped resolve customs clearance issues in the shortest possible time. If there are any problems with a business's import-export procedures, the sooner the two sides can fix them, the less impact it will have on the business's operations.

Secondly, businesses have built good relationships with customs authorities - the agencies that issue and enforce policies.

For example, when new regulations are issued or amended, JCCI is promptly updated with the latest information about newly issued or amended laws and regulations, helping businesses understand the rules and avoid difficulties with customs procedures.

Thirdly, through establishing close relationships with customs authorities, the opinions and suggestions of businesses and associations are received, revised, and added to laws and regulations, leading to a more favorable investment environment for businesses.

Mr. Yoshihara Toru gave an example: If there are laws and regulations that are difficult for businesses to comply with or are not suitable for business practices, businesses can propose and suggest changes. By doing so, businesses can find solutions to their problems. If businesses have a better understanding of compliance, transactions will be smoother, increasing the number of transactions and improving Vietnam's trade balance.

Developing Customs-Business partnerships is not a case where one side wins and the other loses, but rather a mutually beneficial cooperation. Hopefully, both sides will continue to build a cooperative relationship between Customs and businesses.

"The World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) ranked Vietnam 43rd in the world in 2023. In 2012, Vietnam was ranked 53rd in the world, an increase of 10 places. Thus, there has been a clear improvement since the beginning of the special cooperative relationship between Customs and businesses," shared Mr. Yoshihara Toru.

View of the Customs-Business Forum 2024. Photo: Thái Bình

However, in the ASEAN region, Vietnam's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) ranking is 5th after Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, so there is still much room to improve the partnership between Customs and businesses.

The forum is an opportunity for businesses to contribute their opinions

Recently, the General Department of Vietnam Customs and JCCI have regularly held working sessions to provide information, exchange, discuss, and resolve difficulties for member businesses.

Sharing about the tripartite cooperation between JCCI, member businesses, and the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Mr. Yoshihara Toru stated that regular meetings between the General Department of Vietnam Customs, JCCI, and member businesses are indeed very effective.

Japanese businesses consider this a forum to raise issues related to customs procedures and propose solutions.

In addition, JCCI also provides suggestions and proposals to build an investment environment that attracts businesses for the General Department of Vietnam Customs by collecting issues from member businesses.

Furthermore, exchanging with the General Department of Vietnam Customs will help JCCI find the best solutions to develop policy consultation strategies for relevant ministries and agencies.

Thanks to the efforts of the three parties: JCCI, member businesses, and the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the efficiency of Vietnam's logistics activities has been significantly improved.

Every year, JCCI has participated in the Customs-Business Forum, with the desire to contribute to improving trade and logistics procedures in Vietnam by sharing the experiences of other countries.