Lang Son Customs coordinates with other agencies to speed up customs clearance at border gates

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HuuNghi Customs officers take turns to receive dossiers and guide enterprises to bring vehicles to yards. Photo: H.Nu

All resources mobilised

From mid-March onwards, the volume of goods gathered at Huu Nghi border gate increased dramatically. Customs officers work from 7am to handle procedures for export goods across the border.

Due to the need for raw materials to put into production and business, in the first months of this year, the company hascarried out procedures for importing machinery and equipment to Vietnam. The company received a lot of support from the customs agency, that help the company save time and costs,Nguyen Van Dung, an employee of Vietnam Machinery Development Joint Stock Company, said.

Nguyen Tien Bo, Manager of Huu Nghi Customs Branch, said the border gate sometimes sees congestion. This is because of pandemic control, so when the goods arrive at the border gate, the two trading parties must exchange drivers.

To facilitate fast customs clearance, the unit has worked with other competent agencies at the border gate to regulate vehicles to avoid congestion anddamage to enterprises.

Nguyen Huu Vuong, Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department, said the driver exchange at the border gate has been causing many problems. Specifically, Chinese drivers bring goods to the border gate and deliver the goods to Vietnamese drivers, then quickly return to China to drive other goods to the border gate while their previous vehicles have not been taken back, increasing the amount of vehicles in yards and border gate areas in Vietnam. Moreover, facilities at Huu Nghi border gate arelimited, and the yard of Xuan Cuong Huu Nghi Joint Stock Company always has a shortage of space for vehicles.

Facing this problem, Lang Son Customs Department has instructed HuuNghi Customs Branch to work with the Border Guard and Quarantine forces to regulate and supervise goods, avoiding congestion and to arrange officers to work 24 hours a day to quickly release the goods.

The customs branch is required to report and work with other agencies in the province to discuss and negotiate with Chinese authorities to introduce solutions for problems arising in customs clearance.

Loading and unloading of goods at Xuan Cuong yard are implemented quickly to release goods. Photo: H.Nu

Solutions strengthened

As of April 6, Lang Son Customs received and cleared 27,968 declarations of 1,461 firms with a total import-export turnover of US$1,011 million, a year-on-year increase of 85.5%; inspected and supervised luggage for 158,307 entry and exit passengers; coordinated with other agencies to collect fees according to decisions of the People's Committee of Lang Son province with the collected amount of VND126.3 billion, for 95,819 freight vehicles through the road border gate and 284 freight trains through Dong Dang international railway station.

As a result, nearly VND1,748.9 billion was remitted to the State budget, 50.5% of the estimate, up 60.05% over the same period in 2020.

This is considered a positive signal Lang Son Customs Department has achieved amid the difficult economic situation.

To further facilitate trade, Lang Son Customs continues to direct border-gate customs branches to work with other agencies at the border to advise and propose solutions to remove difficulties to improve customs clearance capacity for import and export goods; and cooperate with the business community to quickly load and unload goods, avoiding congestion in the border gate area.

In addition, Lang Son Customs will also regularly talk with Thi Bang Tuong, Guangxi, China on the regulations on import and export of goods and Covid-19 prevention and control between the two sides, as well as the inspection and supervision of goods and means of transport of goods in border-gate areas.

In addition, the department will arrange customs officers to work 24 hours a day to reduce clearance time and storage time to minimise costs and prevent congestion at the border gate.