Lang Son Customs: Reduces clearance time to increase revenues

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The number of imported automotive through Huu Nghi border gate has dropped significantly, affecting to the revenue of Lang Son Customs Department.

According to Lang Son Customs Department, by August 2, 2016, the entire collection of the department is 2,736.7 billion vnd, equivalent to 42.1% of the estimate (6,500 billion vnd); the Department has performed the inspection and supervision of goods and luggage for 488,592 travellers through Huu Nghi International Border Gate and Dong Dang International Railway Station; implemented procedures for goods of 1,992 enterprises with 52,716 export and import goods declarations and turnover of $2,031.8 million USD. At auxiliary border gates such as Na Hinh, Na Nua, Binh Nghi, Co Sau and Po Nhung, customs branches have implemented procedures for 4,550 customs declarations with a total turnover of $255.7 million USD. The coordination with the tax office to collect fees and freight of vehicles through border gates reached 257.6 billion vnd.

A representative of Lang Son Customs Department said, the collection of state budget revenues through the borders from the beginning of 2016 to date decreased compared to the same period in 2015, which is due to the saturated amount of imported trucks, imported truck tractors, imported semi-trailers into the domestic market. It means that enterprises don not import massively as before, but in modest quantities. In addition, the VAT collection for imported ores through auxiliary gates or entrances has not risen. Many enterprises also apply the provisions to transfer goods to the Customs Branch outside the border gate, such as Yen Vien station to implement customs procedures for consumer goods, goods with high tax rates or great value like components, automotive parts, paper, iron and steel, etc.

According to Lang Son Customs Department, in order to complete the assigned targets, from now to the end of 2016, the Department will continue to achieve the objectives under Resolution No. 19 / NQ-CP on the tasks and major solutions to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness in 2015-2016. Specifically, the objective is to reduce the time of customs clearance procedures for goods through border gates at the average rate of ASEAN-6.

Regarding measures to increase revenues, a representative of Lang Son Customs Department said that in 2016, the Department still continues to implement measures to shorten the inspection and clearance time of exported and imported goods. Commodities attract specialized inspection at the border gate, which shortens the clearance time to only 2- 3 minutes. This has helped companies reduce costs and time for import and export procedures. Moreover, the public measurement of clearance time aims to be transparent, which will build up the confidence of businesses on Customs procedures in general and Lang Son Customs Department in particular.

A representative of Lang Son Customs Department stressed that in addition to organizing public measurement of customs clearance times, the Department will conduct risk management procedures in professional processes mainly in customs procedures and different types of import-export commerce, ensuring risk management systems operate well, reducing the ratio of physical inspections to meet the requirements of Customs administrative reform and facilitate enterprises. Accordingly, Lang Son Customs Department set a target of more than 90% consignments without physical inspection.

In order to achieve this goal, recently Lang Son Customs Department has applied risk management to check likelihood of illegal import or export. Accordingly, the number of criteria to be applied is 896; criteria for import and export are 472 and 424 respectively. The shortening and simplification of procedures for checking export and import goods not only help accelerate the process of customs clearance but they also facilitate enterprises in customs clearance procedures at the borders. Thereby, enterprises appreciate Lang Son Customs Department in particular and Customs in general through post clearance inspection which helps enterprises a lot. Because enterprises will reduce time when declaring records through electronic systems, then they get the customs inspection results and transport goods to the border gate.

A representative of Lang Son Customs Department said, up to now, there have been 1,992 enterprises participating in electronic customs procedures with the amount of declarations reaching 52,716. In the last months of 2016, in order to support enterprises, the Department will continue to implement the VNACCS /VCIS system, with a goal of 95-99% of electronic customs procedures and at least 90% of enterprises declaring customs procedures through the VNACCS /VCIS system. Besides, Lang Son Customs Department will further promote the application of risk management and post-clearance inspection in customs operations.

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In order to complete the task of state budget revenue collection, Lang Son Customs Department will strengthen consultation to determine taxable value and collect arrears. Statistics show that, up to now, the Department has consulted 52 declaration sets, performed post-clearance inspection for 2 declarations with 175.6 billion vnd of tax debt, including 148.9 billion vnd of bad debt. Lang Son Customs Department has not only directed the work of supervision and management of goods effectively but it has also created a favourable condition for exported and imported goods through the border gates to reduce the congestion at borders. The Department also aggressively prevents smuggling and rings of smuggling gangs in the area of borders.