Master plan of border gate area needs to be linked with customs digital transformation

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Import and export activities at Ta Lung International Border Gate (Cao Bang). Photo: T. Binh

Infrastructure at many border gates is still limited

According to the General Department of Customs, in recent years, the land border gate system has developed rapidly in terms of quantity, diversity in scale, and nature, meeting the needs of border crossings for people, vehicles, and goods, positively contributing to promoting economic and social development, facilitating customs clearance activities in border provinces as well as nationwide.

However, at many border gates, the investment in infrastructure construction has not been given proper attention, lacking basic facilities such as: National gate, joint control house, bonded warehouse, import-export and international payment service area; or the arrangement of functional areas and control lanes is not suitable. Some components of border gate works and joint control houses have deteriorated, not ensuring working conditions for functional forces, and not corresponding to the investment in infrastructure and connection with the opposite country.

According to the customs development strategy to 2030, and implementing the Prime Minister's directive in document 245/TTg-KTTH dated April 17, 2024, on continuing to promote digital transformation in the customs field, to ensure the planning and construction of border gate infrastructure meet the requirements of inspection and control, investment in the installation of equipment as well as modernization requirements, facilitating border trade activities, the General Department of Customs recently requested border province customs departments to review and assess the current state of each border gate's infrastructure in customs-managed areas, including functional areas such as: National gate, joint control house, areas for warehouses and yards serving the assembly, inspection, supervision of import-export goods, locations for the installation of inspection and supervision equipment such as scanners, electronic scales, logistics centers, location of barrier number 1, barrier number 2; traffic connectivity conditions from the border gate to domestic localities; synchronization of infrastructure between two border gates on both sides of the border.

Based on the results of the review and assessment of the current state, customs units will coordinate with functional forces at the border gate and propose to the provincial People's Committee to build a master plan for the border gate area, in which the functional areas and traffic lanes need to be clearly delineated. For border gate areas where there are still residential households, it is necessary to report to the provincial People's Committee to have a plan for clearance or limitation to ensure security, order, prevent smuggling, illegal transportation of goods across the border, and at the same time have strict inspection and control measures for the buying and selling, exchange of goods by residents living in this area.

The General Department of Customs also requested border province customs departments, based on the border gate planning on the Vietnam - China, Vietnam - Cambodia, Vietnam - Laos land border line for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister, to regularly coordinate and exchange with the Economic Zone Management Board and relevant authorities under the provincial People's Committee in the planning, monitoring the progress of border gate construction; determining the need for warehouses, yards, gathering points, customs inspection and supervision according to regulations; proactively plan and arrange personnel organization; prepare infrastructure, working conditions, propose the need to equip machinery and equipment to serve customs inspection and supervision tasks, ensuring to meet the task requirements as soon as the border gate is upgraded or put into operation, sent to the General Department of Customs for consideration to establish a project to recruit additional staff, train human resources and allocate budget estimates, organize procurement investment as prescribed.

Regularly review and evaluate to make timely proposals

In addition, regarding the operating conditions of warehouse areas, yards, customs procedure locations at the border gate, the General Department of Customs also requested units to regularly inspect, review, and evaluate the operating status of gathering points, inspection, supervision of export and import goods, bonded warehouses, and other locations, warehouses, yards recognized by the Customs authority.

In cases where there are no goods or conditions are not maintained as prescribed such as: area, fence, surveillance camera, management software, businesses are required to rectify, repair, and fully supplement the conditions within 3 months from the effective date of the notice; after the above time limit, if the businesses do not comply, the provincial customs departments shall report to the General Department of Customs to decide to suspend or terminate the operation of warehouses, yards, locations in accordance with current regulations. For border gate areas where goods, people, and vehicles pass through the border gate, adequate forces must be arranged to handle customs procedures in accordance with regulations.

In case there is no solid working house, customs procedure locations, gathering points, inspection, supervision of export and import goods, it is recommended that the provincial People's Committee allocate land, call for investment promotion, and at the same time make estimates to report to the General Department of Customs for planning to allocate counterpart capital for investment in the construction of procedure locations, investment in the purchase of machinery and equipment to serve customs inspection, supervision, and control tasks.

Particularly, for border gate areas without goods, people, and vehicles, the provincial customs departments shall review and report to the General Department of Customs to agree with ministries, branches, and the provincial People's Committee to temporarily not arrange forces, and assign the Border Guard to manage and control according to current regulations.