Positive changes in centralized management model in Mong Cai

	Importing and exporting goods ebulliently at the pontoon bridge of Km3+4 Mong Cai
	Smuggled goods still flow inland via Highway 18
	Quang Ninh Customs: cutting down 13 regular staff when deploying centralized customs management

3 in 1 checkpoint at Mong Cai Customs Branch (Quang Ninh Customs Department). Photo: Quang Hung.

Reduce clearance time

From the 3 places of receipt and registration of Customs declarations, including: Import-Export Procedure Team No.1, Import-Export Procedure Team No.2 and Thanh Dat ICD Operation Team, from 11 April 2018, the Mong Cai Customs Branch (Customs Department of Quang Ninh) integrated them into only one Import-Export Procedure Team.

After more than a month of implementation, this "3 in 1" centralized management model has cleared 3,803 export and import declarations, with a turnover of $US 239 million in 14 export-import categories, especially in import-export types: importing consumer goods (777 declarations); imported goods for production and business (192 declarations); goods for bonded warehouses (518 declarations); business output (1,816 declarations); and exported products (344 declarations).

According to the statistics of the Mong Cai Customs Branch, the Customs clearance time for export and import lots decreased compared to 2017. Specifically, an imported shipment which is classified into the Yellow Channel has an average time of 35 hours 30 minutes 19 seconds to check for clearance, reduced by 3 hours; imported shipment in the Red Channel has an average time of 46 hours 00 minutes 51 seconds (reduced by 2 hours 46 minutes). For exported shipments, the average time in the Yellow Channel is 11 hours 25 minutes 12 seconds, reduced by 1 hour and reduced by 5 hours for an exported shipment in the Red Channel.

According to the leaders of the Mong Cai Customs Branch, the centralized clearance model has met the policy of the Party and the State on reviewing, reorganizing the apparatus and reducing staff. The machine is arranged in a uniform and streamlined manner. The Customs clearance team is reduced from 3 clues to 1 clue, reducing 3 staff (from 18 staff to 15 staff). The result is to overcome overlapping, ineffectiveness, thereby enhancing the responsibility of managers at all levels in performing their tasks.

A person can accomplish the work of 5 people

When starting the new model, the leaders of Quang Ninh Customs Department and Mong Cai Customs Branch were quite worried because these changes might cause more confusion for businesses. However, from the reporter's understanding, the centralized management model has overcome many problems for enterprises such as working in many places in the past. Most of the companies do well with this innovation and do not cause a disturbance in production and business activities.

"Due to the special import-export business, in the past many enterprises had to carry out procedures at 3 locations. Therefore, when Mong Cai Customs Branch deployed the centralized management model, the companies themselves agreed and supported staff in charge of the Customs procedures.

As a business for importing and exporting in Mong Cai, SITC LOGISTIC Co., Ltd, (headquartered in Hai Phong) is currently carrying out procedures at the Mong Cai Customs Branch in 3 types of import and export: imported goods for production, imported goods for business and exported goods with 20 declarations per day.

Sharing with the reporter, SITC LOGISTIC Co., Ltd's import-export officer Le Tien Dung said: The centralized management model creates favourable conditions for the enterprise to complete procedures. For example, the Internet connection is free and smooth. Accordingly, enterprises can sit at the office to implement customs clearance procedures without running between locations. Previously, the company had to arrange 5 staff to perform Customs procedures at 3 locations. Thanks to that, the company also saves travel costs, takes the initiative in rearranging human resources to increase labor productivity.

Concerned with the above point of view, the export and import staff of Thai Hung Import-Export Company (based in Mong Cai, Quang Ninh) Pham Quang Bach said that before implementing this new management model, the company received the notice from the Mong Cai Customs Branch to change the location of procedures, instructions on how to declare Customs procedures according to Customs code. Therefore, right from the beginning of the implementation, enterprises can find the procedures quickly and conveniently, especially the place to pay tax at commercial banks located near the Import-Export Procedure Team.

Launching centralized Customs management model in Mong Cai VCN- On 13th April 2018, in Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh Customs Department held the launching ceremony of ...

The centralized management model is bringing positive changes in the Customs and business community. Initially, the Mong Cai Customs Branch found that there were still problems with the data function for accounting vouchers and new fee receipts for many declarations, and requested the Customs Department of Quang Ninh to report to the General Department of Vietnam Customs for supplementation in line with the practical situation.