Private areas for fast customs clearance goods via Cat Lai Port

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Goods at Cat Lai Port will be quickly cleared. Photo: T.H

Reduce costs

After the preparation and piloting, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has issued Decision 2381/QĐ-HQHCM approving the scheme on trade facilitation in customs procedures for logistics activities and preventing congestion of import and export goods at Cat Lai Port where the volume of goods accounts for 70% of total import and export goods in Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has coordinated with Saigon Newport Corporation to implement the scheme.

According to Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department,Dinh Ngoc Thang, the volume of import and export goods at Cat Lai Port is about 15,000 containers per day, so the implementation of this scheme will help to quickly clear goods and reduce costs for enterprises.

After deploying the scheme at Cat Lai Port, enterprises are allowed to carry out Customs procedures at private areas with acentralized and unified process from the registration stage until the goods aretaken out of the port. The system is available 24/7. Goods are cleared right at the wharf and the physical inspection is implemented by container scanners. Enterprises can supervise the Customs processes online via mobile phones. Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department will coordinate with Cat Lai Port to allow enterprises participating the scheme to store goods at private areas and transport goods out of the port in a private lane in the most convenient and quickestway.

For time benefits, goods will be quickly released and cleared at the wharf without unloading and loading at the yard and shorten the maximum customs clearance time. For cost, it will reduce costs for enterprises byVND 700,000 to 1 million/container, including costs for liftingcontainers, transshipment, terminal handling and storage. The program has enhanced the transparency,satisfaction level and confidence of the business community inthe Customs authority.

The scheme is part of efforts to reform, modernize and facilitate trade for businesses, which has beendeveloped and prepared by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department since the beginning of 2019 and was highly appreciated and positively supported by leaders of the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs. It is expected that in October, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department will officially implement the scheme.

200 enterprises participate

According to Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, it has selected 200 enterprises that regularly implement import and export procedures via Ho Chi Minh City Seaports. These enterprises have complied with customs policies and laws and signed customs broker contracts with Saigon Newport Corporation. The Department gives priority to selecting enterprises carryingout customs procedures through customs brokers.

When participating in the scheme, enterprises and customs brokers must study regulations, customs processes and absolutely comply with the Customs law; to ensureintegrity and accuracy in customs declarations and fulfill tax obligations. Enterprises must commit not to implement negative acts, trade fraud, customs offences; actively cooperatewith Customs authorities and Saigon Newport Corporation.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Leo, Deputy Director of SaiGon Seaport Customs Branch of Zone 1, the branch has coordinated with Saigon Newport Corporation to prepare a private ground and area for customs clearance for import goods of enterprises participating in the scheme. The branch has arranged and assigned officers to be on duty 24/7 for receiving declarations and implementing customs procedures for goods of enterprises and customs brokers.

Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has been supported by Saigon Newport Corporation. Mr. Ngo Minh Thuan, Director General of Saigon Newport Corporation said the deployment of these solutions will make breakthroughs in reform and modernization to create favorable conditions for businesses in 2019.

“Saigon Newport Corporationwishes to save costs and time for consumers using services. We will provide a private plan for this program and privatecommitment and contract with customers participating in the program," Mr. Ngo Minh Thuan said.

Currently, Saigon Newport Corporation has used one digital signature for all customs declaration activities in the whole system. Saigon Newport Corporation will work and guarantee and pay taxes for some eligible customers.