Procedural reforms for the business community

Focusing on enterprises

HCMC Customs manage and operate procedures for the largest volume of Importand Export enterprises and passengersin Vietnam, with nearly 30,000 enterprises conducting Customs procedures at HCMC ports, in which more than 1,000 are foreign direct investment enterprises. Each day,there are approximately 7,000 declarations, with 37 types of Imex, about 240 vehicles, and 27,365 passengers.

To support and better serve the business community, from the beginning of 2016 to the present, HCMC Customs Department has implemented several measures to reform customs procedures, which all focus on enterprises and people, and reducing clearance timesto facilitate business operations; minimising Customs officers’ harassment and negative activities with a dedicated service attitude, and following policies and laws.

The most prominent feature of the HCMC Customs Department in 2016 is that the unit has actively coordinated with port businesses, specialized examination agencies have been deployed to specialized examination locations at border gates that have major flow of export and import goods; signed 13 regulations on collaboration with specialized examination units; and implemented the electronic portal connecting Customs, enterprises, specialized examination agencies and port businesses. All in order to support and facilitate the work of specialized examination performance for the business community.

National Single Window – a driving force for reform VCN- After nearly 2 years of implementation (since November 2004), the National Single Window (NSW) has officially ...

At a recent meeting with HCMC Customs Department, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam praised and appreciated the efforts of the Customs authority in the work of modernization and reforming Customs procedures under the Prime Minister's direction in Resolution No. 19.

The support for enterprises by removing difficulties also have beenimplemented by HCMC Customs Department with new methods to actively express closeness and sharing with enterprises. Implementing the direction of Deputy Director of General Department of Customs Hoang Viet Cuong, Customs Branches have actively organized working groups led by Branch Leaders to work with enterprises which have large import and export value. At these direct meetings, Customs Branch Leaders have listened and discussed difficulties, problems and expectations of businesses, at the same time capturedan understanding of the business situation of enterprises to support solutions, as well asto proactively capture revenue.

Customs officer at Investment Management Customs Branch, HCMC Department guiding procedures for businesses

Nurturing revenues

With opened spirit, good will in the reform of administrative procedures, supporting export and import activities, HCMC Customs Department has received the consent of the business community. At thedialogue conferences with businesses, complaints about Customs procedures reduced, whereas many companies have appreciated theprocedural reforms of the HCMC Customs Department. Deputy Secretary General of Vietnam Textile and Garment Association Nguyen Thi Truc Mai assesses: Customs procedures are much simpler now, the problems related to export activities arise mainly from specialized management policies. Not only domestic companies and associations, but also foreign direct investmententerprisesalso have positive evaluation on the effectiveness of assistance and facilitation for enterprises from Customs.

With the criteria "businesses develop, revenues increase," HCMC Customs Department identified to accompany enterprises and see them as partners in order to foster cooperation revenues.

Recently, after assigning units to deploytasks in the last months of 2016, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Customs Hoang Viet Cuong required focusing on implementing the key solutions group, continue to make administrative reform to facilitate export activities for immigration of people and businesses. To do this, units should review procedureand monitor processes to find any cumbersome, ineffective steps and correct immediately. Also find out whether businesses have any difficulties or not, in which documents do those obstacles occur, and which ministries or units are taking responsibility, to reflect to those ministries and units in order to remove obstacles for enterprises. Solving enterprises’ difficulties is to help reduce costs and improve competitiveness for businesses, and nurture revenues.

The HCMC Customs Departmenthas deployed the action plan to implement Government Resolution No. 19/2016/NQ-CP, with the purpose of reforming Customs procedures, shortening export and import clearance times. Accordingly, in 2016, clearance times of exported goods are shortened to a maximum of 10 days, and 12 days for imported goods. The goal by 2020, is clearance time ofacross the border goods to be less than 36 hours for exported goods, and 41 hours for imported goods; to reduce the proportion of specialized examination imported consignments during clearance stage from currently 30%-35% to 15% by the end of 2016; and to guarantee to reduce every year a minimum of 10% of compliance administrative procedures costs.