Promoting Vietnam-Laos Customs cooperation

Vietnam, Laos cooperate effectively in combating drug crimes

Vietnam Customs held the Vietnam - Laos Customs Directors General Conference. Photo: H.N

The representatives of Vietnam Customs attending the conference were Director General Nguyen Van Tho; Director of the International Cooperation Department Dao Duc Hai; Director of the Import-Export Duty Department Le Nhu Quynh; Director of the Personnel and Organization Department Tran Quang Trung; Deputy Director of the Post-clearance Audit Department Tran Xuan Loc; Deputy Director of the Customs Control and Supervision Department Dao Duy Tam; Deputy Director of the Customs IT and Statistics Department Pham Duyen Phuong; Deputy Director of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department Vu Quang Toan; Deputy Director of the Hanoi Customs Department Nguyen Truong Giang.

The conference was attended by representatives of Laos Customs including Director General of Laos Customs Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay; Director of the Personnel and Organization and Finance Department Thongphat Ladsavong; Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department Canda Sinpaseuth; Director of Savannkhet Customs Department Phommachak Siphandone; Director of Bolykhamxay Customs Department Soy Vongphachanh; Director of the Khammuon Customs Department Phoumeuang Keochanthala; Deputy Director of the Legal Department Bouasavath Viphasouk; and officer of No. 1 Huu Nghi Bridge Customs Branch and Thanaleng Dry Port Khonesavanh Boutsady.

Great efforts to fostering cooperation

In his opening speech at the conference, on behalf of Vietnam Customs, Director General Nguyen Van Tho warmly welcomed Director General Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay, and the high-ranking delegation of Laos Customs for visiting and working with Vietnam Customs.

In order to foster cooperative relations, the Customs administrations of the two countries have sent many delegations to visit and work to exchange experiences in customs control.

The results of the visits and working sessions show that the Vietnam-Laos Customs cooperation is built on trust in cooperation, support, and mutual assistance for mutual development.

The special friendship between the two countries has been promoted in development stages of the two sides. Director General Nguyen Van Tho emphasized that the Customs of the two countries also pay special attention to building, maintaining, preserving and developing the cooperative relationship between the two Customs administrations and making the cooperative relationship increasingly substantive and practical, facilitating economic, trade, investment and travel exchanges between the people of the two countries.

Vietnam Customs always respects, preserves, and pays attention to further develop the special relationship. Therefore, the conference opens up an opportunity for the two Customs administrations to review the cooperation journey and discuss action plans for 2025, Director General Nguyen Van Tho said.

Director General of Laos Customs Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay said that in recent times, Laos Customs has achieved many positive results in all aspects of work.

Since 2021, the revenue collection by Lao Cai Customs Department has gained outstanding achievements, seeing year-over-year growth. Notably, from January 1 to November 15, 2024, Laos Customs collected 15,200 billion Kip, meeting the target assigned by the Ministry of Finance of Laos and increasing by 41% compared to the same period in 2023.

Additionally, Laos Customs has also achieved key results in other aspects of work such as building and amending legal documents; developing human resources, modernizing customs, and international cooperation...

According to Director General Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay, Laos Customs has applied the Electronic Customs Declaration System with 20 modules and has connected with the information technology systems of ministries, branches and enterprises.

Laos Customs always prioritizes human resource development to improve its performance in state management of customs.

Director General Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay said that the exchange, sharing and support in customs operations by Vietnam Customs has brought benefits for the development of Laos Customs.

Continuing to foster friendship

At the conference, the leaders of both sides agreed that the cooperation and mutual support activities between the two Customs administrations over the past many years have met the requirements of improving the effectiveness of state management of customs.

At the same time, the friendly relations have contributed to the implementation of international commitments signed by both sides, enhancement of mutual understanding and tightening the good cooperative relationship between the two Customs administrations.

In order to further improve and develop the cooperative relationship and mutual support towards the goal of facilitating and ensuring security for Vietnam - Laos trade, on behalf of Vietnam Customs and Laos Customs, Director General Nguyen Van Tho and Director General Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay approved the cooperation plan in 2025.

Director General Nguyen Van Tho and Director General Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay exchanged the cooperation agreement. Photo: HN

In 2025, the two Customs administrations will implement six coordination contents. Specifically, the two sides will organize talks and exchange experiences on anti-smuggling investigations within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on anti-smuggling investigations between the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam and Laos.

Vietnam Customs will send officers to train and improve the capacity of Laos Customs officers related to the collection, analysis and processing of information obtained from intelligence sources; controlling, investigating and handling criminal and drug-related cases.

The two sides will exchange experiences on methods of assessing customs value, origin and classification of import and export goods, and on post-clearance audit; and will hold the Laos-Vietnam Customs Directors General Conference to evaluate the results of implementing the proposed plan.