Results of Program to support and encourage businesses to voluntarily comply with customs law

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	Bac Ninh Customs accompanies businesses to voluntarily comply with customs laws

The leader of Quang Ninh Customs Department signs a Memorandum of Understanding with businesses. Photo: provided by Quang Ninh Customs Department

Be decisive in implementation

The Customs authority has actively implemented many activities to encourage businesses to voluntarily comply with the customs law, thereby improving the quality of business profile, serving classification of compliance levels and risk levels of the customs declarant. Also, the General Department of Customs issues a Plan for information collection and processing every year, in which the General Department assigns the task of information collection and processing to 35 local customs departments and exchanges information and business records with tax authorities and related agencies.

From the beginning of 2021, the Customs sector has publicized the compliance level of enterprises on the Customs Portal. Besides, the Customs authority has guided businesses to look up the compliance level, as well as receive feedback from businesses on the compliance level.

On July 15, 2022, the General Department of Customs issued Decision No. 1399/QD-TCHQ on promulgating a pilot program to support and encourage businesses to voluntarily comply with the customs law.

From early September 2022, the first online conference to implement Decision 1399 widely in the whole customs sector was organized by the General Department of Customs, with the participation of hundreds of officials in charge of Risk Management from all 35 local Customs Departments.

After this conference, the Program has been replicated and the Risk Management Department (General Department of Customs) acts as the focal point and coordinates with local customs departments in disseminating the program to the business community across the country.

In October and November 2022, conferences on the implementation of Decision 1399 were held for Customs officers and the business community in the Northern region (Hai Phong), in the Southern region (Ho Chi Minh City) and the Southwest region (Can Tho).

At each conference, participating businesses highly appreciated and wished to participate in this program. By the end of 2022, 34 of 35 local customs departments have selected businesses, completed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, and Action Plan to implement the Program.

Many businesses improve their compliance levels

Mid-April 2023 is also an appropriate time for the General Department of Customs to re-evaluate the six-month implementation of the pilot program.

As noted by the Risk Management Department (General Department of Customs), there have been 207 import-export enterprises across the country participating in the program. In terms of implementation, the units have basically followed the objectives and guidelines of the General Department of Customs. For example, regarding supporting businesses, local customs departments have recorded 80 requests from enterprises as members of the program and 100% have been processed, supported, and answered in a timely fashion.

Noting the implementation of the program at the local customs departments, the leader of the Risk Management Department said that the compliance level of participating businesses has improved from level 3 to level 2, showing that the program is “on the right track”.

Deputy Director of Quang Ninh Customs Department Trinh Van Nhuan said to effectively implement the program, the department has issued a Decision to set up a working team to implement the program to regularly keep in contact and make quarterly reports, and send customs officers to support enterprises participating in the program in many forms by phone, email or direct support at the customs checkpoints or enterprise headquarters.

As a commodity trading enterprise since 2006, the leader of Song Lam MC Import and Export Co., Ltd is quite satisfied when participating in the pilot program. Deputy Director of the Company Le Dang Va said that since joining the program, the company has upgraded the compliance from level 3 to level 2, this is also thanks to the dedicated and more regular support from the Customs. For example, for newly imported shipments, the company receives direct support from Customs officers about customs procedures and commodity codes. Through fanpages and emails, the company more easily approaches new policies and documents in the field of customs and the field of import and export of goods, shortening customs clearance time and minimizing costs for the company.

"Many businesses have met with us to learn and wish to participate in the pilot program," said Mr. Le Dang Va.

Pully Electronics Vietnam Co., Ltd. has also increased its compliance. Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Anh, in charge of import and export of the company, said: "As a member of the program, the company enjoys many benefits from the program, so the company must comply with customs laws and other relevant laws. The company expects that the program will be officially implemented soon, as well as expand to more businesses, creating a "playground" for import-export businesses.”

According to Deputy Director of Bac Ninh Customs Department Duong Minh Duc, the unit wishes to expand the number of businesses participating in the program to increase the compliance level, thereby reducing the document inspection rate, as well as customs clearance stages.