Setting up warning function for cargo congestion on NSW Portal

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Trucks carrying import and export goods at Huu Nghi international border gate area. Photo: Danh Tung.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been causing heavy impacts on production and business activities and cross-border trade. The recent congestion at the northern border gates has made it impossible for import and export goods through these routes, especially Vietnam’s agricultural exports fail to be cleared in time.

This problem has negatively impacted the operation of thousands of import-export and logistics enterprises and millions of farming households.

Therefore, the Prime Minister and deputy prime ministers have given very drastic instructions to reduce congestion, remove difficulties for businesses, facilitate trade in imported goods through border gates.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance has directed the General Department of Customs to apply trade facilitation measures, participate in talks with relevant authorities of China, arrange customs officers to support businesses.

In addition, the Minister of Finance has sent a written request to the Ministry of Transport for coordination to develop a solution on cargo congestion at border gates on the basis of new achievements and applications in information technology.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport have assigned the General Department of Customs to work with the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam to develop and deploy the warning system on cargo congestion on the National Single Window portal through connecting and exchanging location data of trucks at border gates.

With this system, authorities, businesses and drivers can look up the situation of congestion at all border gates.

Thereby, state agencies, enterprises and drivers can actively prepare and make appropriate transport plans and export plans and avoid congestion, save logistics costs and minimize damage.

Information on the flow of vehicles at the border gate is expected to be updated in real time; publicized on the National Single Window Portal at https://:www.vnsw.gov.vn.

The status of vehicles at the border gate is shown on an intuitive and friendly interface with four levels including Red level (the highest warning level with over 5,000 vehicles), Orange level (from over 1,000 to 5,000 vehicles), Yellow level (from over 500 to 1,000 vehicles) and Green level (under 500 vehicles).

State agencies, businesses, and vehicle drivers can access the portal by computers or smart devices with internet connections.

The General Department of Customs has completed the first version of this application on the National Single Window Portal. Besides, the Customs has written to the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam to connect to the application to exchange data before the Lunar New Year.

If the application is launched on time, this will be a very meaningful event in the early year of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Government agencies to the people and business community.

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The event also demonstrates the Government's partnership with businesses, organizations and people to overcome the pandemic, overcome difficulties, restore production and business, and develop the economy.