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A Customs official inspect imported and exported goods at Hoa Lu International Border Gate. Photo: N.H

Facilitation associated with effective control

In 2023, Hoa Lu International Border Gate Customs Branch worked with 150 businesses and processed nearly 6,000 declarations. Of which, the Green channel accounted for 45.5%; the Yellow channel accounted for 49.67% and the Red channel accounted for 4.83%.

According to Mr. Dieu Drenh Duc, Deputy Director of Hoa Lu International Border Gate Customs Branch, in the continuous development of international trade, applying risk management in the import-export management process is a One of the important contents of customs reform, helping to balance control capacity and trade facilitation.

Accordingly, in 2023, the branch regularly updated business records to the risk and violation management information system, thereby serving as a basis for evaluation, ranking and update of business rankings to the Risk Management Information System and Vietnam Customs Intelligence Information System (VCIS). Based on the risk assessment and business ranking conducted by the General Department of Customs, the branch will monitor, collect, update information, signs of violations, and evaluates the law compliance of businesses to make recommendations and proposals to adjust ranking for ineligible businesses.

In particular, to implement inspection decisions during customs clearance for import and export goods, the branch has proposed to set a criterion for physical inspection of goods for some high-risk businesses and items with potential risks of policy and tax, and those which have been handled for administrative violations and tax law violations. At the same time, the branch has regularly reviewed cases of cancellation of Yellow or Red channel declarations for inappropriate reasons to monitor and set analysis criterion.

Hoa Lu Customs Branch has also notified businesses of that cancellation and amendments of declarations will affect the compliance assessment results and risk rating assessment results of businesses; provided risk warnings about subjects, signs, methods, and tricks of abusing the cancellation and amendment of declarations for smuggling, trade fraud, and tax evasion.

In addition, for shipments showing signs of violation, during the customs clearance, the branch also conducted change of physical inspection channel. Specifically, the branch changed channels for 43 declarations of 20 enterprises and stopped goods to go through the monitoring area for 31 declarations of 19 enterprises. As a result, identifying three violation cases.

Continuing effective risk management in import and export management

Although there are many advantages, Hoa Lu Customs Branch also encounters some difficulties in collecting information, especially businesses that do not regularly carry out import and export procedures at the branch, they are mainly located in other provinces and have no office in the area managed by the branch.

In addition, some businesses did not provide information to customs authorities in a timely manner, with sufficient content, quality and required time because there are no specific regulations and sanctions for this case. Most businesses only provide basic information already available on the system. ​

On the Customs side, civil servants in charge of risk management also undertake other jobs at the unit, are not specialized, mainly perform superficial activities and chase for targets.

Information sources of enterprises are not diverse, currently mainly provided by businesses according to prescribed forms, by units in the industry or other agencies and units through coordination and exchange. However, these sources are not fully and promptly updated because the collection is only done via official dispatch once a year.

To overcome the above limitations, Mr. Duc said that the branch will further strengthen the collection of information during the customs clearance process, helping promptly prevent and minimize risks in th management of exported goods, passengers on entry and exit; maintain a close relationship between risk management and customs clearance stages towards a seamless management system.

Accordingly, in order for businesses to clearly understand the purpose, requirements as well as rights and responsibilities in providing information to Customs authorities and applying it in risk control at businesses, it is necessary to strengthen the work of communication on mass media and business dialogues.

The branch will also proactively exchange and collect information from relevant units such as commercial banks, tax authorities, police, Department of Planning and Investment. Accordingly, the branch will analyze, process and compare information from many different sources to get accurate results to effectively apply and support business evaluation and management.

Hoa Lu International Border Gate Customs Branch recommends that there should be regulations to coordinate with departments and branches inside and outside the industry on providing information related to business operations. At the same time, the General Department of Customs and Binh Phuoc Customs Department need to have a plan to disseminate, train and foster risk management skills for officials and civil servants through conferences, seminars, training and re-training classes.