Still not submitting result of specialized inspection for nearly 12 years

Appraised imported goods at Cat Lai port in HCM City. Photo: T.H

Having not submitted results for more than 10 years and more

According to HCM City Customs Department, although customs authority and specialized inspection units have facilitated enterprise in the implementation of specialized inspection for import – export goods, some enterprises have taken advantage of taking goods for preservation. They have intentionally delayed to submit inspection result to customs authority. Even some cases have intentionally put goods into market for consumption when the result of specialized inspection has not been released.

The statistics of the HCM City Customs Department showed that there are 207 enterprises that have not submitted results of specialized inspection for imported goods that allows for taking to storage while waiting for the results of specialized inspection. Remarkably, according to Customs News reporter’s finding, among enterprises which have not submitted specialized inspection results, there are many case of having not lodged vouchers since 2006, 2007. Thus it makes the customs authority to have to monitor and manage several days on end. For example, as in the case of Ngan Hai Trading Service Co, Ltd., (tax code 0303626692), the company have been processed to take goods for preservation in accordance with regulation since 2006 by Saigon port area 3 Customs Branch. However, up to now, for almost 12 years, this company still has not submitted the specialized inspection results for 6 imported shipments.

Many enterprises like Lieu Viet Joint Stock Company, Song Chi Trading Service Company Limited, Khang Lac Company ... have not submitted the results of specialized inspection after being brought goods for preservation from 2010. For those cases, besides denying to process for taking goods for preservation, HCM City Customs Department also announced the list of violated enterprises to provincial Customs units in the country for coordinating to not process for the enterprises to take goods for preservation.

Escaped from business registration address

Not only intentionally delaying to submit the results of specialized inspection, but also some companies run away from the business address after being resolved to bring import goods for preservation.

According to Customs News reporter’s finding, among enterprises that have not submitted specialized inspection results, five enterprises have taken advantage of the regulations to carry goods for preservation which are waiting for the results of specialized inspection to put goods on the market then they run away from business registration address. For those companies, the Customs Branches has sent customs officials to go to the local authorities for verification and detecting if the company has run away and no longer operates at the business registration address. The goods were also no longer at the address which was registered for preservation.

The case of A Chau Food Import Export Trading Production Joint Stock Company (Le Duc Tho Street, Ward 6, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) is a typical example. In July of 2014, this company imported more than 6.6 tons of mint candy through Cat Lai port – goods were subjected to food safety inspection. After being processed by the customs authority to take goods for preservation, the enterprises then fail to submit the results of the food hygiene and safety inspection to the customs authority for completion of dossiers and clearance of the goods shipment. Through the verification and checking at the business registration address of the enterprise, the customs authority found that this enterprise was no longer operating at this address. The local tax authorities also confirmed that this enterprise had stopped, but they had not completed the procedures to close the tax code. At the beginning of 2018, the Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch transferred this case dossier to the police of District 2, Ho Chi Minh City for supporting in the investigation and clarification.

Similarly, in February of 2015, Saigon Services Investment Joint Stock Company (MST 0312275747001) imported the shipment of more than 1.8 tons of ice cream powder via Cat Lai port. This enterprise was processed to take goods for preservation by the Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch as proposed by the specialized inspection authorities while waiting for the result in accordance with the regulation. However, the deadline overdue, this company did not submit the results of specialized inspection. Through verification at the business registration address of enterprises at local tax authorities, it showed that the enterprise was no longer operating at the registered business address. At the same time, the tax authorities also provided the disseminated documents of this enterprise. For the case of Quoc Viet - Consultancy - Service – Trading Company Limited, this company did not submit the results of specialized inspection of 2 import shipments from September of 2014. Currently, the customs authority has verified that this enterprise was no longer operating at the business registration address.

According to the Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch, for the above cases, after verifying and investigating, there were enough grounds to determine that "enterprises do not preserve the original conditions of goods at the places registered for preservation" as prescribed, and have run away or missing from the business registration address, and as a result, the customs branches gathered evidence and made documents to exchange information with the police for coordination in handling in accordance with the provisions of law.