The Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh examines the administrative reform at the HCM City Customs Department

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The Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh speaks at the meeting. Photo: T.H.

The rate of specialized inspections is less than 10%

Working with the delegation, the Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, Mr. Dinh Ngoc Thang had specifically reported 2 topics: Implementation of the National Single Window and specialized inspections.

Till now, 11 out of 18 ministries and sectors have connected 53 administrative procedures to submit to the National Single Window with the total number of administrative records in 2017 of 505,034 records. From 1 January 2018 to 30 June 2018, 722,912 records were processed (at level 3).

When applying the national Single Window mechanism, the enterprises have shortened 4/5 of the duration of the procedures. Regarding the administrative procedures of ministries and sectors, the implementation of the national Single Window mechanism is expected to reduce 15% -30% of the time to process procedures.

Regarding specialized inspections, in the process of implementation, the delegation of the Government, the ministries and the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department recommended the Government to direct many inadequate contents related to technology through the National Single Window to improve the efficiency of administrative reform.

The contents of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department were recognized and highly appreciated by the delegations. Till now, ministries and sectors have made positive changes. As for some regulations on industrialization and modernization, many contents have been amended and abolished in line with reality.

Mr. Dinh Ngoc Thang said that in the first 6 months of 2018, out of 1 million Customs declarations, the declarations of goods subject to specialized inspections were 89,189, accounting for 8.16%. As a result, the rate of specialized inspections was reduced to less than 10%, in line with the guiding spirit of the Government.

However, besides positive changes, the HCM City Customs Department also reported to the delegation the shortcomings and limitations of specialized management and inspections as well as the implementation of the national Single Window mechanism.

Focus on facilitating businesses

At the meeting, the Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and members of the delegation highly appreciated the reform of the Customs procedures in the Customs sector in general and the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department in particular.

Despite the workload, but in the past years, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has taken the lead in drastic reform of Customs procedures, solving a lot of problems, reducing time and costs for export and import activities of enterprises.

Appreciating the result of the reform of administrative procedures and the facilitation of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh emphasized that it was the largest local Customs unit with the State budget contribution of more than 38% and the annual work volume is very large, accounting for 45%. Accordingly, the HCM City Customs Department had many programs, solutions to reform the business. In 2017, the unit held 25 dialogue meetings with 2,000 companies and answered over 350 questions. In the first 6 months of 2018, 20 conferences were held, with 1,200 enterprises and 300 questions.

In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has applied many modern management programs, shortening travel time of enterprises, reducing clearance time. In addition, it actively allocated human resources in the right position and capacity; well implementd the declaration on the National Portal to intensify IT application for effectively deploying the national Single Window mechanism.

However, the Deputy Prime Minister also pointed out that some shortcomings of the HCM City Customs Department. For example, enterprises still had difficulties in the process of procedures due to excessive industrialization, with slow clearance time.

The Deputy Prime Minister directed the HCM City Customs Department to promote the achieved results and overcome the shortcomings. In particular, focus on anti-transfer pricing, tax evasion; anti-smuggling for temporarily imported goods or re-export. To do this well, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department needs a better coordination with the forces in and outside the sector, such as Market Management, Border Guard, and Police.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted and agreed with the recommendations of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and instructed the ministries and branches to resolve issues related to specialized inspections and the National Single Window. As for specialized inspections, there is a state of a commodity subject to specialized inspections of many ministries. Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed the units to coordinate and clarify specific responsibilities to overcome problems to create favorable conditions for enterprises.

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"From the practical implementation of work, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department shall continue to regularly review to propose additional problems; enhance IT application, provide online public services to improve labor productivity; implement automated Customs management system; closely collaborate with the agencies and organizations to create favorable conditions for businesses. In addition, it is necessary to have specific plans and measures in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud, to promptly detect and prevent violations", the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.