Vietnam Customs speaks about 213 containers in transit at Cat Lai port

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Prohibited goods were seized by the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City at Cat Lai port in July 2017. Photo: Thu Hoa.

Customs actively enhances the supervision and control of goods in transit

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the transit of goods is a common mode in international freight transportation. This is a way to make goods easier to be circulated and conveniently circulated among countries, especially for countries with favourable conditions with long coast systems, deep-water seaports that are designated as important transshipment sites in the region and on the international maritime transport system like Vietnam. Vietnam's transit of goods is regulated by international treaties and agreements which Vietnam participated, such as the Transit Agreement between Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia, China and the the Circulars for these agreements; and Revised Kyoto Convention (2006).

In order to facilitate the transit of goods and ensure the management and compliance with international practices, Vietnam has issued a relatively comprehensive and uniform system of documents to regulate transit activities such as the Commercial Law, the Customs Law, Decree No. 08/2015 / ND-CP, Decree 187/2013 / NĐ-CP. Vietnam Customs has actively implemented administrative reform and modernization on Customs, e-Customs clearance to facilitate the import-export businesses.

However, besides many businesses which well observed the Law, complied with international rules on temporary import for re-export, transit, transshipment, there have been many businesses taking advantage of export activities to perform acts of violation .

"As for the question about the phenomenon of taking advantage of the transit mode to check the goods into the inland, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has deployed a series of solutions to actively fight against the violations”, the General Department of Vietnam Customs emphasized.

Specific measures and solutions which are deployed the General Department of Vietnam Customs included the issue of legal documents (Official Letter 3216 / GDC-GSQL of 19^th April 2016; Official Letter 7900 / GDC-GSQL of 16^th August 2016 to direct the Customs Departments to strengthen the management, strict implementation of the provisions of the Law, the process of Customs sector in the process of implementing procedures for exported and imported goods through the mode of transit.

On the other hand, the General Department of Vietnam Customs regularly reviews and completes the e-Customs clearance system in accordance with the management practice in Vietnam in order to limit the shortcomings.

In particular, from 2015 to now, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has actively implemented many plans and directed anti-smuggling investigation force to coordinate with competent forces to fight and control goods in transit, including, actively collecting information, setting up specialists and investigating dozens of smuggling cases through the use of this type of transit; seizing hundreds of containers of prohibited goods, used goods, dozens of kg of drugs.

Also, Vietnam Customs shall take initiative in coordinating with the Government Inspectorate, the units of the General Department of Security, the General Department of Police, the Police of the provinces and cities, and the local market management agencies in order to promptly handle the violations.

Active examination and inspections

In addition, the General Department of Customs has set up inspection teams to carry out Customs procedures for goods transported independently at some Customs departments of provinces and cities in the northern and southern areas.

Through the initial examination and inspections, the General Department of Vietnam Customs discovered in mid-2015, there had been 213 containers of 56 businesses which transported goods in transit through Cat Lai port (Ho Chi Minh city), then exported them to Cambodia (the border gate of destination), however, the above container was transported from the port of Cat Lai but not to the border gate of export as prescribed.

Regarding this case, the General Department of Vietnam Customs said that apart from the reason that some executives at the Customs Barnch of Saigon port of Zone I - the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City have not properly implemented Customs procedures (updating information, tracking status of goods transport, tracing goods when the registration deadline has not been confirmed), there are some other important reasons such as: many perpetrators took advantage of favourable factors in the stage of licensing business registration and management to operate smuggling (verified by the customs authorities, the 56 enterprises with 213 containers above have not been active at registered address). At present, the General Department of Vietnam Customs is cooperating with investigating police agencies, units of the General Department of Security - the Ministry of Public Security and the Public Security of Ho Chi Minh City to investigate containers and violating enterprises.

"From the above contents, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has directed the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department to seriously consider and punish officials who have committed wrongdoings, and correct the licensing stage and strengthen post-licensing management of enterprises by local authorities", the General Department of Vietnam Customs stated.

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According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in the coming time, besides speeding up the reform of administrative procedures and modernization of Customs, creating favourable conditions for trade activities under the Government's policy, the General Department of Vietnam Customs shall direct competent units to enhance Customs inspections, control and supervision and coordinate with competent agencies in promptly detecting and strictly handling organizations and individuals committing acts of violation. At the same time, continuing to strengthen the examination, inspections and resolutely handle civil servants committing violations.