Ha Tinh Customs Department: Business-facilitating Solutions Adopted

Mr Luong Truong Tho, Director of Ha Tinh Customs Department, said, “Along with the province’s measures to improve the business environment and attract investment, the Ha Tinh Customs Department has made an effort to reform customs administration, create a healthy and open business environment for local exporters and importers." In addition, the department defined that reforming administrative procedures, modernising customs and reducing clearance time of goods is the most effective direct way to improve working performance. The department thoroughly informed its employees of administrative procedure reform, professional service to customers and publicity of administrative procedures as stated by the laws. The department regularly upgrades equipment and applies IT to customs administration. On May 23, 2014, the Ha Tinh Customs Department successfully deployed the VNACCS/VCIS automatic customs clearance system. This system enables customs officers to perform procedures on green-branded batches of goods in 3-5 seconds instead of 1-2 hours earlier with manual methods or 3-15 minutes with electronic customs procedures. Up to now, 97 percent of local businesses registered to use the VNACCS/VCIS system and 98 percent of procedures have been done through this.

 

In recent years, Ha Tinh province has witnessed strong growth in exporters and importers, as well as export and import value. To improve State customs management, facilitate the business community to handle customs procedures, and increase incomes for State Budget, the Ha Tinh Customs Department has focused on promoting and deploying consistent solutions like accelerating administrative reform and customs modernisation, strengthening political and ideological education and professional ethics for civil servants in order to raise their performance; and guiding businesses to carry out customs and tax payment procedures. The department has regularly reviewed and summarised issues arising from carrying out regulations on customs procedures and export and import tax procedures through business dialogues (three business dialogues held in 2014); coordinated with the Finance Academy to open professional training courses on customs declaration for nearly 100 companies in Ha Tinh and neighbouring provinces; introduced some policies on handling of export, import and tax payment procedures at companies. With the effort of customs sector and the cooperation of businesses, the Ha Tinh Customs Department achieved impressive results in State budget revenue collection. As of December 17, 2014, the department collected VND6,239.9 billion, 594.3 percent of the target assigned by the Ministry of Finance (VND1,050 billion) and 195 percent of the target set by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (VND3,200 billion).

 

In the coming time, the Ha Tinh Customs Department will continue to review and implement administrative procedure reform and customs modernisation; train personnel, operate the VNACCS/VCIS system, step up business dialogues to seek solutions to issues related to the VNACCS/VCIS system, customs clearance, and import and export tax declaration; and update related policies for companies.