Supporting Businesses to Overcome COVID-19

In 2022, amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic and the unstable macroeconomic conditions in the world, greatly affecting import and export activities, Nghe An Customs Department has implemented solutions to support businesses, ensuring the dual goal of effective pandemic control and smooth import and export activities, without disrupting the supply chain.

Right since the beginning of the year, Nghe An Customs Department has followed the direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Finance and the leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs on the orientation of handling customs clearance procedures. The Department has established a working group responsible for monitoring the impact COVID-19 pandemic to promptly summarize, report and handle difficulties and problems of enterprises in the process of carrying out customs procedures. It has also directed the good implementation of policies and solutions to support and create favorable conditions for businesses in carrying out customs procedures as well as tax policies issued and guided by the Government, the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The Department has also conducted risk assessment, detecting enterprises with signs of violation to carry out specialized inspection plans, post-customs clearance checks; organizing the implementation at an appropriate time when the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in the province. It has considered not sanctioning administrative violations for a number of violations occurring in the customs field due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and applying the Government's social distancing and anti-pandemic measures.

Its customs sub-departments have assigned and arranged some civil servants and employees to alternately work online and remotely, and operate IT systems to ensure the implementation of customs procedures for businesses. In addition, the sub-departments have proactively guided customs declarants and taxpayers to declare and submit customs dossiers and documents related to tax exemption, reduction, refund and non-collection to the customs authority through the customs electronic data processing system or via postal or courier services, ensuring that all transactions between customs officers and enterprises are carried out on the system or by phone, not through direct contact.

The Department has also advised and urged the strong performance of the task of collecting state budget from export and import activities, effectively implementing measures against the COVID-19 pandemic; focusing on removing difficulties and supporting businesses in import and export activities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It has actively advised and proposed some solutions for the Provincial People's Committee to increase state budget revenue, especially solutions to stabilize old revenue sources and attract new ones; coordinated with other departments, committees, sectors and local authorities in reviewing investment projects to actively guide and support the investor to import machinery, equipment and materials for the project.

In addition, it has effectively implemented the Online Public Service System, the project of electronic tax payment and 24/7 customs clearance; the program of electronic tax payment for enterprises according to the schedule of the General Department of Vietnam Customs. It has implemented drastic measures to prevent loss of revenue; strengthened on-site inspection of the implementation of the professional process by cadres and civil servants; promptly detected and strictly handled those who improperly comply with regulations, causing tax loss or causing troubles. It has improved the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, the quality of the contingent of cadres and civil servants, observing discipline and order, arranging and streamlining the apparatus; building e-Government; preventing and combating corruption; practicing thrift, fighting waste and settling complaints and denunciations.

2022 is an important year, a foundation for the implementation of the Government's five-year socio-economic development goals (2021 - 2025). To promote the achievements in 2021, Nghe An Customs Department has continued to focus on mobilizing resources, and actively overcoming difficulties and damage caused by the pandemic to support production and business; it has launched the emulation movement for 2022 with the theme "Solidarity - Discipline - Creativity; Determined to successfully implement Digital Customs, Smart Customs” with specific objectives and tasks to strive to successfully complete all assigned political tasks.

By Vietnam Business Forum