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Officers of Song Than Customs Branch, Binh Duong Customs Department instruct customs procedures to enterprises. Photo: T.D |
Actively supporting enterprises
Binh Duong Customs Department said that currently, the department has signed 18 local enterprises to participate in the program of voluntary compliance with customs laws.
According to Deputy Director of Binh Duong Customs Department Nguyen Thanh Binh, participation in the program will bring benefits to the business community, enhance the management efficiency of the Customs authority and other State management agencies, create a healthy business environment, and improve national competitiveness.
Therefore, enterprises have both the benefits and compliance with the law by closely coordinating with the Customs to review the situation and specify factors affecting the compliance level, thereby making plans to improve compliance.
However, because this is a pilot program, the selection of participants is also carefully considered. The program aims to improve the compliance of participants after two years of implementation. The positive results from the program and the participants are considered disseminators to support and encourage enterprises that have not participated in the program to voluntarily comply with the customs laws.
The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) said that to enhance efficiency of the program, it will follow the implementation plans and report to its leaders to commend and reward compliant enterprises, and warn and revoke membership for non-compliant enterprises.
To implement the program, the Department has proactively instructed and supported enterprises to voluntarily comply. Accordingly, enterprises will enjoy reduced customs clearance time and cost; classified into the private channel; supported by professional customs officers. The program aims to increase the rate of Green channels and reduce the rate of Yellow and Red channels; warn of potential risks to minimize law violations of enterprises.
After the signing, Binh Duong Customs Department also closely coordinated with the GDVC, and directed its customs branches to facilitate the enterprises participating in the program. In addition, the department has collaborated with local government to create conditions for the business community to voluntarily comply with the law, shorten the customs clearance time, and save costs for them. It has gathered feedback from businesses to propose revising customs regulations to create maximum favorable conditions for the business community.
After two phases of implementation, Binh Duong Customs Department has signed with 18 enterprises to participate in the program and two out of 18 enterprises have risen law compliant enterprises to well compliant enterprises.
In the first quarter of 2023, Binh Duong Customs Department issued an action plan for the next phase, the department will coordinate with enterprises to assess and support compliant enterprises at a higher level.
Helping businesses understand and comply
During the implementation of the program, the department has been highly appreciated and participated in by enterprises. Mr. Han Tan Quang, Head of Recycling Market Department, in-charge of Import-Export Department, Vina Kraft Paper Co., Ltd. said that: “We are very proud to be one of the two companies that have risen to the compliant level after participating in the pilot program.”
As a company with an import and export volume of about 1,000-1,500 containers per month despite great efforts, the company still cannot avoid shortcomings in following the provisions of the law. Therefore, through the program, the company has been supported by Binh Duong Customs Department by guiding regulations and providing information, warning of risks, and closely following the company’s operation, so that the company has well abided by the law and avoided offenses.
Mr. Le Dinh Khuyen, a representative of Golden Rice Joint Stock Company (Song Than II Industrial Park, Binh Duong) said that after more than 20 years of operation in Vietnam, the company has been supported by the Customs. Especially when the Vietnamese economy is recovering after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Accordingly, through this program, the company hopes to receive more effective support from the customs to improve its law compliance.
The company also wishes that the pilot program will be widely implemented in the business community to shorten the time of public services and reduce the burden of administrative procedures for both businesses and customs authorities. The company’s export declarations classified into the Green channel account for over 90%.