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| Customs officers of My Phuoc Industrial Park Customs Branch, Binh Duong Customs Department guide enterprises. Photo: T.D |
Sharing difficulties with businesses
According to statistics from Binh Duong Provincial Statistics Office, the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the first quarter of 2023 only increased by 1.15% compared to the same period in 2022, which is the lowest in the last 2 years. In particular, Binh Duong’s GRDP is slowed down due to the decline of the industrial and construction sectors. In addition, the production of some key industries was reduced due to high input production costs and a decrease in the number of orders. Although with the support of authorities at all levels, businesses have proactively and flexibly responded, actively controlled the source of raw materials, expanded to find more customers, ensured liquidity, retained employees, and welcome opportunities with new orders, the situation is still not satisfactory.
Binh Duong Customs Department said that in the first quarter of 2023, the revenue of 7 out of 8 Customs Branch fell sharply over the same period. The reason is due to the situation of capital construction investment, factories, and industrial parks, which are filled and the situation of production, business development and commercial activities, import-export in 2022 tends to expand and increase capital. Besides that, most large projects have imported goods in the list of imported goods subjected to tax exemptions, so there is no sudden increase in VAT collection as in previous years.
On the other hand, some large investment projects recently are mostly non-taxable export processing enterprises. For example, iron and steel (a key commodity) had the first price increase in 2023, but it still fell compared to the same period last year, and the number of imports decreased due to high inventories. For example, at Song Than Industrial Park, the revenues from steel enterprises decreased by nearly VND 200 billion in the first quarter.
Director of Binh Duong Customs Department Nguyen Tran Hieu noted that in the context of being affected by the world economic and political situation, businesses have made efforts to create jobs and stable incomes for employees. In 2023, with the role of state management of customs, Binh Duong Customs Department is committed to always accompanying and facilitating businesses. If enterprises encounter difficulties or problems, they can report them directly to the customs branch that carries out procedures or contact the Binh Duong Customs Department; within the scope and authority of the unit, they will immediately handle them for the business.
Improve the efficiency of Customs – Enterprise Partnership
To promote the effectiveness of attracting foreign investment (FDI) of Binh Duong province based on facilitating enterprises in import-export activities in general as well as in the field of state management of customs in particular, Binh Duong Customs Department has proposed several solutions to support new investors and newly established businesses in import-export activities and customs procedures, especially big investors, tend to develop advanced technology and green development.
Recently, on April 7, Binh Duong Customs Department and LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. signed a cooperation agreement on information mechanism, support and enhancement of the Customs – Enterprise partnership. Appreciating this partnership, Mr. Preben Elnef, Vice President of LEGO Group, said that LEGO Group officially built a factory in VSIP III Industrial Park in Binh Duong province with a total investment capital of more than US$1.3 billion and an area of more than 44 hectares. This is the 6th factory worldwide and the 2nd in Asia of LEGO Group.
The LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam factory, which is expected to be put into operation in the third quarter of 2024, will provide toys to children throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Import and export play a key role in ensuring that business products are quickly available on the market. Therefore, the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Binh Duong Customs Department is an important milestone for LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam’s activities in Vietnam in general and Binh Duong in particular. Through the strategic partnership agreement, the company wished to receive timely guidance and cooperation from Binh Duong Customs Department to ensure that the import and export activities of the company always comply with the law.
In parallel with developing a Customs-Enterprise partnership, Binh Duong Customs Department has always remained one of the top units in administrative reform, customs modernization, and facilitating import and export activities. Thereby contributing to improving the confidence of enterprises in tax policy, law and tax administration, helping Customs to fulfill the task of revenue collection.
Currently, most of the professional operation stages at Binh Duong Customs Department have been computerized; all procedures, interactions, and processing of dossiers for businesses are carried out on a network environment 24/7; effectively apply the VNACCS/VCIS system in combination with the National Single Window and the application program in management activities at locations for carrying out customs procedure under the management of Binh Duong Customs Department.
On May 4, 2022, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued Decision 707/QD-TCHQ approving the Plan of Digital Transformation of the Customs sector to 2025, with an orientation to 2030. Implementing this Decision, Binh Duong Customs Department has also developed a draft Plan for Reform, Development and Modernization to 2025; the overall goal is to build and develop a modern Binh Duong Customs Department by 2025, basically completing the Digital Customs following the direction of Customs sector, creating a foundation for building Smart Customs.
To concretize the common goal, the unit has set 6 specific goals. In particular, focusing on the objectives related to the effective implementation of digital transformation in the management and administration of the Customs sector towards building Binh Duong Customs Department to become the leading unit in the field of digital transformation compared to other units in Binh Duong province.