Perfecting customs policies an essential requirement for digital transformation

Officers of Da Nang International Airport Customs Branch under Da Nang Customs Department at work. Photo: Ngoc Linh

Regarding the reform of customs policies associated with the orientation of digital transformation and improvement of the e-working environment, Ms Bui Kim Thuy, the senior representative in Vietnam of the US-ASEAN Business Council, said that the business community and the US-ASEAN Business Council highly appreciate the paperless public administration. Enterprises always hope to cut red tape for the business community and reduce unnecessary customs procedures in Vietnam.

The business community expects the Customs sector provides effective regulations and performs comprehensively in practice. “The Customs digital should be implemented comprehensively with the e-Government system and the Digital Government. Furthermore, because the disruption of the supply chain during the production of the goods is not as serious as the disruption of the supply chain in the implementation of legal documents from the central to local levels,” said Ms Bui Kim Thuy.

With the achievements in reform and modernization and IT application of the Customs sector and orientation on building digital Customs in the next period, Ms Bui Kim Thuy said that when Vietnam Customs has achieved the sector’s expectations, which is also the desire of the business community for paperless customs.

For 2016-2020, to meet the requirements of IT application in customs management and development of e-Government, ensuring information security, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has submitted to competent authorities to promulgate legal documents. Furthermore, it plans to serve as a basis for developing technology applications and the e-Government and ensure information security. In addition, the General Department has actively issued internal regulations to perfect the management, operation and use of Customs IT systems and provided online public services for people and enterprises.

In 2022, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued Directive 384/CT-TCHQ dated February 8, 2022, promoting administrative reform and simplifying customs procedures towards paperless customs in 2022. In addition, operational customs units have actively reviewed and proposed to supplement and amend legal documents such as Decree supplementing and amending Decree 08/2015/ND-CP and Decree 59/2018/ND-CP; Circular amending and supplementing Circular 38/2015/TT-BTC, Circular 39/2018/TT-BTC…

In addition, the country’s top customs regulator will strengthen the development and submission of legal documents to competent authorities for promulgation, perfect legal environment, processes and procedures for digital, including the promulgation of legal documents on standardization and electronification of customs processes, dossiers and handling dossiers online; report to the competent authorities to issue documents, regulations and instructions to meet requirements of digital transformation, and implement information technology application in customs control, the National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window and Trade Facilitation…

Director of the Customs Control and Supervision Department Au Anh Tuan said that in 2023, the department would complete overall customs processes and requirements under the Project on digital Customs and smart customs to submit to the leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs and the Ministry of Finance. “First of all, the documents should be digitalized. Then, when the information is digitalized, the advanced IT will be applied to analysis and evaluation, thereby reducing the stages in the customs process,” said Tuan.

Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh: Making great efforts to be one of the leading units in digital transformation Completing the customs policy – an essential requirement for digital transformation Since 2019, the Party Committee and leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs have direction on digital transformation towards building smart Customs. The Customs Development Strategy to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 628/QD-TTg dated May 20, provides targets for the digital transformation of Vietnam Customs. Digital transformation is a tool to modernize customs and achieve goals in the Customs Development Strategy for 2030. The Customs sector can coordinate with ministries and sectors as the leading unit of the Ministry of Finance and the Government agencies in digital transformation. To continue promoting digital transformation in the near future, the Customs departments should make plans, set goals, follow the Strategy, and achieve specific results. Furthermore, the local customs departments should continue to evaluate the practice to provide comments on each process and procedure.