 |
| GDVC’s Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong chairs the conference. Photo: Thai Binh |
The State revenue reaches 21.5% of the estimate
GDVC’s Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong chaired the conference.
According to the report at the conference, the Customs revenue in the first quarter decreased by 17% to VND 91,267 billion compared with the previous year, meeting 21.5% of the estimate.
The total trade in goods in March was estimated to increase by 18.6% month-on-month to US$58.49 billion. Import turnover and export were estimated to grow 13.5% and 24.4% to US$29.57 billion and US$28.92 billion, respectively.
In the first half of the year, Vietnam’s total trade in goods fell 13.3% to US$154.27 billion compared with the same period in 2022. The export and import turnover decreased by 11.9% and 14.7% to US$ 79.17 billion and US$ 75.1 billion, respectively.
Vietnam’s merchandise trade balance in March was estimated to have a surplus of US$645 million. In the first three months of 2023, the country was estimated to have a surplus of US$4.07 billion.
As of March 15, 250 administrative procedures of 13 ministries and sectors were connected to the National Single Window.
The country maintains official connections with ASEAN members for the live exchange of C/O form D, coordinates with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN member states to exchange the ASEAN customs declaration document officially.
 |
The conference at the GDVC’s headquarter. Photo: T.B |
Handling 3,657 offences
Regarding anti-smuggling, the report showed that smuggling and trade fraud has taken place complicatedly.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC), smuggling and trade fraud have been complicated in the first quarter. In the Northern border gates, the Customs has detected violations related to smuggling and trade fraud, such as failing to declare and falsely declaring the actual volume of goods, concealing the origin and route of the consignment, and importing goods ineligible for import.
Smugglers have illegally traded and transported high-profitable items such as Diesel Oil (DO), coal, wildlife, and used electronic products. Wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn tend to be transported from seaports in the South and Central regions to northern Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces.
 |
| Director of the HCM City Customs Department speaks at the conference. Photo: T.B |
On the other hand, taking advantage of incentive policies and the development of e-commerce, express delivery methods, cargo and luggage deposit services, domestic and foreign smugglers have colluded to establish smuggling rings to illegally transport goods and currency via international airports such as weapons, explosives, wildlife, alcohol, cigarette, medicines, cosmetics, electronic products, used consumer goods, other high-value goods.
The GDVC has directed units and local customs departments to expedite the prevention of smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods across border gates, airports, and areas inland areas. In addition, the country’s top customs regulator has promoted its role as an advisory and assisting body for the National Steering Committee 389 and the Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance in building programs, plans and warnings in the prevention of smuggling, commercial fraud, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, drugs and crime.
In addition, the GDVC has concretized and executed key plans and programs in each area to recommend and guide localities on anti-smuggling in the customs control area; updated information related to new drugs, new methods and trends of smuggling and drug-related crimes.
In March, the Customs sector arrested 1,712 violations with a total value of infringing goods of VND480.3 billion VND; and collected VND 21.7 billion. In addition, the Customs Authority prosecuted two cases and transferred six cases to other agencies.
In the first quarter, the Customs arrested 3,657 customs offences with a total value of infringing goods of VND1,004.821 billion and collected VND179.2 billion. In addition, the authority prosecuted five cases and transferred 18 cases to other agencies for prosecution.
Customs News will update key contents of the conference.
The Customs has tackled many cases of drug trafficking and illegal transportation According to the GDVC, the transportation of drugs via airway has tended to surge in the number of cases and volume of infringing goods. Smugglers have used many methods and tricks to transport drugs, such as concealing drugs as normal checked baggage and goods and carrying goods as personal effects. The trafficking and illegal transportation of synthetic drugs via air tend to increase at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), especially flights from the United States and countries of the Union Europe. In the first quarter, the Customs sector presided over and coordinated with the Police and Border Guard forces to detect and arrest 38 cases with 55 suspects. Notably, the Customs authority has arrested 20 cases. The seized infringing goods included 30.4 kg of heroin; 4.5 kg of cannabis; 72.7 kg of ketamine; 11kg of cocaine; 11.3 kg of methamphetamine; 221.8 kg of MDMA (ecstasy); 3.1 kg and 7,500 tablets of other drugs. |