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| Operations at Hon La Port Border Gate Customs Branch, Quang Binh Customs Department. Photo: Thai Binh |
Digitizing documents in customs records towards paperless
In the context of growing globalization and the growth of e-commerce, digital transformation in the customs sector plays an extremely important role. In recent times, the Government and the Prime Minister have issued many guiding documents on digital transformation in the customs field. The Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs have been drastic in offering solutions to support people and businesses, continuing to improve efficiency and transparency in customs work and management of import and export activities.
However, it is predicted that the world situation will continue to become complicated and unpredictable; in the country, production and business activities still face many difficulties.
To continue to promote and further improve the efficiency of digital transformation in the customs field, contributing to promoting import and export, saving costs, creating more convenience for people and businesses, and enhancing the efficiency of state management in the field of customs, the Prime Minister requests the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs to review and complete legal policies and upgrade information technology systems towards digitizing customs records to paperless in customs clearance for exported and imported goods; means of transport on exit and entry, stopping the requirement paper documents in the customs records.
Reviewing and completing the system of legal documents related to licensing and specialized inspection of exported and imported goods to promptly detect inadequacies and problems and make recommendations to management ministries and competent authorities to amend and supplement; promoting reform, applying information technology, and sharing data with customs authorities to serve customs clearance of goods.
Ensuring equipment to serve the modernization of the Customs sector
The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs to ensure equipment to serve the modernization of the Customs sector, customs inspection, supervision and control at border gate and seaport areas, reduce contact between people, businesses and Customs authorities in strict compliance with the provisions of law.
Strengthening cooperation activities and exchange of customs data information with countries in the region and around the world, especially strategic trade partner countries with large import-export turnover to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese goods to be exported to these countries and vice versa.
The Prime Minister also requests the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs to regularly organize dialogues, remove difficulties and obstacles, and evaluate the satisfaction level of people and businesses when carrying out administrative procedures at the customs authorities at all levels; promptly inspect, rectify and handle customs units and officials who violate the law, cause trouble or harassment, do not resolve problems quickly and prolong problems without making suggestions or recommendations to competent authority for settlement.
Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and Government agencies, according to their assigned functions and tasks, review administrative procedures related to specialized inspection and licensing of exported and imported goods to amend, supplement or propose competent authorities to amend, supplement or replace in 2024: thoroughly apply the principles of risk management and mutual recognition in inspection activities; reduce the proportion of shipments that require sampling for analysis and inspection; unify the principle that one item is managed and inspected by one focal unit.
Quickly digitizing cross-border import and export procedures
The Prime Minister assigns the Ministry of Finance to proactively coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to implement Decision No. 06/QD-TTg dated January 6, 2022 of the Prime Minister approving the Project to develop the application of population data, electronic identification and authentication to serve national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period, with a vision to 2030 and quickly digitize cross-border import and export procedures, build smart border gates to reduce administrative procedures and compliance costs for people and businesses.
The People’s Committees of border provinces develop a master plan for land border gate areas on the basis of border gate planning decisions on Vietnam’s land border lines with China, Laos, and Cambodia, which has been approved by the Prime Minister to arrange areas for complex control houses, working locations for management authorities at the border gate, and locations for gathering, inspecting, and supervising import and export goods to promote modernization of specialized management and trade and logistics activities at border gates; prevent congestion of goods and vehicles, causing disorder, safety and security in the border areas.
Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government; the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, according to their assigned functions and tasks, continue to drastically and synchronously deploy the tasks and solutions assigned in Decision No. 628/QD-TTg dated May 20, 2022 of the Prime Minister approving the Customs Development Strategy until 2030 to proactively implement appropriate, timely and effective measures according to authority and legal regulations.
Especially improving the effectiveness and efficiency of digital transformation in the customs field, serving people and businesses, facilitating trade and tourism activities, and creating a fair and transparent import-export environment, contributing to improving national competitiveness, preventing smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across borders, ensuring social order and safety and protecting national interests and sovereignty; promptly proposing and reporting to the Prime Minister any issues beyond their authority.