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| A view of the online conference to accompany businesses to overcome Covid-19 organized by the General Department of Customs on October 26, 2021. Photo: Quang Hung |
Many activities to support businesses
According to the General Department of Customs, in supporting businesses in 2021, there were 11 new legal documents, with 842 instructions including 52 face-to-face, 182 online, 46 written; 294 emails, 268 listings at the headquarters.
The content of the guidance focused on regulations on tax policy through the form of public posting of documents regulating tax and customs policies at the headquarters of the unit; hotline, email, phone or in person, and via business dialogue conferences.
In 2021, there were 15 online conferences organized by Customs authorities at all levels to contribute to promoting online business guidance from the General Department of Customs to the Customs Sub-department level.
In addition, the Customs authority received and answered 9,651 customs law problems at the headquarters; 72,896 responses by phone or email; 1,225 cases of written support; 279 news reports were received and processed through the hotline of the General Department of Customs; 285 contents answered through dialogues, seminars, and conferences to accompany businesses.
In particular, the content of problems is concentrated in areas such as customs procedures, inspection conditions, C/O, import and export codes, procedures for re-export of goods, export processing enterprises, problems with origin, import of vaccines and medical equipment, preservation of goods, specialized management, tax refund dossiers, tax debt records, tax policies for import and export goods, classification of goods, and problems in the process of implementing the tax exemption and reduction system.
In addition, Customs also promptly and fully answered questions about sanctioning administrative violations; VAT policy, anti-dumping tax, temporary anti-subsidy tax for refined sugar products from Thailand, tax guarantee period, on-site processing, import and export; re-exporting petroleum, treating waste, exporting empty containers for recirculation, importing materials used in the production of medical equipment; and importing medicinal products and ingredients.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected production and business activities of enterprises, provincial and municipal Customs Departments have taken the initiative to support and accompany businesses and create favorable conditions for them. That is, focusing on solving difficulties, helping businesses maintain production and business activities, ensuring social security to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with the policy and direction of the Government and each locality.
Specifically, at the level of the General Department of Customs, a dispatch was issued on the implementation of pandemic prevention measures, stopping all post-clearance inspection teams until the pandemic is under control. At the same time, continue to implement the decisions of the Ministry of Finance on tax exemption for imported equipment and supplies to serve the prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Along with that, promulgating documents guiding customs of provinces and cities to remove difficulties for businesses and customs units in customs clearance of goods, ensuring the source of raw materials for production and business, not disrupting the supply chain of goods in the provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang.
In addition, businesses are allowed to submit electronic scans of Certificates of Origin (Form AK, KV) to enjoy special preferential tax rates under the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea.
In addition to support activities, the Customs authority also promoted Customs-Business consultation activities. Through reviewing the consultations, it was found that in 2021, businesses and related parties are interested in developing and perfecting the customs legal policy such as draft Decree 08, with 392 consultation opinions, of which the General Department of Customs received 136 comments.
Through the consultation with enterprises, it is recognized that the current issues are a concern for enterprises and they are facing many problems.
Through business-customs consultation sessions, the Customs authority listened to the opinions of businesses, from which the parties came up with solutions to implement tasks more effectively.
Units in the sector have actively connected related parties in their areas to participate in consultations such as coordinating with related parties (including Provincial People’s Committee; State Treasury, Bank, Tax agency, Department of Planning and Investment) in consulting on customs-related matters.
Activities to develop partnerships
On January 20, 2022, the General Department of Customs issued Decision No. 75/QD-TCHQ on promulgating the Plan to implement the development of the Customs-Enterprise partnership and related parties in 2022. The purpose of the plan is to organize partner activities to engage the business community and related parties in the process of customs reform, modernization and capacity building of customs law enforcement.
In this plan, the General Department of Customs has set requirements to create conditions for the business community and related parties to grasp the customs reform and modernization strategy, plan and program, thereby accompanying Customs authorities during the implementation process.
At the same time, encourage and create conditions for the business community and related parties to participate in perfecting customs policies, management methods, and service quality of Customs authorities at all levels through consultation, cooperation and supervision activities; strengthen Customs-Enterprise cooperation, contributing to improving the management and law enforcement capacity of each party.
In which, the General Department of Customs also set out the contents and five implementation activities including information; consulting businesses and related parties; Customs-Enterprise cooperation; law enforcement supervision; and business support.
In terms of information activities, Customs authorities at all levels provided information to the business community about the Customs development strategy for the 2021-2030 period and the Plan to reform, develop and modernize the Customs sector in the 2021-2025 period; key programs and projects on reform and modernization of the Customs sector; and treaties and international commitments on trade facilitation.
In terms of Customs-Enterprise consultation activities, including implementing digital transformation in the state management of Customs, including data digitization, data interconnection, digital database building, including solutions to support businesses in digital transformation, the roles and responsibilities of businesses accompanying Customs in digital transformation; management mechanisms, methods, orders and procedures for quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods.