Leaders of Bac Ninh Customs Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding, action plan with enterprises participating in the pilot program (November 21, 2022). Photo: Quang Hùng

According to the Risk Management Department, in the first phase of launching the pilot program, the Customs authority will focus on the group of enterprises engaged in import and export activities in the field of export processing and production at seven Customs Departments, including Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai to accompany and support businesses to recover production post-pandemic, then it will expand to all businesses.

Up to now, 35 of 35 local Customs Departments have launched a pilot program to support and encourage businesses to comply with customs laws voluntarily.

It is known that on July 15, 2022, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued Decision No. 1399/QD-TCHQ on promulgating a pilot program to support and encourage enterprises to comply with customs laws voluntarily.

Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has set a requirement that, after two years of implementation, 100% of enterprises participating in the program will not be handled for violations of the customs law in Appendix VI of Circular 81, and they will rate the level of law compliance at level 2 (high compliance), level 3 (medium compliance).

At the same time, the data and information indicators related to the management, monitoring and reporting of the Program implementation as well as interactive activities with enterprises participating in the program, are implemented on a digital platform, meeting the requirements of digital transformation of the Customs sector (according to Decision No. 707/QD-TCHQ on approving the Plan for the digital transformation of the Customs sector up to 2025 with a vision to 2030). And after five years of implementation of the program, through support activities and voluntary compliance of enterprises, we strive to increase the percentage of enterprises complying with level 2 and level 3 to over 20% of the total number of enterprises engaged in import and export activities.

Within the program's framework, participating enterprises will be facilitated, supported, and guided by Customs authority on content related to the fields of application of risk management, compliance with customs laws and carrying out customs procedures for import-export and transit goods.

Accordingly, participating enterprises are supported and guided by the Customs following the commitments in the memorandum of understanding to enterprises upon request; the Customs authority recognizes enterprises as a member, and the participation process on the enterprise file and Customs professional systems ensure the effective and correct implementation of support activities.

On the other hand, the Customs authority also arranged for customs officers and experts at all levels to directly support, consult, and contact enterprises to solve problems in the process of carrying out customs procedures; warn of factors that reduce the compliance level of enterprises. At the same time, providing warning information, risk trends in supply chain security, intellectual property infringement in the field of import and export, and internal risks in import and export operations.