Managing an area with many border gates adjacent to Cambodia, An Giang Customs Department has implemented many solutions to both ensure cargo clearance, strictly control goods crossing the border, and coordinate to perform pandemic prevention work well.

Khanh Binh Customs official - An Giang checked documents for carrying out
procedures for vehicle entering the country. Photo: T.H

Sharing difficulties with businesses

Facing the difficulties of businesses due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, An Giang Customs Department regularly guided and propagated new documents to people and businesses, although they did not hold dialogue, conferences and face-to-face meetings with the business community. At the same time, maintaining Q&A group to answer and guide arising problems for businesses via email, phone, and web portal. Furthermore, focusing on administrative reform, customs modernisation and IT application in professional activities to create the best conditions for import-export activities.

With solutions on facilitation, the volume of import and export goods through An Giang border gates since the beginning of the year has been quite high. The total number of firms registering procedures at border-gate customs branches is 190 businesses, of which firms outside the province is 147 firms.

From the beginning of the year to May 12, An Giang Customs Department carried out clearance procedures for 7,157 means of transport on entry and exit, up 7.9% from the same period in 2020; processing clearance procedures for 10,447 declarations, an increase of 49% from the same period in 2020, with a total export and import turnover of more than $700 million, an increase of 39% over the same period in 2020. The unit has managed well the volume of transit goods and implemented procedure for 155.3 thousand tonnes, up by 19% over the same period in 2020; total turnover of goods registered in other places and exported through An Giang border gates reached $764.69 million, rising by 41% from the same period in 2020.

With strict control of import and export goods along with effective pandemic prevention, revenue collection of An Giang Customs Department is quite high. As of May 12, the whole Department has collected VND 137.36 billion, reaching 75% of the target assigned by the Ministry of Finance (VND 184 billion), reaching 69% of the target set by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (VND 200 billion).

Customs officials of Tinh Bien Customs Department inspected imported goods
Photo: T.H

Strict control of goods crossing the border

In parallel with pandemic prevention, trading goods across border is strictly controlled by An Giang Customs Department, in coordination with supervisory forces to seal the vehicle's cabin when entering the country, vehicle operator must stay in the cabin during the transfer of goods. For seafood, vehicle operators will be quarantined at the temporary isolation location of the firm because the delivery time is taken from 3-5 hours. If businesses and individuals fail to implement measures of anti-pandemic as prescribed, vehicles will not be allowed to pass through the border gate and will be sanctioned in accordance with regulations.

According to the assessment of An Giang Customs Department, the security and political situation at the border gate area in An Giang province was stable; the inter-sectoral checkpoints was still remaining close to the border to prevent people from entering and leaving the border illegally, ensuring prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic and at the same time limiting the situation of smuggling and illegal transport of goods across the border.

An Giang Customs Department continues to direct its subordinate units to strengthen coordination with competent forces in patrolling and strictly controlling to prevent and arrest people illegally trading and transporting goods, currency, drugs across the border combined with the prevention of Covid-19 pandemic in the area.

Along with that, the units coordinate and share information with competent forces in the area such as Border Defence, Police, Market Management and local authorities. Strengthen coordination between forces in patrolling, controlling and anti-smuggling; detecting, seizing and strictly handling acts of smuggling, illegal transport of goods across borders, and trade fraud. In addition, An Giang Customs Department has directed units to work with competent forces to strengthen inspection and control to prevent illegal entry country via border line, contributing to limiting the spread of Covid-19 in the area.