Can Tho and Kien Giang Customs Departments are drastically implementing measures to prevent the pandemic and ensure customs clearance.

Can Tho Customs carries out procedures for entry flights (Illustrative Photo)

Can Tho Customs Department said due to the large management area with five provinces and cities including Can Tho, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long and Soc Trang, the Department's leader has directed customs branches to closely follow the local situation, the directions of all levels and the prepared scenarios to both prevent the pandemic and ensure clearance of import and export goods for businesses.

Soc Trang Customs Branch, Hau Giang Customs Branch, and Vinh Long Border Gate Customs Branch have arranged customs officers as local citizens to work at the branches to quickly carry out procedures for businesses.

Customs officers who reside in the city are assigned to work from home and coordinate with local customs officers to ensure clearance of goods.

Some local customs branches which have implemented social distancing under Directive 16 have arranged customs officers to stay at the headquarters to work until the end of social distancing and established a separate area to avoid face-to-face contact and requested disinfection of paper documents before entering the customs area.

Customs branches located in Can Tho City and advisory units, depending on their nature of the work level, have arranged 50% or 30% of the staff to work at the headquarters on a rotating basis.

On July 12, Can Tho Port Customs Branch also worked with authorities at Can Tho International Airport to carry out procedures for 302 Vietnamese citizens to return home. All passengers took temperature measurement, medical declarations and entered concentrated isolation areas as prescribed in Can Tho City and Hau Giang and Ben Tre provinces.

Kien Giang province is implementing social distancing according to Directive 15, Kien Giang Customs Branch requires the heads of its units to strictly follow the instructions at all levels and to be responsible for disease transmission for customs officers who fail to comply with anti-pandemic regulations at the workplace.

At Rach Gia Customs Branch, the unit has only assigned civil servants to carry out procedures for businesses, the rest of them work from home.

At border gates, Ha Tien International Border Gate Customs Branch has arranged a separate room for businesses to carry out procedures, avoiding direct contact and thoroughly apply disease prevention measures.

The Department also guided customs branches to arrange customs officers to work on a rotating basis if localities apply anti-pandemic measures under Directive 16 of the Prime Minister for tasks: customs clearance of imported and exported goods and goods in transit, means of exit, entry, transit and luggage of people on exit or entry; anti-smuggling, illegal cross-border transportation, drug prevention and combat; and information technology.

Those who are not in charge of the above tasks shall stay at the units and strictly observe the regulations on Covid-19 prevention at their units.