Facing difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Finance submitted to the Government the promulgation of mechanisms and policies to facilitate trade, especially specialized policies to deal with problems in imports of goods for pandemic prevention and control.

The video conference at the General Department of Customs. Photo: Q.H 

On the morning of October 26, more than 100 members of 15 domestic business associations and member businesses participated in a virtual workshop on Customs support for businesses to overcome Covid-19 held by the General Department of Customs.

Many activities to support businesses

At the workshop, the representative of the Customs Reform and Modernization Board (General Department of Customs) notified the business community of the results of support activities to help businesses overcome difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the first three quarters of 2021, the General Department of Customs submitted to the Ministry of Finance to propose to the Government to issue trade facilitation mechanisms and policies, especially specialized policies to solve problems in the imports of goods for pandemic prevention and control.

Accordingly, the Government issued Resolution 105 on supporting businesses, cooperatives and business households amid the pandemic, allowing the application of customs procedures for goods serving urgent requirements in order to quickly release aid, donations and goods to serve pandemic prevention, medical examination and treatment.

The resolution allows enterprises, cooperatives and business households to submit scanned files certified by digital signatures for documents that are required to be submitted as originals/notarized/certified true copies according to regulations of ministries and agencies to solve bottlenecks in customs clearance and submit the originals after goods are cleared to serve post clearance audit.

In addition, the country’s customs agency has guided local customs departments and branches to arrange sufficient officers to perform continuous, prompt and safe clearance during pandemic prevention measures.

In addition, the customs agency has advised the Ministry of Finance to submit to the Government for promulgation Resolution 106 on tax policies for imported goods for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Resolution 106 states that goods imported by organizations and individuals to support the Government, the Ministry of Health, the People's Committees, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees of the provinces and cities to serve prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic comply with policies on import tax and value-added tax as imported goods in the case of humanitarian aid or non-refundable aid that are exempt from import tax and value-added tax.

Along with that, the General Department of Customs has organized many virtual workshops and seminars to support the business community, as well as issued many directives of the local customs departments to implement solutions and plans to quickly settle customs clearance procedures while ensuring the state management of Customs, anti-smuggling, anti-fraud and disease prevention.

Many specific solutions

Also at the workshop, the representative of the Customs Supervision and Management Department (General Department of Customs) and Customs Departments of Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong shared specific and timely solutions, contributing to creating favorable conditions for inspection and supervision of imported and exported goods.

In particular, the General Department of Customs submitted to the Ministry of Finance to issue Official Letter 10491/BTC-TCHQ to the People's Committees of provinces and cities on supporting customs activities in the area to ensure state management of customs, combating smuggling and trade fraud; creating favorable conditions for export, import and entry activities of enterprises.

Representatives of domestic business associations and member
businesses participated in the workshop. Photo: Q.H

Customs branches at airports were asked to facilitate customs clearance within the same day for imported vaccine shipments.Physical inspections were exempt for shipments of Covid-19 vaccines; goods requiring special preservation such as drugs, vaccines, biological products were allowed to go through physical inspection at the storage site.

Test sheets of drugs and medicinal ingredients with the electronic signature of the manufacturer were accepted during customs clearance to ensure the quality of goods to serve medical examination and treatment during the pandemic.

The General Department of Customs also resolved the congestion of goods at Cat Lai port. In addition, the General Department presided over and agreed with specialized agencies on allowing enterprises to submit a scanned certificate during the implementation of Directive 16 and submit originals later.

Other warehouses and ports in Ho Chi Minh City and inland ports/ICDs under the ICD Tan Cang-Long Binh corporation, ICD Tan Cang - Nhon Trach corporation, ICD Tan Cang - Song Than corporation and Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc port to change the port of destination. All costs of transporting congested goods at Cat Lai port and loading and unloading fees at ports of destination and departure shall be paid by Saigon Newport, contributing to reducing difficulties for businesses affected by Covid-19.

Physical inspection has not been required for goods storage sites in blocked areas until these areas are unblocked.

Facing turbulence of the pandemic and agricultural products, especially fruits coming into the main season, the General Department of Customs promptly sent a telegram to request customs units to work with authorities at border gates to assist customs clearance for the export of agricultural products and offer solutions to avoid congestion at the border gate.

The representatives of departments and agencies under the General Department of Customs introduced newly issued customs policies and some notes when implementing Decree 18/ND-CP and listened and answered to questions related to policies on tax, tax refund, goods destruction; inspection by scanner, and origin of goods.