The customs sector promotes exports by streamlining administrative procedures, modernizing processes, and supporting businesses

From 2020 to 2024, the customs authority carried out multiple parallel initiatives to reduce and simplify business-related regulations in line with Resolution 68/NQ CP dated May 12, 2020, the decentralization project under Resolution 76/NQ CP dated July 15, 2021, and the program “Development of a Database on Citizens, Electronic Identification, and Authentication to Support National Digital Transformation for 2022-2025 with a Vision to 2030.” As a result, the customs sector reduced and simplified 5% of regulations and 5% of compliance costs related to business procedures. It also proposed the simplification of six customs administrative procedures for decentralization, reviewed and revised three legal documents to replace household registration or temporary residence book requirements with citizen data from the national database, and publicly announced four amended procedures to ensure timely access to information.

Building on this positive momentum and particularly following the guidance of Party General Secretary To Lam as outlined in Resolution 66/NQ CP, the customs authority swiftly issued an action plan to implement the resolution based on the principle of “five clear”: clear personnel, clear tasks, clear responsibilities, clear timing, and clear results.

In May 2025, the customs sector conducted a comprehensive review of all 214 administrative procedures under its management and 29 business conditions within its jurisdiction, proposing measures to reduce and simplify regulations affecting business activities. These proposals were submitted to the Ministry of Finance and the government for consideration. On July 9, 2025, the Ministry of Finance issued Decision 2421/QD BTC approving the plan to reduce and simplify administrative procedures related to production and business activities for 2025, including 39 customs procedures. On August 27, 2025, the government issued Decision 1848/QD TTg approving the reduction and simplification of financial administrative procedures under the authority of the government and the Prime Minister, which also covered 39 customs procedures and abolished 15 unnecessary business conditions.

Alongside the reduction and simplification of procedures, the customs sector continues to apply modern management practices such as advance determination of classification codes, values, and origins, post-clearance inspection, risk management, recognition of priority enterprises, and compliance assessment. These measures encourage business compliance with customs laws, balance state control with trade facilitation, accelerate goods clearance, and reduce incidental costs for both customs authorities and enterprises.

Building on this foundation, the Department of Vietnam Customs has approved the project “Reducing the Inspection Rate in Customs Procedures for Export and Import Goods.” The project sets specific targets for 2026: raising the green channel rate to 70%, the yellow channel rate to 25%, and keeping the red channel rate below 5%. The Customs Development Strategy to 2030 also aims to shift focus from pre-clearance to post-clearance inspection while reducing inspection rates during customs procedures and strengthening both pre- and post-clearance controls.

However, achieving these administrative simplification targets requires the digitalization of documents and records, the adoption of electronic systems, and a strong transition from pre-clearance to post-clearance inspection. This process demands close coordination among professional units within the customs system. The task is particularly challenging given the current staff shortage across the sector.

In addition, the 2025 Law on the Promulgation of Legal Documents has shortened the timeframe for drafting legal normative documents. However, the fundamental procedures remain mostly unchanged, and in some cases, new steps have been added during implementation. During the drafting stage, the lead agency is responsible for gathering feedback from relevant stakeholders through multiple channels. Yet the quality of this feedback is often limited and lacks depth, failing to foresee potential issues, which sometimes results in problems emerging soon after new regulations are issued.

To effectively implement administrative procedure reform and provide maximum support for import-export and investment enterprises, the customs authority will continue reviewing, revising, and supplementing mechanisms, policies, and legal regulations to establish a complete and consistent legal framework. It will strictly conduct impact assessments, appraisals, and verifications of administrative procedures proposed in draft laws and regulations.

Furthermore, the customs sector will ensure the prompt and transparent publication of information on administrative procedures in the National Database on Administrative Procedures and respond to feedback and recommendations from individuals and organizations through the National Public Service Portal. It will continue to effectively implement the “one-stop” and “interconnected one-stop” mechanisms and accelerate the digitalization of administrative records and results. At the same time, the Department of Vietnam Customs will continue reviewing, reducing, and simplifying business-related and specialized inspection procedures while standardizing and restructuring administrative processes to enhance efficiency and convenience for enterprises.