On 26 January, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) celebrated the International Customs Day 2021 under the slogan “Customs bolstering recovery, renewal and resilience for a sustainable supply chain”.

Customs operation at Huu Nghi Customs Branch-Lang Son Customs Department.
Photo: H.N

This year’s theme aims for member customs administrations to enhance collaboration, persevere in their objectives, continue to innovate and modernise information technology application andput people at the centre of change amid theincreasingly serious Covid-19 pandemic.

In recent years, many member Customs administrations have restructured and developed for the objective of trade facilitation and effective law enforcement. In the process, Customs administrations have restructured their performance forcoping with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and theWCO recommends its member to use modern technology at the border, especially focusing on automation and use of advanced technologies and through approaches to partners in the supply chain.

Specifically, reinforcing collaboration to drive the recovery process. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit businesses and trade hard, and this is also the period when customs administrations are called on to demonstrate their leadership to ensure facilitation and supply chain security. WCO recommends member customs administrations apply WCO tools such as the Revised Kyoto Convention and the SAFE Framework of Standards, the AEO standards andframework of Standards on Cross-Border E‑Commerce when it is forecasted to sharply increase Cross-Border E‑Commerce amid the pandemic.

Regarding the objective of continuing to innovate, WCO recommends customs administrations continue to apply advanced technology towards smart customs models combined with digital and automatic clearance measures, to use technology to control and facilitate more effectively, research blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence, scanners andconnecting things to optimise data collection, combining, sharing and analysis.

Another objective the WCO and member customs administrations promote is to put people at the centre of change to create sustainability of the supply chain. The WCO said the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the operation way of the globe, and the daily lives and habits of citisens. Thereby, customs administrations need to learn experience and provide solutions for adapting to the new reality, build capacity and enhance integrity of their staff to improve the trust of community and create new opportunities for each country’s trade.

For Vietnam Customs, 2021 is a special year for organisation of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the election of deputies to the 15thNational Assembly, and the first year of implementation of the five-year socio-economic development plan for 2021-2025 and 10-year socio-economic development strategy for 2021-2030.

It is forecast that the world and regional situation will continue to develop complicatedly and unpredictably. Peace, cooperation and association for development are still big trends, but strategic competition between a number of major countriesin the region and at sea continues to take place. The increase in trade conflicts and negative impacts of Covid-19 that may prolong andmany risks of financial and monetary crises have a great impact on the economic situation of Vietnam in 2021. The domestic economy has many optimistic prospects, although there will bedifficulties and challenges from outside, motivated by the direction of the Government, the macro economy is forecasted to continue to staystable.

To implement political tasks in 2021, many objectives of the General Department of Vietnam Customs are consistent with the five themes of the WCO, showing the right vision and development orientation of Vietnam Customs, as follows:

First, continue to reform and simplify customs administrative procedures towards modernisation, openness and transparency to contribute to improving the business environment, enhancing national competitiveness, promoting economic recovery and ensuring sustainability of supply chains in and out Vietnam.

Second, continue to apply international standards and modern customs management procedures to maximise the facilitation to the business community while still ensuring strict supervision and management in accordance with law.

Third, promote the overall application and redesign of the information technology system to meet core professional requirements of the Customs sector towards digital customs. Build a smart customs model combined with the implementation of the scheme on overall redesign of the Customs information technology system and Customs development strategy framework by 2030 on the basis of centralised management, application of information technology and artificial intelligence, meeting management requirements and working in accordance with international practices and standards.

Fourth, strengthen anti-smuggling and trade fraud, risk management, and post-clearance audit; inspection and examination, contributing to increasing state budget revenue. Promote inspection and determination of origin, combat origin fraud, counterfeiting labels, infringement of intellectual property rights and illicit transshipment.

Fifth, build a civilised, professional, modern, highly qualified, integrity customs force to meet the requirements of customs modernisation reform; strictly comply with administrative discipline in public service performance.a