Customs officers of Hoanh Mo Customs Border Gate inspect imports and exports. Photo: Thai Binh.

This is part of the plan on launching a special emulation movement with the theme “Customs officers of the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) will unite and join efforts to prevent and combat the Covid-19 pandemic”, issued by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC).

Ensuring smooth imports and exports

According to the plan, the movement requires all units under the GDVC to implement special emulation movements with appropriate themes and contents, creating motivation and encouragement for units and officers to participate in the activities. In which, focusing on implementing six contents of the emulation movement.

First, officers and units must comply with the policies of the Party, the State and the Government and the Ministry of Finance on the prevention and control of the public health crisis.

Comprehensively, synchronously, drastically and effectively implement solutions, using resources to better control the pandemic; improve the roles and responsibilities of the head of the unit in directing and performing tasks to meet the urgent requirements of pandemic prevention and control.

Second, customs units and officers must promote initiatives, solutions to remove difficulties, support and facilitate people and businesses to stabilize the business production, supply of goods, import and export, boost labor productivity and efficiency, develop plans to support businesses when the pandemic is controlled.

Third, the emulation movement requires units to ensure social security, protect health and life of officers; effectively and safely implement the Covid-19 vaccine strategy, strive for 100% of officers in the units to be fully vaccinated; continue to take practical and specific measures to support people affected by the pandemic.

Fourth, units must maintain political stability, ensure security, order and safety and actively respond to all situations; coordinate with border guard forces and police to fight smuggling and trade fraud at border areas. Strictly control import and export activities to prevent abused to cause insecurity, order and safety, affecting import and export activities of enterprises and residents.

Fifth, units must build and perfect policies to encourage, support and promote smooth trade activities, prevent disruptions of the supply chain, and facilitate import and export of medical equipment and goods for Covid-19 prevention, shipments of vaccines, aid of domestic and foreign individuals and businesses.

Sixth, units promote the application of information technology in pandemic prevention, perfect the Digital Customs System, the Customs Smart Model based on administrative reform, considering the business as the center, towards digital government, digital economy and digital society.

Commendation of units and officers with new and creative ideas

In the plan, the GDVC suggested that units and officers should expedite dissemination on measures and requirements on pandemic prevention and control to raise people's awareness; encourage their officers to abide by the regulations of the local government.

Units are required to enhance their responsibilities and creativity, tighten public service discipline, and use all resources and the ability for the disease prevention and control.

Heads of units and Party committees at all levels are requested to directly lead and direct the emulation movements of their units; closely coordinate with organizations in directing the movements, widely and effectively implement the movements.

Units also required to build a Digital Customs system and Smart Customs model that have high level of automation and apply advanced scientific and technological achievements based on a digital and paperless platform, ensuring transparency and fairness, effectiveness, efficiency, predictability, adaptability to fluctuations of international trade and management requirements of customs authorities and ministries and government agencies, and in line with international standards, serving people and businesses.

Units are asked to apply advanced technology to improve the efficiency of customs inspection, supervision, and control and risk management to promptly detect fraud and prevent smuggling; modernize customs inspection and supervision, connect the system and use modern equipment and machines, apply online technology, minimize the direct inspection and supervision by customs officers.

Units must reform administrative procedures in a transparent manner and in line with the standards and recommendations of the World Customs Organization; streamline processes and cut unnecessary intermediaries to ensure quick customs clearance and reduce costs for people and businesses.

Promptly encourage, commend and reward units and officers that have outstanding achievements, new and creative ideas for pandemic prevention and control; give priority to reward those at the border gate, have direct contact with infections and participate in the prevention and control, and successfully complete assigned tasks.