A series of accompanying and substantive support solutions deployed by Dong Nai Customs from the beginning of the year has improved the belief of businesses, helping them feel secure in production investment and long-term attachment to Dong Nai province. This also creates a momentum for attracting new investment in the area in the future.

Mr. Seung An Byeon, representative of Chang Shin Company, highly appreciated
support of Dong Nai Customs at the business dialogue conference (September 18, 2020).
Photo: N.H

Accompanying businesses to overcome difficulties

As one of the major industrial provinces of the country, with many foreign investment enterprises, from the beginning of the year, Dong Nai has also suffered negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many businesses in the area have faced difficulties in export orders, interrupted supply of imported raw materials, insufficient working capital, and suspension in operation, dissolution or bankruptcy of some businesses. In this situation, in addition to implementing supporting guidelines and policies of the Government and the General Department of Customs, Dong Nai Customs Department has actively focused on carrying out many appropriate solutions to support, share and accompany businesses to overcome difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the department has established a Steering Committee to support businesses to overcome difficulties.

The units under the Dong Nai Customs Department have grasped the number and detailed names of each business directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, collected information from the local tax agency, compared import-export turnover of businesses with that of the same period last year to synthesize,analyze and assess the impact level of the pandemic on the production and business activities of businesses to actively build supportive solutions.

Dong Nai Customs Department has also actively contacted and worked with the Customs Verification Department to propose to allow businesses in the area to send samples for analysis and classification to the Customs Verification Branch 3 in Ho Chi Minh City instead of the Customs Verification Branch4 in Da Nang city to reduce costs, facilitate transportation and save time for delivery, supplementation and exchange of problems of the samples in necessary cases.

Especially, for businesses submitting the certificates of origin (C/O) due to the influence of Covid-19, Dong Nai Customs Department has actively collected comments and reported to the General Department of Customs to propose the Ministry of Finance to direct and guide the inspection as well as consideration of the acceptance of C/O submission during the ongoing pandemic.

The proposal states that the C/O submission can be extended during the validity period of C/O instead of within 30 days as prescribed, and at the same time e-C/O or C/O as a PDF file is accepted.

The General Department of Customs appreciated the above proposal and proposed the Ministry of Finance to issue Circular 47/2020 / TT-BTC dated May 27, 2020 to solve problems of the business community, considering special preferential tax rates for businesses when the original certificate of origin has not been submitted. Circular No. 47 is a solution to support and remove difficulties and facilitate clearance for the business community affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Retaining existing investors and attracting new investors

With a series of solutions and practical support deployed by the Dong Nai Customs Department as above, despite negative impacts ofthe pandemic, investors in Dong Nai province all affirm that they will continue to accompany Dong Nai.

Mr. Ngo Minh Dinh, Chairman of Taiwan Business Association said that during the pandemic period, Dong Nai Customs Department enthusiastically assisted businesses in solving difficulties, especially thepolicy dissemination and customs clearance. This has created trust for businesses that are investing and will invest in Dong Nai.

Mr. Okada Hideyuki, Chairman of the Japanese Business Association in HCM City, also said that the Japanese Business Association in HCM City has 1,026 members divided into 13 groups according to regions and industry groups. In which, the Dong Nai group, including businesses in Dong Nai province, has the largest total investment capital scale with more than 130 businesses.

Thereby, it can be seen that Dong Nai is an extremely attractive and important investment destination for Japanese businesses.

"This is clear evidence of the effectiveness of the business support of Dong Nai Customs in particular and the departments, sectors in Dong Nai province in general," Mr. Okada Hideyuki said.

Mr. Seung An Byeon, the representative of Chang Shin Company, also highly appreciated the support from Dong Nai Customs during the pandemic. Accordingly, the customs clearance process is always handled quickly, helping the company have raw materials promptly for production. In particular, the business dialogue conferences amid the pandemic have a positive and practical significance to help businesses grasp new legal regulations on customs for enforcement and answers questions of businesses in a timely fashion.

Many other businesses also saidthat the information technology solutions of Dong Nai Customs such as the Dna-Info, website had been brought into full play during the pandemic, helping to exchange information between Customs agency and businesses quickly, conveniently and transparently.