Problems arising in the process of customs procedures need to be solved in a timely manner to facilitate fast clearance of goods for businesses, so Hai Phong Customs determines the exchange and solving of problems as a regular and daily task.

Business dialogue conference held by Hung Yen Customs Branch
at the end of October 2020. Photo: T. Binh

Customs –Business partnership promoted

Speaking about answering and solving problems for the business community and promoting the Customs-Business partnership at the unit, Deputy Director of Hai Phong Customs Department Nguyen Kien Giang said dialogue conferences with the business community are necessary. The problems must be solved immediately and regularly to ensure the fast clearance of goods for businesses.

“Problems related to price, codes or bringing goods through the surveillance area need solving immediately. As for the business dialogue conference, which is a place for exchange on policies to receive the opinions of the business community on major issues related to policies and regulations which are not suitable with reality to submit to the competent agency for consideration and amendments,”said Mr. Nguyen KienGiang.

Therefore, the Customs Department of Hai Phong directs its branches to regularly exchange, grasp information, and promptly remove obstacles to facilitate import and export activities.

Regarding the organizing of the business dialogue conference, Hai Phong Customs Department has assigned branches to take charge of the issue. Before organizing a conference, branches conducted surveys of enterprises' opinions so that the conference would be effective and substantive.

Through the conference, the Customs agency will disseminate new policies and regulations related to each type of business and guide businesses to correct common errors in customs declarations and receive and handle information reflecting the spirit and service attitude of civil servants.

For example, at the border-gate customs branches, when organizing a conference, there must be the participation and connection between import-export businesses,the customs agency, as well as warehouse, yard and port operators. With the customs branches outside the border gate, the objects and types of businesses will be selected to organize according to the theme. For example, a conference for FDI enterprises;a conference for export processing enterprises, export manufacturing and processing enterprises to guide the preparation of finalization reports.

Thematic conferences, quick question-answer

According to the director of the Hai Phong port zone 2 Customs Branch Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, in order for effective and substantive information exchange, the branch organizes dialogues with businesses according to each business type. Recently, the branch has held a dialogue with businesses operating in the fields of agricultural products, wood and plastic.

“In addition, to facilitate fast customs clearance for goods required to go through container screening, the branch directly assigns customs officers to directly inspect the goods, helping businesses save time. If the goods are not subject to physical inspection, they will be cleared immediately. Some businesses spoke about problems in using specialized vehicles of port operators, the branch organized a dialogue conference with the attendance of import-export businesses, port operators and the customs agency to solve problems and build relationships between import-export businesses and port operators,” Ms. Hien said.

At Hai Phong port area 3 Customs Branch, in order to promptly grasp and remove problems for businesses, the unit has synchronously implemented many measures.

Director Tran Manh Hung said in the working teams, there are areas to guide solutions to problems. The branch has also actively installed computer screens at the customs procedure location to help businesses easily look up and customs officers tohandle customs declarations. Along with that is the installation of two 55-inch screens to publicly post new legal and guiding documents.

“Regarding the organizing of dialogue conferences, in 2019 and 2020, the branch actively organized eight conferences, meetings and training sessions on new knowledge on customs for the business community with the participation of nearly 500 import-export enterprises, customs agents, and warehouseand port operators,” Mr. Tran Manh Hung added.

As a customs unit outside the border gate, Hung Yen Customs Branch has also focused on reforming the organizing of dialogue conferences to attract businesses. Director Hoang Ngoc Nhi said: the motto of the unit's conferences is "quick question– answer". In addition, the branch has also planned to organize thematic conferences to provide advice and answers to solve key policies for each business.

“With 17 years of experience in the import and export sector, I have participated in many conferences with businesses. But a conference organized by Hung Yen Customs Branch (at the end of October 2020) is quite new because of its openness; frankness and sincerity, helping businesses confidently raise problems. Although the question of the company about tax policy is beyond the authority of the branch, the branch still accepts it and reports to the competent agency,” Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (Head of Import-Export Division of PIC Vietnam Co., Ltd., Van Lam district, Hung Yen) said.

As recognized by the reporter at Hai Phong Customs Department, from the department level to the branch level, the support and companionship with the business community is always focused in many forms, resulting in the highest efficiency which is trade facilitation under the guidelines of the Government and the direction of the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, director of an agricultural import-export company in Hai Phong, said that the dialogue between the customs office, import-export businesses and port operators by Hai Phong port area 2 customs branch recently is effective and needs to be replicated. Because the thematic conference helps businesses to reflect all the needs for support from the Customs and port operators in import and export activities. In the future, if similar conferences have more participation of shipping lines, the effect will be even better.