Director of HCM City Customs Department Nguyen Hoang Tuan spoke at the conference. Photo: T.H

Businesses highly appreciate the support of customs

The Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) Customs Department's recent dialogue conference received enthusiastic participation from the Consuls General of several countries in HCM City, including China, Korea, Canada, and the Netherlands; representatives of many foreign organizations; domestic business associations; and over 200 port warehouse businesses and import-export enterprises with large turnover and state budget contributions.

In his speech at the conference, Director Nguyen Hoang Tuan expressed his sincere gratitude to the over 200 enterprises, stating that although they represent only 0.3% of the over 60,000 enterprises operating in HCM City, they have made significant contributions to the city's import-export turnover and the overall economy. In 2023, the over 200 enterprises participating in the conference contributed over 370 trillion VND in tax revenue, accounting for 31% of the total revenue of the HCM City Customs Department.

According to Director Nguyen Hoang Tuan, the HCM City Customs Department is always aware that "improving the business investment environment and enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises" is of vital and utmost importance for the sustainable growth and effective competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy, especially HCM City. Therefore, the department attaches great importance to dialogue and removing obstacles for businesses.

Leaders of HCM City Customs Department answer questions for businesses. Photo: T.H

Since the beginning of the year, the HCM City Customs Department has organized numerous training sessions to disseminate knowledge about customs laws and dialogue to resolve difficulties through seminars and conferences organized by the department's units.

At the conference, representatives of foreign consulate leaders and business associations highly appreciated the efforts of the HCM City Customs Department in reforming administrative procedures and facilitating trade. The representatives all agreed that the HCM City Customs Department has many approaches to supporting, disseminating policies, and removing obstacles for businesses.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Vice President of the European Business Association (EuroCham) highly appreciated the support work of HCM City Customs.

Mrs. Annie Dube, Consul General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City), assessed that the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has significantly boosted bilateral trade between the two countries from 6.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2018 to 14.0 billion Canadian dollars in 2023. And this milestone would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of the HCM City Customs Department in import-export activities.

"It can be said that "Dialogue with HCM City Customs" is one of the highlights of the trade facilitation program between HCM City Customs and Canadian businesses in particular, and the business community in HCM City in general, as a bridge to remove invisible barriers between the two sides in many trade fields," Mrs. Annie Dube affirmed.

Representing European businesses, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Vice President of the European Business Association (EuroCham), said that the HCM City Customs Department has taken proactive and effective approaches in its cooperation with the business community. The department's efforts in organizing business connection events, where stakeholders can share information and discuss regulations, are invaluable. Simplifying and harmonizing customs procedures, not only reduces costs and time for businesses but also enhances the competitiveness of the economy on a global scale.

According to Mr. Thang, the HCM City Customs Department has a proactive and effective approach to trade facilitation for businesses, and these efforts are invaluable for businesses to work together towards common solutions.

Committing to support businesses

Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) is recognized as an attractive destination for foreign investors and businesses, thanks to its dynamic business environment and open-door policies. However, to maintain and develop this advantage, continuous improvement, innovation, and enhancement of state management efficiency are essential, especially in the customs sector. In line with this commitment, the HCM City Customs Department has set forth a goal and four key objectives to continue supporting businesses.

Accordingly, maintain and Develop the Program "Business Community and HCM CITY Customs Department: Reliable Partners, Accompanying Development". This annual forum serves as a platform for disseminating new legal documents and regulations, fostering understanding, cooperation, and partnership between the customs agency and the business community. The department aims to gather feedback, suggestions, and contributions from businesses to refine legal regulations and enhance service attitudes towards administrative reform and customs modernization, ultimately better serving the business community.

Strengthen discipline and integrity; ensuring a professional and ethical working environment facilitates the import-export activities of businesses.

At the same time, enhancing the professional competence of customs officers by providing comprehensive training and applying advanced customs knowledge and technology, the department aims to reduce clearance time, improve work efficiency, and better meet the needs of businesses in the context of international economic integration.

The department commits to promptly resolving issues within its jurisdiction and submitting proposals for matters beyond its authority to relevant superiors or agencies. This approach ensures transparency, consensus, and seamlessness in administrative procedure resolution.

"With these commitments, the HCM City Customs Department hopes to build a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship with the business community. We also look forward to business cooperation and partnership," Director Nguyen Hoang Tuan emphasized.

During the conference, the HCM City Customs Department dedicated significant time to introducing new policies to businesses, providing guidance on declaration procedures, common customs law violations, tax debt enforcement, temporary exit bans, and using the General Department of Customs' information system to check tax debts. These measures aim to assist businesses in proactively monitoring tax debts, avoiding non-compliance, and minimizing adverse impacts on their operations. Additionally, the department's functional departments addressed business concerns related to customs procedures for returned defective exports, in-situ import-export regulations, and electronic declaration transmission.