Officers of Zone1st Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch- HCM City Customs Department inspect imported goods. Photo: T.H

Digitalization in management for customs brokers

According to Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam, Head of Customs Control and Supervision Division – HCM City Department, currently about 400 HCM city-based customs brokers have been managed by HCM City Customs Department. These Customs brokers have been issued certificates of eligible for operation in HCM City by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

In order to support customs brokers, HCM City Customs Department has implemented specific solutions. The department has proposed the General Department of Vietnam Customs to revise regulations on operation of the customs broker to promote the development of the field. The department has digitized the management of all customs brokers.

Accordingly, in addition to providing quarterly operation reports, the Customs also has requested Customs brokers to provide information to implement the digitization. Notably, in order to be proactive in supporting and providing customs procedure information to the customs brokers, the department has sent notice requesting customs brokers, especially newly licensed brokers, to collect and send information via email and phone number.

Additionally, to avoid the temporary suspension of the Customs broker when it fails to report or report inconsistent with regulations to the Customs, after two quarters, if the Customs broker fails to report, Customs officer will send an email to remind the customs broker for the implementation. “In order to support 400 Customs brokers, the department must digitize and calculate the declaration data of each Customs broker in each quarter to monitor, remind and handle violations” - Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam said.

Thanks to the digitalization solution in management and support, the number of Customs brokers violating the reporting regime has decreased from over 100 violated brokers to less than 10 violated brokers.

Regarding the connection of information between Customs and the Customs broker, the department strives to allow the Customs broker to directly report into the system in the near future. Currently, there are some regulations on Customs brokers have not been implemented, affecting the digitalization in the operation.

Mr. Nam also said that in addition to positive results, the operation of Customs broker still faces obstacles. Some Customs brokers are issued certificates but they do not operate the work of the Customs broker, and operate as customs declaration service providers. Even some Customs broker have violated and declared inconsistent with regulations…

In the coming time, we hope that the Customs brokers will be like an extended arm of the Customs administration in disseminating customs laws and policies to businesses; coordinate with the Customs administration to minimize risks for businesses during customs declaration and minimize unnecessary losses.

Preventing obstacles

Implementing the commitments of the leaders of HCM City Customs Department to the business community in the Plan “The business community and the Customs are reliable partners, accompanying each other for development”, the department has always focused on guiding and removing problems for businesses, and preventing obstacles, affecting the production and business activities of businesses.

Assessing the effectiveness of resolving problems related to customs sector, Mr. Tran Phu Lu, Director of HCM City Trade and Investment Promotion Center, said that the customs sector is considered an important factor in promoting international trade, ensuring economic security and contributing to the economic development of the locality and the whole country. Thanks to the effective instruction of new customs procedures and new polices, and removing obstacles, so questions raised by businesses at dialogue conferences between the HCM City Customs Department and the business community has decreased significantly.

At the recent dialogue conference with the business community, the leader of the Department once again recommended businesses that when problems arise, businesses need to contact the correct address for immediate answers. “If the customs officer receiving the problem does not give satisfactory instructions, businesses should immediately contact the team or branch leader for specific instructions” Nam said.

The leader also hopes that the business community will continue to cooperate and accompany the Customs. Accordingly, businesses need to strictly comply with customs laws and proactively update knowledge about new legal documents. The compliance will help minimize risks and facilitate the import and export activities of the business. At the same time, businesses should actively participate in the digital transformation process, applying information technology in managing and processing customs procedures to improve efficiency and shorten customs clearance time.