Nearly VND30 billion of import tax has been exempted by HCM City Customs Department for enterprises importing anti-Covid-19 pandemic equipment.

HCM City Customs officials inspect goods imported through Cat Lai port. Photo: T.H

HCM City Customs Department said implementing tax exemption for imported goods for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic according to Decision No. 155/QD-BTC dated February 7, 2020; Decision No. 436/QD-BTC dated March 27, 2020 and Decision No. 2138/QD-BTC dated December 18, 2020 of the Ministry of Finance, the unit has quickly carried out procedures and exempted VND29.6 billion of import tax for 77 enterprises.

Of which, the total number of enterprises eligible for tax exemption in 2020 is 68 with an exempted tax amount of over VND24 billion; and the number of enterprises eligible for tax exemption in the first five months of 2021 is nine with an exempted tax amount of over VND5.6 billion

In addition, the leader of HCM City Customs Department has actively requested customs units to create all conditions to quickly handle procedures for goods, including vehicles, equipment, and chemicals, supplies, biological products, drugs, medicinal ingredients, vaccines for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The shipment of vaccines imported via Tan Son Nhat International Airport in February and May were also quickly cleared by the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Border Gate Customs Branch.

In particular, for imported shipments of donated medical equipment from countries to the Government of Vietnam to support the anti-Covid-19 work, the leader of HCM City Customs Department requiredaffiliated customs branches to quickly carry out import procedures for aid shipments of medical equipment for the prevention of Covid-19 according to the Decision of the Ministry of Health.

In case of problems, the branches must immediately report to HCM City Customs Department to guide the settlement according to Clause 1, Article 50 of the Customs Law, avoid prolonging the customs clearance and put goods into use for anti-Covid-19 work in a timely fashion.

Heads of units should ask all cadres and civil servants to grasp complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government is making efforts to prevent the pandemic, so all countries' aids are necessary and important; thus, customs officers must understand that and make more efforts to handle customs procedures quickly.