According to Customs Branch of Nam Can international border gate (Nghe An Customs Department), before the Lao Government reopened its border gates, the means of transport of import and export goods from Vietnam to Laos or vice-versa meant a change of drivers. Sometime, businesses and people doing customs procedures had to unload the goods to load to another vehicle to continue the transport, causing great trouble, especially for agricultural goods, and increasing costs for drivers and loading and unloading goods.

Mr. Phan Van Nham, Director of Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Branch said the reopening of border gates by the Lao Government has helped people and businesses travel more easily and reducing customs clearance time.

Nam Can Customs officers carry out procedures for businesses. Photo: Manh Duong

From the beginning of the year, there have been 95 enterprises importing, exporting and transiting items such as construction materials, consumer goods, fly ash, refined vegetable oil, bitumen, animal feed, organic phosphate fertilizer, diesel oil for automobiles, sawn timber of all kinds, dried cottonwood, corn kernels, galangal starch, pharmaceutical raw materials, beef cattle, unburnt iron ore and berite ore, said Mr. Nham

Since the border gates have reopened, the number people and vehicles passing Nam Can International border gate has been significantly increasing every day, especially on weekends when the Nam Can border market opens, according to the Director of Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Branch.

In the past month, the number of people of the two sides through Nam Can border gate surged, mainly people from Nghe An province travelling to Laos to work or Lao students studying in Vietnam, as well as visitors. Nam Can Customs has received and completed procedures for more than 20 enterprises registering to import and export goods through the area.

By the end of June 12, Nam Can Customs processed procedures for 434 sets of declarations of businesses and traders, with a turnover of US$15, 2 million. In addition, the unit also carried out procedures for 7,811 turns of means of transport of import and export goods and passengers on entry and exit through the area. As of June 12, the unit collected nearly VND10 billion, exceeding 9.63% of the assigned target (VND8.8 billion).

Nam Can Customs actively fight against drug trafficking.

In addition, the unit has actively participated in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud, especially anti-drug activities. The unit presided over and coordinated with authorities in the area to handle seven drug-related cases, seizing 6,680.99 grams of meth, two packs of heroin, 10,436 pills of synthetic drugs, 618.01 grams of synthetic drugs, one flintlock gun, three homemade guns, 24 bullets of all kinds, one bag of muskets bullets, one bag of flintlock ammunition and one compressor. The unit also handled 31 administrative violations with fines nearly VND292 million.

To get this result, from the beginning of the year, the unit offered solutions to increase budget revenue, promptly removing problems for businesses and supporting 24/7 electronic tax payment. The unit paid special attention to creating maximum favorable conditions for businesses in import and export activities when the Covid-19 pandemic was complicated and the Lao side closed the border gate.

Nam Can Customs will further support enterprises and continue effectively implementing solutions to collect state budget, working with other authorities to promote collection, as well as strengthen electronic tax payment and customs clearance 24/7. Furthermore, the unit will strengthen information collection on key subjects, items and areas for the effective fight against smuggling, trade fraud and drug control, including developing inspection, control plans and implementing special projects on smuggling, trade fraud and drug prevention and control.