On July 28, at a seminar  with steel import-export enterprises, Investment/ Processing Customs Branch under of HCM City Customs Department has instructed and noted for enterprises many key procedures.

Manager Nguyen Xuan Binh recommended enterprises to closely
manage and use digital signature. Photo: T.H 

Share difficulties with enterprises

According to the Investment/Processing Customs branch, in recent years, import and export turnover of FDI enterprises has increased, iron and steel are import items with large import turnover, are gone through customs procedures at the Investment/Processing Customs branch. Currently, about 30 steel importers declared and carried out customs procedures at the branch. The large volume and tax payable of steel and iron items has contributed to the annual department’s revenue

In recent times, almost all industries and fields of economy have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic; the business and production of enterprises have faced difficulties, especially FDI enterprises.

To share and remove difficulties for business and production, continue to improve the business environment, contributing to improving the national competitiveness, HCM City Customs Department and the Investment/Processing Customs branch have implemented synchronously and comprehensively administrative reform solutions. Of which, focusing on promoting administrative procedure reforms, cutting and simplifying business conditions, supporting and removing difficulties for businesses; shortening customs clearance time, implementing modernisation and application of information technology in State management; cutting costs for businesses.

According to manager Nguyen Xuan Binh, the seminar  between the branch and steel import-export enterprises aimed to share regulations on import and export of iron and steel items and remove difficulties and problems in the customs clearance process, and create cohesion and trust of importers with the branch.

At the seminar, many problems of enterprises on customs procedures were instructed. Regarding problems of enterprises on determining the quality of import goods, Binh said the determination of imported goods as finished products or scrap must be conducted by specialized authorities, and customs authority shall base on the verification results to implement customs clearance for enterprises.

Some enterprises said due to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the US-China trade war, enterprises faced difficulties in exporting andgoods were not exported as scheduled. Currently, about 1,000 tonnes of steel of enterprises hasnot yet exported.

The branch’s manager said as per provisions for goods produced for export, annually, monthly and quarterly, the Customs authority collects information on production contracts of enterprises, if enterprises donot export goods according to the contract and report the reason to the customs, Customs will consider and accept the enterprises’ report if the report is reasonable.

Answering some problems of enterprises related to tax policies on colour coated steel item, the branch instructed that if colour coated steel used for electronics and refrigeration is imported in a sheet form, it is subject to anti-dumping tax and colour coated steel in the roll form shall be subject to zero tax rate. The form of import goods is shown on the certificate of the manufacturer andenterprises must make truthful declarations to comply with current regulations, including tax policies. The colour coated steel imported for processing shall be exempt from tax and imported for business regime willbe subject to tax.

Strictly manage digital signature

Giving recommendations for enterprises to avoid errors in the process of customs procedures, the branch’s manager emphasised the management and use of digital signatures for FDI enterprises.

According to Binh, some enterprises have handed over their digital signatures, signed and stamped transaction documents for customs agents’ staff without checking and supervising, so these staff abused this loophole to implement smuggling and trade fraud. Customs detected some serious violations and transferred them to police for investigation and handling.

Also, Binh said the branch is managing and processing customs procedures for 4,000 FDI enterprises. Of which, about 75% enterprises have used services of customs brokers and customs agents to carry out import and export procedures. HCM City Customs department has detected customs offences, including FDI enterprises.  The violations all stem from the incompliance with provisions on management of digital signature and operations of customs brokers and customs agents.

Therefore, to well manage, create favourable conditions and protect the rights of enterprises, recently, the branch has deployed “the programme of management and collection of information of import-export enterprises, customs brokers and customs agents”. The detailed information collection aims to avoid abusing of the open polices of customs procedures by bad objects and loose management on personnel of enterprises to violate. At the same time, implementing supplementation and amendment to provisions on operations of the customs broker.

At the talk show, the branch’s manager committed to continue to reform administrative procedures, support enterprises in import and export activities to stabilise production after the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the first six months of 2020, the branch carried out customs procedures for import and export goods for nearly 5,000 enterprises in accordance with requirements on progress and operational processes.