Authorities and forces at Huu Nghi International Border Gate must pioritise the task of pandemic prevention, said leader of the People's Committee of Lang Son province. In particular, it is necessary to set up a "green zone" at the border gate area to ensure cargo clearance by implementing strict processes at each stage.

According to the Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate Economic Zone authority, the volume of vehicles transporting import and export goods for customs procedures through Huu Nghi international border gate is very large at about 500-600 vehicles per day. Many drivers come from southern provinces and cities that are seriously affected by the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is necessary to have a strict management process for drivers, especially long-distance drivers, as a basis for establishing a "green zone" at the border gate.

Authorities must set up a delivery area for a vehicle between full-time drivers and long-distance drivers outside the bus station area of ​​Huu Nghi Xuan Cuong Company – an enterprise operating in the investment, exploitation and warehousing services at Huu Nghi international border gate. All officers, employees and workers on duty at the border gate area must be tested and have negative results for SARS CoV-2 to minimise the risk of infection in the border area.

Xuan Cuong Huu Nghi Company is requested to only allow 600 trucks carrying import
and export goods to enter the yard, each vehicle can only be arranged with one driver.
Photo: H.Nụ

When checking the work of Covid-19 pandemic infection prevention and control at Huu Nghi international border gate, Ho Tien Thieu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Son province said Huu Nghi was a border gate with a large import-export turnover – an important gateway connecting China and ASEAN. In the current situation, the risk of a pandemic outbreak was very high. If the anti-pandemic task was not proactive, the risk of breaking the supply and demand chain would be great. Pandemic prevention was the first urgent task that must be prioritised at Huu Nghi. To establish the "green zone", competent authorities and forces must strictly control the entrance of the border gate area, especially medical declaration for those who come to work at the border gate.

Ho Tien Thieu also requested authorities, forces and warehousing firms to strictly implement anti-pandemic measures. Specifically, at the bus station of Huu Nghi Xuan Cuong Company, only 600 trucks carrying import and export goods were allowed to enter the yard, each vehicle could only be arranged with one driver. Huu Nghi Xuan Cuong Company must arrange a delivery area for a vehicle between full-time drivers and long-distance drivers outside the bus station area. All drivers entering the border gate must have a negative test result for Sars CoV-2.

Moreover, competent authorities, forces and warehousing businesses must have a plan to strictly manage a team of full-time drivers. They must ensure no driver leaves the accommodation area, exchange and contact, especially direct contact with the team of long-distance drivers. Besides that, rearranging accommodation for a team of dedicated drivers, ensuring living conditions and each room could house up to four people.

Medical staff checks the driver's body temperature at the medical quarantine checkpoint
before entering the parking lot at Huu Nghi International Border Gate.
Photo: Trí Dũng

In addition, Cao Loc district and Lang Son city and authorities are requested to coordinate and prepare minimum facilities for drivers. The regulation of vehicles transporting import and export goods on entry and exit through the border gate must be scientific and flexible to avoid congestion. Strengthening foreign relations with China to reduce cargo clearance time.

Talking to Customs News about Covid-19 pandemic prevention at Huu Nghi international border gate, a representative of Huu Nghi Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) said the unit had communicated and requested all businesses, customs declarants, drivers to perform a quick test for SARS CoV-2 within 72 hours. All those with negative results would be allowed to enter the border gate area for carrying out customs procedures and clear shipments.

The unit arranged officers to work on two shifts for optimal pandemic prevention and ensure no interruption of cargo clearance activities. Customs officers who have household registration in Lang Son city will work in shifts on a weekly basis. For customs officers who live in other areas, they will be asked to live at official residences.

According to a representative of Huu Nghi Customs Branch, due to the pandemic, both Vietnam and China applied disease control processes at the highest level, so the volume of goods cleared during a day is low. Thus, to facilitate enterprises in clearance activities, Huu Nghi Customs arranged officers to receive and carry out procedures from 7 AM and lasted until all declarations were processed for firms, even customs officers must handle the procedures until 9-10 pm for several days.

However, according to preliminary data, the volume of goods cleared through Huu Nghi international border gate was about 600 vehicles. Some 400 trucks were in the import direction while only 200 trucks were in the export direction.