The General Department of Vietnam Customs has promulgated a professional handbook on sanctioning of administrative violations in the field of customs. The handbook consists of seven parts on determining the behaviour, studying the proposal of sanctions, drafting decisions, temporarily seizing material evidences, issuing and executing decision and recording management.

According to the assessment, the sanctioning of administrative violations is a professional stage to ensure compliance with customs laws. Over the past years, the handling of administrative violations has been implemented by units in the sector.

Units have identified the requirements and importance of this work, actively deploying the dissemination of legal documents to customs officials and employees in the unit, organising training to improve the skills of handling administrative violations in customs; monitoring and grasping arising problems to promptly report to the General Department to issue guidance documents.

The detection of law violations, the establishment of dossier for handling administrative violation cases have been implemented by the units in a timely, efficient and compliance with regulations manner on the order and procedures for handling, competence, penalty levels and other provisions of the law on the handling of administrative violations.

Difficulties and problems related to the sanctioning of administrative violations have been promptly instructed in guidance document issued by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the Ministry of Finance, helping units in the sector properly and consistently implement most of the law provisions on the sanctioning of administrative violations in customs.

Professional activities at Hon Gai Port Customs Branch. Photo: Q.H

However, besides these results, the handling of administrative violations and participation in administrative proceedings at courts in the sector still have some limitations and shortcomings shown in the skills of determining behaviour of administrative violations, making records of administrative violations and issuing decisions to sanction administrative violations. This leads to reducing the effectiveness of sanctioning administrative violations and to complaints and lawsuits.

Therefore, to renovate the method of managing human resources based on job positions specified in the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants and the Law on Public Employees, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has developed a professional handbook on sanctioning of administrative violations in customs to help customs officials perform the sanctioning of administrative violations have a basic orientation on the order and procedures for a specific sanction of administrative violations. On that basis, they apply the guidance appropriately and flexibly to each specific case to achieve the highest efficiency.

The handbook is built on the basis of a system of legal documents on sanctioning of administrative violations, regulations of law on sanctioning administrative violation in customs and the results of review and practical assessment of sanctioning of administrative violations in the whole sector over the years.

The compilation of the handbook not only aims to improve the efficiency of administrative sanctions in the customs field, but also serves as a basis for leaders at all levels to control the task performance of customs officials, contributing to the prevention and strict handling of all administrative violations in the customs field. At the same time, to minimise the organisations and individuals making complaints or suing customs officials and customs authorities at the Administrative Courts.