“Do not wait for the question of businesses, but actively provide what businesses need" isno longer a slogan, but has become the daily job for every customs officer and employee in the northeast border of the country.

Mong Cai border gate

Dedicated service

As Spring comes to Vietnam, a Customs News reporter was present at the northeastern border of the country and spoketo Customs officers about a difficult year to support businesses. We see the image of officers who love their jobs, always searching and researching to find creative ways to support businesses.

As a Customs officer with extensive experience in the Quang Ninh Customs Department, Head of Supervision and Management Department PhungThi Nguyen Hanh said, in order to support businesses, each Customs officer at the border gate must be devoted to the job.

The work that the border customs units are implementing has partly demonstrated the thoroughness in the direction, partly reducing the pressure on the advisory department at the Sub-Department level.

Quang Ninh Customs officers support and handle problems for businesses.
Photo: Q.Hung

“In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, it was difficult to find different ways to approach and support businesses. Therefore, in addition to paying attention and listening to what businesses need, the units have assigned tasks to each officer and employee to grasp information of each group of enterprises. Instead of answering problems via hotlines, officials and civil servants must actively contact and know what businesses need,”Ms. PhungThi Nguyen Hanh said.

For example, at the Customs Branch of Hon Gai Port, each officer and civil servant is assigned to support each group of enterprises. For enterprises with large turnover such as Thanh Cong Huyndai and Foxconn Group, the leaders of the sub-department took part in meeting, supporting, even sending officials and civil servants to meet and discuss before the enterprise implementedimport-export activities.

Not only removing problems in customs procedures, the Customs Branch of Hon Gai port border gate also regularly proposed to Quang Ninh Customs Department and reported to the Provincial People's Committee to upgrade the investment environment, andcoordinate with other port management departments and agencies (Port Authorities, Border Guard) to find the causes, limitations, and shortcomings that affected import and export activities.

That includes the proposal to upgrade seaport infrastructure, canals and regional planning for ships to moor and deliver goods, taking advantage of the floating port model.

Also at MongCai international border gate, according to Deputy Director of the MongCai Border Gate Customs Branch (QuangNinh Customs Department) Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga said, in order to solve the problem, in the short term,the unit has selected 40 key enterprises of each commodity group with a large contribution to income for remote contact, both indirect and online support.

On that basis, four leaders of the sub-department (including the director and three deputy directors) took action to supportthese enterprises. These enterprises are divided into four groups of goods, including: trucks; machinery, equipment and construction machines; machinery and equipment serving the coal industry; investment projects in the province of QuangNinh.

Specifically, for the group of investment enterprises, the unit has proposed to the People's Committee of QuangNinh province to have solutions to remove difficulties to bring foreign experts to Vietnam to guide the operation of machines.

Enterprises located in the area are allowed to relax social distancing, the leaders of the sub-department directly contacted them to meet, listen to problems, even go to the factory to grasp production activities and solve thebacklog of raw materials.

Positive feedback of businesses

Through research, reporters of Customs Newsfound positive feedback from the business community. They recognized and highly appreciated the officers and employees of QuangNinh Customs.

As an enterprise that regularly carries out procedures for exporting wood chips, importing machinery and equipment in QuangNinh province, each month, the Import-Export and Investment Joint Stock Company contributes from VND500 million to VND700 millionto the budget revenue.

Ms. Nguyen ThiHoan, Director of the company,said during the process of customs procedures at QuangNinh Customs (Hon Gai Port's Customs Branch), her company had many advantages in exchanging and supporting information from Customs through the online public service system and face-to-facemeetings.

In addition, through the Fanpagemanaged by Customs officers and civil servants, the company can quickly access new legal documents related to the customs fields.

All problems of enterprises are received and answered 24/7 by leaders,officials, and employeesof departments. The companydid not have to go to the customs office to help shorten customs clearance time and reduce costs for enterprises.

"In the past, businesses took 10 to 15 days to make procedures for a shipment, now it only takes 1-2 days, many shipments are cleared within the same day," Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoan said.

Director of Import-Export Department, Texhong Ngan Ha Co., Ltd. Ngo Van Hung said that, in addition to reforming procedures, the Customs sector has strongly reformed the electronic tax payment scheme 24/7, contributing to fast clearance of goods, and releases goods the same day. As a result, businesses save costs incurred in the process of procedures, andcan be more active in production and business activities.

Sharing difficulties to find ways to solve the smallest problem are still being carried out daily by officers of QuangNinh Customs to help businesses develop sustainably, bringing strength for QuangNinh's economy in particular and Vietnam's economy in general.