Standing Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Le Anh Quan (left) and Director Nguyen Duy Ngoc (second from left) discuss with representatives of FDI enterprises on the sidelines of a dialogue conference with import-export enterprises organized by the City People's Committee in May 2022. Photo: T.Binh

Reaching the budget revenue milestone of VND 70,000 billion for the first time

Among many outstanding work results of Hai Phong Customs Department in the past year, we are especially impressed with the budget revenue of VND 78,000 billion, which marked an unprecedented achievement in the history of Hai Phong Customs. This number also far exceeds the results in 2021 and the target in 2022 (the revenue in 2021 reached nearly VND 66,400 billion, and the estimated target in 2022 was VND 63,630 billion). Notably, the revenue collection results of the unit played a hand in creating records of budget revenue of the whole Customs sector in general (reaching and exceeding VND 400,000 billion for the first time) and Hai Phong City in particular (Hai Phong is one of the few localities with budget revenues of VND 100,000 billion or more).

In addition to the impression of revenue results, what other factors result in such excellent results?

Director of Hai Phong Customs Department Nguyen Duy Ngoc shared: In 2022, thanks to the close attention and direction of leaders of Hai Phong Customs, Hai Phong Customs has overcome many difficulties and challenges and completed the tasks delivered in 2022.

As for the task of budget collection, the unit always identifies this as the top key political task and always takes the initiative early to come up with solutions to complete at the highest level," said Director Nguyen Duy Ngoc.

According to the Director of Hai Phong Customs Department, in 2022, the Department was assigned to collect VND 63,630 billion, of which the local revenue was only VND 55,930 billion. Based on assessing the difficulties and challenges from the world and regional situation and the ever-increasing influence related to management policies and mechanisms, right from the beginning of the year, the leadership of the Department has pointed out the development direction and synchronous implementation of measures to improve the efficiency of revenue collection and combat loss of budget revenue. In particular, Hai Phong Customs is determined to continue promoting reform of administrative procedures, modernizing customs, bringing the Customs-Enterprise partnership into reality, and improving service quality to the residents and enterprises.

As a result, the import and export turnover of customs procedures through the unit reached the highest figure (as of mid-December, reaching 112 billion USD).

At the same time, the fight against revenue loss has been drastically implemented in all fields, contributing to an increase of hundreds of billions of VND in revenue (as of October 31, 2022, it is VND 332 billion).

Effective from companionship and business support

In discussion with Director Nguyen Duy Ngoc and the process of capturing and reporting on the unit's activities throughout 2022 and the past many years, we realized that the key factors to the successful implementation of the cashier task, as well as other working aspects of that unit, are especial emphasis on the Customs-Enterprise partnership, with the mindset of considering businesses as "partners".

Although Hai Phong Customs Department territory management includes the largest seaport in the North, it is not compulsory for all import and export clearances must proceed at the Hai Phong Customs Department. Therefore, to "retain" businesses, in 2022, the Department focused on directing units to implement many specific solutions with the highest political determination to bring the Customs - Business partnership to the next level with more practical to the business community.

In detail, diversifying ways to receive and answer problems and recommendations of enterprises on the implementation of legal regulations (organize the effective operation of advisory groups at the Department, branches, conferences; dialogues, face-to-face meetings with enterprises or exchange of information by phone, email, or open letter). At the same time, strictly implementing the regulations on receiving and solving problems for enterprises at the Department, ensuring that all enterprises' problems are resolved promptly.

Especially in May, June and September 2022, Hai Phong Customs Department carefully prepared and successfully organized the "Dialogue Conference with Logistic enterprises, Customs agents" and "Business Dialogue Conference in 2022" in the provinces of Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, at the Customs Sub-Departments of Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks; Coordinate with units to advise Hai Phong City People's Committee to organize "Hai Phong City Conference with the import-export business community to join hands in economic recovery and sustainable development". In 5 conferences, 700 businesses attended with many important contents being exchanged.

In addition, in 2022, Hai Phong Customs has developed and implemented 3 plans related to dissemination, legal education and legal support to facilitate businesses most timely and raise awareness and a sense of law compliance of enterprises.

Up to now, it can be affirmed that Hai Phong Customs Department has comprehensively changed the perception of all public officials about the relationship between Customs authorities and the business community. The motto "taking people, business as the centre to serve" becomes the permanent consciousness of each public official in performing official duties; step by step improves the level of satisfaction of enterprises with the service quality of the Customs," emphasized Director Nguyen Duy Ngoc.