Duty room at the headquarter of General Department of Vietnam Customs. Photo: T.Bình

On July 29, 2019, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued the Regulations on duty in the Customs sector together with Decision No. 2189/QD-TCHQ, which clearly stipulates the organization, functions and duties of the shifts and on duty, the process of handling information of the duty officer of General Department, the provincial and municipal Customs Departments.

However, through monitoring and evaluating the results of the duty officers at Department-level on the on-duty management system, nine provincial and municipal Customs Departments (as mentioned above) have not implemented the analysis, assessment, evaluation and created instructions on the system yet.

The fact that the units have not properly implemented the Regulations on duty following Decision No. 2189/QD-TCHQ and Official Letter No. 5945/TCHQ-VP dated September 10, 2020 of the General Department of Vietnam Customs on rectification of work of performance on duty at the local customs departments, will have potential risks of violations.

Since the beginning of 2021, through the direction of the duty officer of the General Department, the customs branches have inspected and detected many violations such as: the branches under the Hai Phong Customs Department detected 63 cases of violations (the detection rate of violations reached 37.7%).

Previously, in 2020, through the direction of duty officers of the General Department, the Hai Phong port area 3 Customs Branch discovered and prosecuted one case; Lao Cai international border gate Customs Branch detected four cases of violations; Quy Nhon port border gate Customs Branch (Binh Dinh Customs Department) detected one case of importing concentrates containing radioactive substances exceeding the allowable threshold; Dung Quat port border gate Customs Branch (Quang Ngai Customs Department) sanctioned more than VND49 million, collected arrears of more than VND146 million for one infringing shipment.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the duty room in the Customs sector, preventing, detecting and strictly handling violations, strengthening discipline in the performance of official duties, improve supervision responsibilities in monitoring the implementation of the subordinate units, the General Department of Vietnam Customs requested the Customs Departments of provinces and cities to urgently implement a number of key contents.

That is, urgently deploying the duty room at Department-level in accordance with the provisions of Decision No. 2189/QD-TCHQ and Official Dispatch No. 5945/TCHQ-VP in November 2021.

Actively collect and evaluate information to develop detailed and specific on-duty plans by topic.

Furthermore, providing, directing and recording on the system. For the Customs Departments of provinces and cities, which have been equipped with online customs supervision rooms, organize the review, direction and supervision of at least three information/weekly shifts; Departments not equipped with online customs supervision room, ensuring at least one information/shift.

Coordinating for supervision for cases of re-export due to mistakenly, lost, unclaimed or refused to receive goods under the direction of the Director General at Conclusion Document No. 620/TB-TCHQ dated 28 October 10, 2021 and Official Letter No. 615/TCHQ-GSQL dated October 27, 2021; carrying out supervision for backlogged containers at warehouses, yards, ports and border gates as directed in Official Dispatch No. 5306/TCHQ-GSQL dated November 9, 2021.

Customs Departments must ensure that the surveillance camera system is installed in the correct position, the signal is stable and operating smoothly; in the process of implementing the regulations on duty, operating and using the on-duty management system, if any difficulties arise, it should be reported to the General Department (via the General Department's Office) for guidance.