The automated customs system for aviation management and supervision for terminals at Tan Son Nhat international airport will be officially deployed from April 1.

Tan Son Nhat international airport customs officials
inspect imported goods by air. Photo: T.H.

Customs is ready

Following Article 41 of the Law on Customs 2014, Plan No. 4098 / KH-TCHQ dated June 21, 2017 and Plan No. 3009 / KH-TCHQ dated May 30, 2018 and Official Letter No. 724 / TCHQ-GSQL dated February 8, 2021 of the General Department of Customs on the deployment of the automated customs system for customs management and supervision at seaports and airports, dated April 1, 2021, the Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport will launch the automated customs system for aviation management and supervision for terminals at Tan Son Nhat international airport, the leader of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch said.

Bui Le Hung, Manager of Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, said the system would be deployed at two terminals ofTCS managed by Tan Son Nhat Cargo Services Joint Stock Company and SCSC managed by the Saigon Cargo Service Joint Stock Company for the import customs regime.

To launch this system, the leader of the customs branch has guided and consulted on the development of the coordination regulation and report regime on performance progress as well as solutions for problems and difficulties arising before officially launching.

The customs branch also discussed with the two representatives from SCSC and TCS about the implementation plan.

The Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport will sign the coordination regulation to carry out automatic supervision for import goods of the two companies.

In addition to assigning tasks for each customs officer, the customs branch pays attention to training officers in charge. The HCM City Customs Department has workedwith the Customs Information Technology and Statistics Department and Customs Management and Supervision Department under the General Department of Customs to train officials who directly perform the work.

Customs officers of the Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport have grasped the basic contents of the system and some problems they discovered related to operation, data entry and troubleshooting have been answered.

In addition, at the training sessions, customs officers noted some practical problems, such as: data entry to create qualified documents through the supervision area for independent transportation declarations and paper declarationsamdfor air cargo imports, the system allows to take goods out of the supervision area with less quantity than on the customs declaration cleared on the automated system for customs management and supervision system. This is not in accordance with Point d.1.2.2 Clause 7 Article 52 of Circular 38/2015 / TT-BTC amended and supplemented in Circular 39/2018 / TT-BTC. These problems were noted and shall be solved before official implementation.

A lot of notes for enterprises

For enterprises to well implement this programme, HCM City Customs Department has notified on import-export enterprises with the following contents: making customs declaration in accordance with Article 18 of Circular No. 38/2015 / TT-BTC dated March 25, 2015, amended and supplemented in Clause 7, Article 1 of Circular No. 39 / 2018 / TT-BTC dated April 20, 2018 by the Minister of Finance. Customs supervision of imported goods entering, storing or leaving an airport terminal will comply with Clause 7 Article 52, Clause 8 Article 52b of Circular No. 38/2015 / TT-BTC dated March 25, 2015, which was amended and supplemented in Clauses 31 and 32, Article 1 of Circular No. 39/2018 / TT-BTC, said Le Xuan My, Head of Supervision and Management Division under HCM City Customs Department.

In addition, HCM City Customs Department also suggested airlines declare correct and sufficient information in accordance with Article 61 of Decree No. 08/2015 / ND-CP dated January 21, 2015, amended and supplemented at Clause 32 Article 1 of the Government's Decree No. 59/2018 / ND-CP dated April 20, 2018.

The two firms managing the two above terminals in the programme are also ready to work with Customs to deploy the system.

Thai Son, Deputy General Director of Saigon Cargo Services Joint Stock Company, said the company had prepared well.

The surveillance cameras in the SCSC terminal area are shared with the camera system of the General Department of Customs (20 cameras) and five cameras were provided by the General Department of Customs.

The terminal has provided additional camera locations and installation plans to prepare further sharing. At the same time, two monitoring screens will be arranged at the request of the Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport to monitor the camera system in the terminal.

Pham Quoc Viet, Deputy General Director of Tan Son Nhat Cargo Services Joint Stock Company, said in the TCS area, previously shared the entire camera system of the terminal by a private network computer located at the office of Customs Supervision Team of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch. In addition to cameras equipped by the terminal, the General Department of Customs also equipped 28 cameras.

The Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport also requested TCS to install two surveillance monitors to monitor the entire camera system in the terminal. Information storage of the terminals is being upgraded to meet the requirements and is expected to be completed by June 1, 2021.

Currently, both Customs and enterprises have prepared all conditions to deploy the automated customs system for aviation management and supervision for terminals at Tan Son Nhat international airport.