Nguyen Thi Minh Thao, Head of the Business Environment and Competitiveness Research Department (Central Institute for Economic Management - CIEM) praised efforts to reform administrative procedures by Customs to support business, but further efforts are needed.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh Thao

How do you evaluate the reform efforts of the Customs sector in recent years?

Dau Anh Tuan, Head of Legal Department (VCCI):

Customs authorities have identified problems.

The survey on business satisfaction with administrative procedures related to import and export of 2018 and 2020 showed many positive changes in customs clearance procedures, specialised inspection, as well as the attitudes and qualifications of customs officers. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement. The enterprise's investigation still shows that the specialised inspection procedures have not yet received satisfaction, and the percentage related to the specialised inspection procedures has not exceeded 50%.

Firms still face many difficulties in the administrative procedures for customs clearance of goods, showing there are risks, inconsistencies, and time consuming procedures. Through this survey, Customs has identified outstanding problems and has also announced that they will continue to make efforts to reform, creating favurorable conditions for businesses in import and export activities.

The business community highly appreciates the positive result in the reforms of the Customs sector, especially in administrative procedures related to customs, import and export. The General Department of Customs has pioneered the use of information technology, perfecting the VNACCS/VCIS electronic customs system, helping businesses to complete procedures and receive 24/7 support from Customs. This has facilitated the declaration and customs clearance of goods of enterprises a lot.

One of the most remarkable positive points is the reform of criteria as well as requirements related to risk management in customs. The criteria have been set very clearly, transparently and publicly, in accordance with international practices, enabling firms to access opportunities to be recognised as priority enterprises, or good law-abiding business. Doing this has helped increase legal compliance of enterprises and reduced administrative pressure on State management agencies.

Another point that research agencies as well as the business community recognise and appreciate is the efforts of the Customs authorities in coordinating with ministries and branches to find solutions to overcome the shortcomings in specialised management and inspection for import and export goods.

Besides the achievements, what should be further reformed?

As released by the report "The level of satisfaction of enterprises in the implementation of import-export administrative procedures: Survey results in 2020" , more reforms are needed to facilitate firms’ operation especially those related to customs values, HS codes or specialised inspection areas.

For example, in specialised inspection, the Customs authorities still lack the connection and sharing of information and data with the specialised management ministries which hinder firms when carrying out the procedures because they still have to comply with both the Customs authorities and the specialised management ministries. This can be a barrier causing inadequacies and difficulties not only in terms of time and even great costs.

Customs authorities need to build and manage a unified and synchronous database system. It is necessary to have a mechanism to share the data of Customs with the database of specialised management ministries on the national single-window system. A unified connection will benefit businesses in reducing both procedures and requirements to carry out procedures and records. This would also help businesses to implement procedures on the electronic system, cutting costs and time.

In addition, import and export activities of goods also have many technical fields. Therefore, the Customs sector must continue to work more closely with ministries and branches to promptly resolve any irregularities and difficulties in the process of carrying out customs clearance procedures.

In some cases, enterprises have difficulty in determining the HS code because the HS code of the Customs office is not inconsistent with the HS code of the specialised management ministry. Therefore, coordination of ministries, branches, and customs authorities in applying the uniform HS code is very crucial to ensure the interests of businesses as well as avoid harassment for the State management authorities.

Firms also express concerns about customs value due to inconsistency between Customs and firms. Therefore, this is also a space for Customs to review the most appropriate method so as to ensure the most market-based criteria and to harmonise management goals but still benefit businesses.

Could you recommend effective solutions on implementing the assessment and survey of the satisfaction of enterprises with import-export procedures?

To show the efforts of ministries and sectors and better survey businesses, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in the role of lead implementing agency, can expand the questionnaire related to management of specialised inspection. But instead of the current general questions, it is necessary to carry out more specific ones which are divided in to particular aspect such as quality, food safety inspection, quarantine, energy control inspection or inspection activities by field. The more detailed questionnaire helps the ministries and branches clearly identify the problems and inadequacies, from which to find appropriate and corresponding solutions for the import and export activities of enterprises.