On March 9, at the headquarters of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Director General of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Van Can chaired the meeting on grasping thoroughly the whole sector for implementing two key schemes assigned by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance in Decision 38/QĐ-TTg approving the scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods and Decision 97/QĐ-BTC approving the policy on hiring IT serivces for implementing Digital Customs.

Scene of the meeting. Photo: Thái Bình

Defining the responsibility and determination to fulfill missions

At the meeting, Director General Nguyen Van Can said these were two important and new tasks that require unity and determination in direction and organisation for implementing in the entire sector. Therefore, the units should thoroughly grasp to each level, agree on the direction, and spend time and effort to fulfill the requirements and tasks directed by the Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance in Decision 38/QD-TTg approving the scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for import goods and Decision 97/QD-BTC approving the policy of hiring IT services to implement Digital Customs.

With the task of building digital customs, Director General Can requested the system to meet the requirements of intelligent integration, connecting ministries and sectors as well as connecting customs of other countries.

As the task assigned in Decision 38/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods, the Director General said this was the task assigned by the Prime Minister to the General Department of Vietnam Customs to perform. With the responsibility, it requested all levels to cultivate knowledge, intelligence and accumulate experience from practice to fulfill the task effectively.

The Director General said he would send all contents related to the two schemes so the departments and branches would thoroughly grasp and prepare tasks under the plan.

To implement the two major schemes, it requested great determination and efforts from the General Department to the executive levels. This means it might be necessary to rearrange the apparatus, amend the legal documents to appropriate with the objectives and requirements, and the Director General required the units to urgently assign responsibilities and work together to comply with legal guidelines, transparency and publicity.

Expeditiously deployed on schedule

At the meeting, Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh disseminated the content of hiring information technology services to implement Digital Customs as approved in Decision No. 97/QD-BTC of the Minister of Finance dated January 26, 2021 and implementing the scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods approved in Decision No. 38/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated January 12, 2021.

Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh reviewed the context and requirements in defining the development orientations of the customs’s IT system.

Facing the practical situation and the request of the Government, the Prime Minister as well as the strong development of the 4th Industrial Revolution has had a comprehensive impact on many fields, including import-export and customs activities, Party Committees, leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs have met many times to determine the direction for the development of the IT system in the next stage. Submitting to the Ministry of Finance's civil affairs committee for approval on the policy of hiring IT services to implement Digital Customs in accordance with the Decision 97/QD-BTC.

Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh emphasised the policy of hiring IT services to implement digital customs is a top key task in the industry's development in 2021-2030 and the General Department of Customs requested heads of the units to disseminate and thoroughly explain to all officials on the policy approved by the Ministry of Finance.

Directing units to focus on researching, analysing and evaluating documents on professional problem requirements, customs management model, system architecture, based on practical activities at the unit to propose initiatives to the General Department to further improve the system model, method to organise operations intelligently and effectively as well as detect and overcome the shortcomings of the system.

Arranging forces and closely coordinating with the units of the General Department, the Ministry of Finance, ministries and sectors to complete solving professional problems, timely detect, propose the plan to complete the system in the testing phase, assigning forces, training and being ready to receive the transfer on schedule.

With the task of implementing the scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for import goods as approved in Decision No. 38/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated January 12, 2021, Deputy Director General requested the units be drastic, urgent and closely coordinate to complete on time and ensure efficiency.

The Customs Control and Supervision Department chaired to elaborate a decree to serve as the basis for implementing the scheme, at the same time monitoring and implementing Decision No. 38/QD-TTg. Customs IT and Statistics Department has to complete the information technology system to ensure it meets the requirements of implementing the new model in the scheme. The Risk Management Department has to complete the risk management system in quality inspection and food safety inspection.

The Customs Department of Goods Verification must consolidate and standardise resources, completes dossiers and send them to ministries and sectors to be designated to perform conformity assessment (analysis, inspection, certification, testing); organising the implementation of goods conformity assessment activities in accordance with the designation of ministries and sectors; equipping machinery and technical equipment serving for the quality inspection and food safety inspection for import goods at border gates.

Personnel and Organisation Department, the Vietnam Customs School and the Customs Departments of provinces and cities should coordinate to improve the capacity, resources, and train customs officials at customs branches to ensure the implementation of their duties on quality inspection and food safety inspection for import goods.