Verifying the case of "collecting a fee" of 500,000 VND/truck entering Kim Thanh Border Gate

On the morning of May 25, a video clip was circulated on several social networking sites showing a man "collecting a fee" of 500,000 VND per vehicle carrying export goods entering the wharf area at Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. II (hereinafter referred to as Kim Thanh Border Gate).

In the dialogue in the video clip, a man collecting money from a truck driver transporting goods to the Kim Thanh Border Gate said: “This is the gate fee” and clearly stated that “gate fee is gate fee, parking fee is parking fee”, meaning that there are 2 different types of fees that drivers have to pay when entering the Kim Thanh Border Gate area and “all vehicles have to pay the same”. Immediately after the video clip was spread on social media, many mixed comments were made.

Entrance to the import-export vehicle staging area (KB II).

In response to some information that the collection of "toll" of 500,000 VND/vehicle trip mentioned above is related to the import-export vehicle assembly area (KB II), we contacted Mr. Pham Hung, Head of the Border Gate Management Department, Lao Cai Provincial Economic Zone Management Board. Mr. Hung said that the unit has received the information and is requesting the Lao Cai International Border Gate Border Guard Station, the unit with the main responsibility for maintaining security and order in the Kim Thanh Border Gate area, to investigate and clarify the matter.

According to initial information, the person in charge of "collecting scrap" at Kim Thanh Border Gate area is named Cuong, an employee of Minh Khai business household.

Working with the representative of Kim Thanh Border Guard Station, Lao Cai International Border Guard Station on the morning of May 25, Captain Nguyen Viet Dung, Deputy Station Chief, said that immediately after receiving the feedback, the unit verified the content in the above clip. Initially, the Station identified the person who was said to be in charge of collecting 500,000 VND/vehicle entering the border gate area as Cuong, an employee of the Minh Khai business household. This household regularly has import and export declarations of goods through Kim Thanh Border Gate.

Captain Nguyen Viet Dung also said that the video was taken at the Kim Thanh Border Gate area, but it is not yet possible to confirm whether it was actually taken at the KB II wharf area. Currently, the person who filmed and published the video has completed exit procedures to transport goods to China, so we have not been able to contact him. The person accused of “collecting waste” and the representative of Minh Khai business household have been summoned to the authorities for questioning but have not yet appeared due to being busy with business.

Currently, every day there are hundreds of trucks carrying goods exported to China through Kim Thanh Border Gate.

According to the reporter’s own source, the above amount is the “reporting fee” (a term referring to unofficial costs when carrying out export procedures) or also known as “leading” fee (lining up). All vehicles exporting goods before entering deep into the Kim Thanh Border Gate area must go through KB II to carry out “reporting fee” procedures.

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