Stop the 'one-stop-one-stop' procedure at Lao Bao - Densavan international border gate to find a new direction

After 18 years of piloting and applying the one-stop, one-stop inspection model, the Government has just issued a resolution to stop implementing this model at the Lao Bao (Vietnam) - Densavan (Laos) international border gate pair.

Vehicles exiting the country at Lao Bao international border gate - Photo: HOANG TAO

On June 21, the Office of the People's Committee of Quang Tri province informed that the province has just issued a document directing relevant agencies to stop implementing the one-stop inspection procedure at the Lao Bao - Densavan international border gate pair, according to Resolution No. 180 of the Government, issued on June 18.

More than 10 years of applying the one-stop-one-stop model

The one-stop single-window procedure between Vietnam and Laos at the Lao Bao - Densavan international border gate pair has gone through a long process.

In 2007, Vietnam and Laos applied step 1 of the inspection procedure, with customs of the two countries jointly inspecting import and export goods.

By 2012, the two countries moved from step 1 to step 4, meaning that the respective authorities of the two sides coordinated to complete the inspection and processing of documents at the common inspection area in the territory of the importing country.

On February 6, 2015, the two countries jointly organized the official opening ceremony of the one-stop inspection procedure at the Lao Bao - Densavan international border gate pair.

The application of this procedure in the initial entry and exit of people and vehicles took place smoothly and quickly. The entry and exit procedures were simplified and transparent, helping to shorten the customs clearance time.

Specifically, passengers and vehicles only stop once at one point (entry gate) to complete exit and entry procedures.

The time to complete exit and entry procedures is only about 2 minutes, a reduction of 5 minutes compared to the old inspection model, thereby reducing 40 - 50% of waiting time, moving and completing procedures at the border gate.

Vehicles stop to wait for entry at Densavan international border gate (Laos) - Photo: HOANG TAO

Looking for a new model

Since early May 2021, the two provinces of Quang Tri and Savannakhet have temporarily suspended the one-stop inspection procedure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspection and control have returned to the traditional way.

During the suspension period, the situation showed that immigration and import-export activities through the Lao Bao - Densavan international border gate pair were maintained stably and had a fairly good growth trend, not affected by the suspension of one-stop procedures.

Some of the main difficulties in implementing this procedure include the lack of a legal framework; incompatibility with the trend of e-customs, the national single window mechanism, and the ASEAN single window which are developing strongly; inadequate infrastructure; lack of human resources...

The one-stop inspection procedure is a new and unprecedented form in the Greater Mekong Subregion and ASEAN countries, with Vietnam and Laos being the leading countries, so it is inevitable that there will be difficulties.

Given the above realities, the two sides have agreed to propose to the Governments of Vietnam and Laos to allow the suspension of single-stop inspection at the Lao Bao - Densavan international border gate pair.

At the same time, the two countries will jointly research and seek suitable solutions to create maximum convenience for goods, people and vehicles passing through the border gate in the new situation, in line with the current integration and development trend.

From 2015 to the first quarter of 2021, when the one-stop, one-stop model was still implemented at this pair of border gates, the number of vehicles entering and exiting the country reached 676,000, the number of passengers entering and exiting the country was 2.9 million, the import-export turnover reached 1.67 million USD, and the budget revenue was more than 1,000 billion VND.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dung-thu-tuc-mot-cua-mot-lan-dung-tai-cua-khau-quoc-te-lao-bao-densavan-de-tim-huong-di-moi-20250621124036349.htm