Modernizing the customs sector - Part 1: Applying management and monitoring technology

Through administrative procedure reform, technology modernization, strengthening management and combating trade fraud, the Customs Branch of Region II has made an important contribution to improving the competitiveness of the city's economy , creating a transparent and favorable business environment, thereby promoting investment attraction and sustainable growth.

Photo caption — Customs officers of Saigon Port Region 2 guide businesses on procedures for receiving goods. Photo: Quang Chau/VNA

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, Vietnam News Agency has published a series of two articles looking back at the development and constant innovation of Ho Chi Minh City Customs from the early days until it became the leading flag of the customs sector of the whole country.

Lesson 1: Actively innovate

As soon as the South was liberated, Ho Chi Minh City Customs was one of the forces that was quickly taken over and built, taking on the role of managing import-export activities at the largest economic hub in the country. The unit has continuously promoted modernization, applied technology to customs management and supervision, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and promoting international trade.

Building the foundation

During the fierce war days, with the foresight of our Party and State, as early as 1967, a number of customs officers, along with a delegation of officers from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, were sent to the B2 battlefield in the Southeast to work and prepare the necessary tasks for the great victory day.

After the Paris Agreement was signed (January 27, 1973), a delegation of customs officers continued to be sent to the South to work at the Central Economic and Finance Department of the Southern Central Office; to research and, when conditions permit, to deploy tasks and build the Customs force after the revolution is victorious.

Immediately after the great victory of Spring 1975, on May 1, 1975, the delegation of cadres of the Central Economic and Financial Department of the Southern Region; including the Southern Customs cadres led by comrade Nguyen Thanh Lan, marched to Saigon to take over the General Department of Customs of the Saigon puppet regime. On July 11, 1975, the Ministry of Foreign Trade issued Decision No. 09/QD-BNT to establish the Southern Customs Sub-Department under the Vietnam Customs Department under the General Department of Foreign Trade, the predecessor of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and now the Regional Customs Sub-Department II.

In the early years, after just escaping the war and being surrounded by embargo, the country was still lacking and facing difficulties, the working conditions and means of customs officers and civil servants were very rudimentary. Customs activities were still simple, mainly handling procedures for aid goods and means of transport, ships, planes, and passengers entering and exiting from socialist countries, fighting smuggling, focusing on detecting cases of smuggling of gold and antiques.

When the country renewed (1986), opened and integrated internationally (1995), trade activities, import and export of goods, foreign investment activities in Vietnam continuously increased. Ho Chi Minh City with its strategic location became the largest economic center of the country, with very busy import and export activities. After 50 years of construction and development, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department became the largest unit among 34 local customs units under the Customs Department; managing the largest volume of import and export goods in the country, playing a key role in the budget collection of the customs sector.

In 2024, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department processed over 3 million declarations from more than 67,000 businesses. The value of cleared goods accounted for 30% of the country's total import-export turnover; contributing 34% of the industry's budget revenue. However, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department's human resources only accounted for 20% of the industry's total payroll.

To meet the requirements of large workload with a streamlined workforce, for many years, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has been a pioneer in applying information technology to improve internal operating processes and innovate working methods. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has proactively implemented the project "Building Ho Chi Minh City Customs Management System - HCAS".

This project has improved the management of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department based on the application of information technology to all professional activities and administrative management activities, creating a breakthrough in the awareness and actions of each civil servant. On the HCAS platform, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department continues to upgrade to a Digital Office, automating the document processing process, providing real-time reporting data to leaders and increasing transparency in operations.

From March 15, 2025, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department will implement a new organizational model according to the decision of the Ministry of Finance , changing its name to the Regional Customs Branch II, arranging 12 affiliated customs branches into 10 regional customs branches. The organizational structure arrangement and system conversion will be carried out quickly by the Regional Customs Branch II, ensuring the requirements of improving management efficiency, facilitating import and export activities and in line with the administrative reform orientation of the Vietnam customs sector.

Continuous breakthroughs

Realizing the importance of information technology and digital transformation in state management, the Customs Sub-Department of Region II has been proactive and determined in implementing comprehensive modernization solutions. One of the major turning points is the pioneering implementation of the VNACCS/VCIS Electronic Customs Clearance System since 2015, helping to reduce time and costs for businesses, while improving transparency and efficiency of state management.

In particular, Ho Chi Minh City Customs is the leading unit in implementing the Automated Customs Management System (VASSCM) at ports, warehouses, and yards, helping to connect warehouse businesses with customs agencies, minimizing paperwork, and optimizing the process of monitoring goods. With a customs network spanning from seaports, airports to export processing zones and industrial parks, the customs departments under the Customs Sub-Department of Region II have their own projects and plans suitable for each form and different subjects of customs clearance.

At Cat Lai port - the largest seaport in Ho Chi Minh City, for many years, the Customs Branch II has coordinated with the port operator to implement the project "Customs procedures in logistics activities and preventing congestion of import and export goods at Cat Lai port". Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam, Head of Customs Department, Customs Branch II, said that this project focuses on simplifying the procedures for receiving and delivering goods, assigning customs officers to directly guide customs clearance for businesses right at the port. This is one of the projects that is highly appreciated by the business community for its effectiveness, helping to reduce time and costs of customs clearance for businesses, fundamentally solving the problem of goods congestion that has lasted for many years.

Saigon Port Customs Area 2 (formerly Hiep Phuoc Port Customs Area) conducts customs supervision, import and export taxes, and anti-smuggling at Hiep Phuoc Port Cluster. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuoc, Deputy Captain of Saigon Port Customs Area 2, said that Hiep Phuoc Port Cluster includes 3 ports: Saigon Central International Container Terminal (SPCT), Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port, and Tan Cang - Hiep Phuoc Port. Among them, SPCT Port is the gateway specializing in importing cars for the entire Southern region, and is also a unit that contributes a large amount of budget revenue to the Customs Branch of Area II.

To facilitate businesses in customs clearance, Saigon Port Customs Area 2 has fully deployed the VNACCS/VCIS platforms, electronic payment (e-Payment), and the automated customs management system at seaports (VASCM) directly connected to the seaport warehouse system and logistics services. The entire process of customs declaration, inspection, tax payment and goods supervision is carried out on the electronic system, ensuring speed, transparency and efficiency.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai, a customs officer at Saigon Port Customs Area 2, shared that reforming the internal operating procedures of the customs sector has made the implementation of operations much simpler. When businesses enter customs declaration information into the system, customs officers receive and review the information; if the information is correct and complete, the declaration will be transmitted to the electronic tax collection department; if there are errors, feedback will be immediately provided on the system for businesses to make adjustments. The electronic customs clearance system has also been linked to the National Single Window Portal to help customs officers monitor and review specialized inspection requirements for import and export shipments without having to wait for businesses to submit documents directly.

Evaluating the customs clearance process, Mr. Do Thanh Dat, Yusen Logistics Company, specializing in importing cars through SPCT Port, shared that after many years of working with customs authorities, the customs clearance process has been greatly improved. Previously, businesses had to fill out paper customs declarations and submit them directly to customs authorities. If there were any errors, they would have to re-declare from the beginning, going back and forth many times, and the time for customs clearance was also slow.

With the application of automatic customs clearance system, electronic tax payment, enterprises can make electronic customs declaration anytime, anywhere, even on holidays or weekends. If there are errors or need to supplement documents, customs officers will respond on the system and enterprises can update immediately, saving a lot of time and effort.

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