Modernizing the Customs Industry - Final Article: Towards Perfecting the Digital Customs System

Along with administrative procedure reform and customs modernization, the Customs Sub-Department of Region II is a unit with many initiatives in dialogue and accompanying businesses, bringing practical results and being highly appreciated by the business community.

In the context of volatile global trade, Ho Chi Minh City Customs continues to apply technology, aiming to perfect the digital customs system, smart customs, increasingly better meeting the needs of businesses and people.

Customs officers of Saigon Port Region 2 inspect imported cars. Photo: Quang Chau/VNA

Active dialogue - companionship

The year 2025 marks the ten-year milestone of the Region II Customs Branch implementing the initiative "Ho Chi Minh City Customs and the business community are partners working together for development". Sharing information, adapting together and finding new solutions has helped both sides overcome difficulties, creating consensus in promoting sustainable development.

Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam, Head of Customs Department, Customs Branch of Region II, informed that every year, Customs Branch of Region II actively coordinates with Associations and the business community to discuss breakthrough and innovative solutions to effectively build and implement action programs for socio -economic development. The regular dialogue program between customs and businesses often focuses on solving problems that businesses encounter when carrying out customs procedures.

Through dialogues, the customs sector also grasps practical requirements to make recommendations and proposals to amend regulations accordingly. In addition to the regular dialogue mechanism, businesses that encounter problems that need to be resolved immediately can contact the customs agency to resolve them promptly.

Appreciating the dialogue mechanism between customs and enterprises, Mr. Jean Jacques Bouflet, Vice President of Eurocham shared that with the spirit of learning, the Customs Branch of Region II has regularly coordinated and exchanged information, disseminating new regulations in import and export activities. Through the dialogue sessions, the difficulties and problems of enterprises continue to be listened to and promptly resolved. The Customs Branch of Region II has also synchronously implemented modernisation solutions, facilitating trade, contributing to promoting production, business and facilitating investors.

In dialogue programs with businesses, leaders of the Customs Branch of Region II often emphasize that customs officers always put people and businesses at the center; take satisfaction as a measure to evaluate service quality, create an equal and open business environment. This is also considered a "lever" to facilitate growth in production and business activities, improve the city's competitiveness; contribute to making Ho Chi Minh City a bright spot to attract investment waves when the world repositions its supply chain and production.

Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone is the first export processing zone in the country, implementing a model of attracting foreign investment in the fields of manufacturing, exporting and processing for export. From being the place where labor-intensive factories were located, Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone has now almost become the second “high-tech” zone of Ho Chi Minh City with many enterprises operating in the fields of electronics and software.

Mr. Le Nguyen Linh, Deputy Head of Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone Customs, said that the special feature of the export processing zone is that both imported and exported goods are exempt from tax. To prevent the situation of taking advantage of customs declaration priority to smuggle imported goods into the country, customs must focus on supervision. However, along with the change in management principles from pre-inspection to post-inspection, Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone Customs also changed the form of management, considering enterprises as true partners, accompanying each other in development.

“Previously, the export processing zone was built with fences and gates with locks to prevent goods from being smuggled out. Currently, customs no longer supervises with hard fences but applies management based on periodic input, output, and inventory settlement reports of enterprises. At the same time, customs authorities also assess the level of compliance with the law to determine the frequency of inspections; both reducing the workload for customs authorities and reducing unnecessary procedures for enterprises,” Mr. Le Nguyen Linh added.

Towards digital customs - smart customs

Enterprises carry out procedures to receive goods at the customs warehouse at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Photo: Xuan Anh/VNA

In the customs development strategy to 2030 of the customs sector, the Customs Sub-Department of Region II determined to promote the application of online public services integrated into the National Public Service Portal; digitize customs records, develop smart internal applications, towards the model of "Digital Customs - Smart Customs".

To achieve that goal, in parallel with the process of organizing and implementing modernization based on procedural processes, the Customs Sub-Department of Region II is the leading unit in applying modern technology to serve the inspection and supervision of exported, imported and transit goods. Modern container scanning systems, both fixed and mobile, have also been invested in major border gates such as Cat Lai, Hiep Phuoc, Tan Thuan ports... to enhance the capacity of inspection, supervision and prevention of smuggling and trade fraud.

The Customs Sub-Department of Region II is also deploying electronic super-location management systems to monitor the movement of goods between Ho Chi Minh City and other areas; using camera systems to monitor all activities at locations and warehouses for businesses.

To date, the Customs Sub-Department of Region II has deployed new administrative procedures on the National Single Window Mechanism, with 250 administrative procedures of 13 connected ministries and branches, handling nearly 6.67 million sets of documents of more than 66,000 enterprises. The unit also organizes conferences, seminars, and dialogue programs with enterprises to remove difficulties and obstacles, and disseminate customs laws and policies.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport is an important hub in attracting investment, tourism and international trade not only in Ho Chi Minh City but also in the whole Southern region. Among them, goods exported and imported by air have their own characteristics of high value and need for quick customs clearance.

Mr. Phan Binh Tuy, Deputy Head of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs, informed that with the automatic customs monitoring system, all goods and luggage entering and leaving the airport are screened and closely monitored, ensuring prevention and control of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border while still creating maximum convenience for commercial activities and travel of people. In addition, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs also deployed an automatic VAT refund system for passengers entering and exiting the country and businesses, helping to shorten customs clearance time, reduce congestion and reduce costs for people and businesses.

Mr. Le Cao Cuong, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Branch of the Aviation Import-Export Joint Stock Company, said that the company specializes in importing and exporting aircraft spare parts and supplies for Vietnam Airlines Corporation. This is a group of specialized goods, meeting the urgent need for replacing spare parts or repairing aircraft. If there is a delay of just one day, the cost will increase and the economic loss will be huge. Thanks to the application of the automatic customs clearance system, businesses can proactively declare customs early so that when the goods arrive at the port, they can be cleared and put into use immediately.

Representative of the Customs Sub-Department of Region II, Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam, informed that, in parallel with reforming administrative procedures and modernizing customs to facilitate trade for businesses and people, the customs sector still has to ensure the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of drugs. Every year, the Customs Sub-Department of Region II has discovered and arrested hundreds of cases of smuggling and illegal transportation of drugs, and transferred them to competent authorities for handling according to the law.

Promoting the glorious tradition of the unit in the past, the collective of officers and civil servants of the Customs Branch of Region II is making great efforts, together with Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country, to continue to promote administrative procedure reform, modernization, implementation and support the business community to deeply integrate with the world...; building the image of Ho Chi Minh City Customs as a regular, modern and friendly one in the eyes of businesses and people.

According to VNA

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/chuyen-doi-so/hien-dai-hoa-nganh-hai-quan-bai-cuoi-huong-toi-hoan-thien-he-thong-hai-quan-so/20250428090908474