Promoting customs partnerships

Developing customs-business partnerships is a top priority for the Provincial Customs Department and is identified as a key focus in customs reform and modernization efforts. This aims to create favorable conditions and provide maximum support for import and export businesses, while simultaneously improving the quality of the province's investment and business environment.

Leaders of the Provincial Customs Department and businesses signed a customs-business partnership agreement for 2024.

According to information from the Thanh Hoa Customs Department, the development of customs-business partnerships and other stakeholders is carried out at both the departmental and sub-departmental levels. At the departmental level, partnership activities are linked to organizational and implementation issues, while partnerships at the sub-departmental level are linked to the unit's regular, daily activities. This task is implemented synchronously and effectively across all four major solution groups: information, consultation, participation, and cooperation.

Accordingly, the Provincial Customs Department has annually implemented diverse forms of propaganda, dissemination, and legal support for businesses. Administrative procedures, policies, and laws on customs are publicly posted at the office and on electronic platforms, combined with awareness campaigns to improve understanding and compliance with the law among the business community. Emphasis is placed on consulting with businesses in the area to promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles, and to propose solutions to the General Department of Customs and the Provincial People's Committee on issues beyond its authority.

From 2014 to 2024, through dialogue conferences, public awareness campaigns, telephone calls, written documents, and direct consultations at customs offices, customs units in the province have provided advice and answered questions for thousands of businesses involved in import and export activities within their jurisdiction. The responses mainly focused on issues such as: regulations on export and import procedures, processing and export production; value-added tax refund procedures; declared customs value of imported goods; and issues with the automated customs management and monitoring system (VASSCM)... The Thanh Hoa Provincial Customs Department proactively addressed and promptly answered the businesses' questions.

As part of efforts to improve the quality of services for businesses in customs procedures and management, creating a transparent and fair import-export environment, and contributing to enhancing national competitiveness, the Provincial Customs Department has focused on effectively implementing solutions to support businesses. In particular, prioritizing administrative procedure reform and the implementation of electronic customs procedures has been a key focus. Simultaneously, support and promotion of digital transformation for businesses and related parties have been ensured to align with the digital transformation process of the customs sector. Each sub-department has assigned leaders to be on duty to receive and address feedback, suggestions, and difficulties from businesses during customs procedures. They proactively coordinate with functional forces at border gates to ensure the rapid, continuous, timely, safe, and compliant customs clearance of goods. With this approach, in recent years, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Customs Department has consistently ranked highly in the Provincial Department/Agency Competitiveness Index and the District/City People's Committees of the province, and is the leading unit in the administrative reform index of the General Department of Customs.

Through its management work, the customs agency in the area has selected businesses with a good record of complying with customs laws and regularly engaging in import and export activities to sign cooperation agreements, promoting cooperative relations between the two sides. Specifically at the departmental level, from 2014 to 2024, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Customs Department signed cooperation agreements with 42 associations and businesses.

Customs-business partnerships are also being actively promoted and deepened by local customs branches through various practical and substantive solutions. According to Ngo Van Thanh, Head of the Thanh Hoa Port Customs Branch, in addition to maintaining 24/7 service to promptly address any issues arising during customs procedures, the branch has proactively connected and coordinated with agencies at land and sea border gates nationwide to facilitate the rapid clearance of import and export goods. Simultaneously, they encourage and support businesses in voluntarily complying with customs laws. In the past five years, the branch has signed customs-business partnerships with 10 enterprises.

Besides promoting cooperation agreements, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Customs Department has maintained an annual dialogue conference to disseminate customs policies and laws, and to promptly receive and address feedback and concerns from businesses. Simultaneously, it has strengthened cooperation with associations and businesses through the development and signing of specific cooperation programs, aiming for understanding and consensus between the customs agency and businesses. This approach has been recognized and highly appreciated by many businesses, as evidenced by the opinion of Mr. Nguyen Bao Khanh, Deputy General Director of VAS Nghi Son Group Joint Stock Company: "Throughout the investment, production, business, and import-export process, VAS Nghi Son has always received favorable conditions from the Nghi Son Port Customs Branch, which has proactively and promptly resolved any arising customs procedure issues."

According to Deputy Director of Thanh Hoa Provincial Customs Department Le Xuan Cuong, the development of cooperative and partnership relationships between customs agencies and businesses and relevant parties is becoming increasingly in-depth and substantive, thereby creating a solid foundation and contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in customs. The Provincial Customs Department is continuing to focus on this task and identifies it as a key focus in customs reform and modernization, aiming to facilitate businesses, create a healthy business environment, and contribute to increasing the competitiveness and attracting investment to Thanh Hoa province.

Text and photos: Dong Thanh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thuc-day-quan-he-doi-tac-hai-quan-doanh-nghiep-di-vao-chieu-sau-thuc-chat-227851.htm