Customs system a weight off firms’ minds

Online customs procedures have been jumpstarted from early 2013 and Haiphong Customs Department was the first body embracing the system to help streamline the system.

As planned, the system will work around the clock every day, as opposed to the current working hour system.

According to customs bodies, e-customs could help firms save around 20 per cent in expenses.

Particularly, with e-customs businesses can save diverse sorts such as relevant travel and human resources expenses.

Hanoi customs held a ceremony marking official launch of the system in early February 2013.
“Online customs settlement has gone smoothly, effectively serving the business community,” said Hanoi Customs Department deputy head Nguyen Van Hong.

“The customs bodies, however, need active support and cooperation from businesses. To ensure the system can operate without a hitch, firms need to provide information precisely and in full.”

Toto Vietnam Company Limited, a leading sanitary products maker based in Hanoi’s Thang Long Industrial Zone, annually exports a huge volume of goods, thereby cargo-handling progress is crucial to help the firm meet its partner demands for goods delivery.

“We believe some past problems involving with the transmission channel or less compatibility between customs’ and our business IT system would be tackled with the improved [e-customs clearance] system,” said a firm source.

General Department of Customs (GDC) Information Technology and Customs Statistics Department deputy head Nguyen Tran Hieu said besides upgrading the system nationwide, the GDC would set close eyes on any possible trouble voiced by tax bureaus.

Hieu said e-customs in the spirit of Decree 87/2012/ND-CP and Ministry of Finance’s Circular 196/2012/TT-BTC was one of steps in the customs procedure simplification and modernisation roadmap.

The customs sector will work with relevant government agencies to have customs procedures settle through single-window in the upcoming time. That was because some items still demand import-export permits, making firms to go back and forth to licencing and customs bodies to get their cargos pass through customs check.