A customs office in Da Nang. The General Department of Customs encourages businesses to implement electronic tax payment and customs clearance 24/7. — Photo tapchitaichinh.vn
The General Department of Customs will promote further administrative reforms relating to tax and customs to help import/export businesses during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is one of the tasks outlined in the General Department of Customs’ Decision 1616/QD-TCHQ issued last week.
It will implement solutions to remove obstacles faced by organisations and individuals implementing customs procedures.
The department will prohibit its customs offices causing difficulties for organisations and individuals during implementation of procedures, leading delays clearing goods, reported the Hai quan (Customs) newspaper.
Customs will also comply with the Ministry of Finance's regulations regarding certificates of origin for imported goods during the pandemic. Of which, it shall inspect import declarations from January 23, 2020 to provide special preferential rates based on the origin certificates for eligible enterprises.
Customs departments of provinces sharing borders with China, Laos and Cambodia must coordinate with forces at border gates to maintain customs clearance for import and export goods, avoiding goods being delayed at border gates.
In addition, the department will also improve efficiency in information technology (IT) to support declarations and tax payments while exchanging information with ministries and sectors to ease procedures, especially development of the national single window mechanism.
They include application of digital signatures for electronic documents issuance and implementation of online public services 24/7.
It will also promote cooperation with the State Treasury, tax offices and commercial banks to create favourable conditions encouraging businesses to implement electronic tax payment and customs clearance 24/7.
Customs will deploy the single window and automated aviation customs supervision system at international airports nationwide.
It will also continue simplifying procedures and the clearance process to reduce paperwork and the time for implementing customs clearance.
Reviews will also take place to cut fees, charges and taxes relating to imported and exported goods.
Trade value
According to the General Department of Customs, in the first half of June 2020, Viet Nam’s trade value increased by 3.3 per cent compared to the second half of May to US$20.57 billion.
Total export value reached $10.37 billion, down 5.3 per cent compared to the second half of May 2020.
Those products with strong reduction in export value included phones and accessories (down 15.7 per cent to $300 million); rice (down 52.5 per cent to $114 million); machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts (down 8.6 per cent to $83 million); and computers, electronic products and components (down 3.3 per cent to $62 million).
From the beginning of this year until June 15, the national total trade value was $217.36 billion, down 2.3 per cent over the same period in 2019. Viet Nam’s trade surplus during this period was $3.75 billion. — VNS