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| Customs staff check a customer's declaration at the Lao Bao International border gate in Quang Tri Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Ha Thai |
HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday told authorities in the central province of Quang Tri to speed up work on an one-stop-shop model at the border gate with Laos.
The model aims to minimise the number of offices one has to visit as well as the amount of paperwork to complete at the international border gates at Lao Bao and at Savanakhet Province's Densavan.
The model is scheduled to have a trial run next January.
The Deputy PM said a number of problems could hinder the implementation of the model as the two countries had not been able to sign an agreement on the procedures and certificates of medical quarantine or customs papers.
The infrastructure and facilities to serve customs officers at the border gates were still inefficient, he said.
Phuc also urged the province to focus on mobilising human resources for the model, promising that if necessary, the Government would consider supporting the province further.
Noting that the one-stop-shop model aimed to create favourable conditions for people to travel and transport goods, Phuc said the province should keep close eyes on smuggling, trade fraud and drug trafficking through the border.
Viet Nam and Laos signed a memorandum on the one-stop-shop model in 2005 and officially started work in 2012.
Single window
Earlier, the national steering committee of the ASEAN one-stop-shop (OSS) mechanism launched a project to create national single windows (NSW) at international seaports.
A single window allows trading partners to declare imports/exports when transiting to and from their countries at only one service point.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh highlighted the significance of the project, which comes at a time when Viet Nam is becoming increasingly integrated into the world.
The adoption of single windows sets the scene for Viet Nam to become one of the region's leaders in terms of reforming and simplifying administrative procedures for import-export products, entrance and exit, and transit.
Eight different ministries and sectors are involved in the procedure. They are expected to join the system and promote Viet Nam's prompt connection to the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) mechanism.
The system will initially be applied at seaports in Hai Phong, HCM City, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. — VNS