Bac Ninh Customs Supporting Businesses to Address Challenges

With the motto "Customs in close partnership with businesses", Bac Ninh Customs Department has synchronously implemented many practical solutions to support businesses to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating favorable conditions for production.

Efforts to accomplish the tasks

Bac Ninh Customs Department was established on July 3, 2012 and officially came into operation on August 11, 2012. According to the assigned functions and tasks, the Department is in charge of customs in the three provinces of Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Thai Nguyen. The organizational structure includes 11 units, including 5 Customs Sub-departments and 6 affiliated advisory units with 232 staff members.

In 2021, the provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang were hardest hit by the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure "dual goals", the Customs Department directed its affiliated customs branches to implement measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department deployed special working groups to work 24/7 in all possible situations such as isolation to ensure smooth import and export activities of enterprises. The Department also developed an anti-pandemic plan, and organized for officials and employees to alternately work remotely to ensure job settlement during the implementation of social distancing.

Thanks to that, despite managing the localities that were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time, the import-export turnover in the area was more than US$166 billion, reaching the top position in the whole industry with the highest revenue contribution to the state budget of VND11,800 billion, reaching 124.6 % of the target assigned by the ordinance and reaching 106.3% of its own target. During the year, the Department implemented customs procedures for nearly 7,000 businesses, an increase of 10.9 % compared to 2020. The total number of registered declarations reached 1,160,242, an increase of 10.88% over the same period in 2020. This result not only has many positive meanings in terms of attracting businesses, but also shows the efforts of Bac Ninh Customs officials and employees after nearly a year of overcoming difficulties at the pandemic center.

Promoting administrative procedure reform

Administrative procedure reform is considered the most important task of the customs sector. Bac Ninh Customs Department has directed Customs Sub-Departments and professional units to regularly strengthen propaganda, guide and mobilize import-export enterprises in the area to actively participate in customs clearance procedures through the online public service system, the national single window system and the ASEAN single window system.

Bac Ninh Customs always promotes reform and simplification of administrative procedures toward modernity, publicity and transparency; timely solves problems arising within their competence related to customs procedures, tax policies, tax administration, accounting regimes, tax refund and tax exemption regimes; removes difficulties and creates favorable conditions for enterprises engaged in import and export activities. The Department applies international standards and modern customs management processes to create maximum convenience for the business community while ensuring strict supervision and management in accordance with the provisions of law.

According to Mr. Tran Duc Hung, Director of Bac Ninh Customs Department, over the years, the efficiency and quality of operations of Bac Ninh Customs Department have made important contributions to the socio-economic development of localities in general and support to facilitate production and business activities of enterprises in the localities in particular.

In 2022, the Customs Department of Bac Ninh province will strive to achieve the budget revenue targets assigned by the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs. It will continue to promote administrative reform and customs modernization in the period of 2021-2026. The department will continue to closely follow the direction of the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs to proactively propose solutions to the province to improve customs management in the area. It will continue to coordinate well with other departments, agencies and branches in the province to perform well the task of the budget collection; coordinate with industrial parks to support investors, export processing enterprises in customs procedures, ensuring goods clearance.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum