E-customs system benefits businesses

Data collected at Saigon Port Customs Sub-Department under the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department in October last year showed that it took 3 seconds averagely to register for customs declaration via VACCS system, and 34 hours to complete all customs clearance procedures for imports, a 18% reduction compared to 2013’s figure of 42 hours. 

Meanwhile, enterprises spent an average 6 hours for registering and receiving customs declaration for exports, a decrease of 58 percent over 2013’s duration of 16 hours. 

According to the Vietnam Customs, one of the breakthroughs of the system is the application of information technology in tax collection with the electronic payment via banks. 

Currently, 19 commercial banks have contracted with the Vietnam Customs in electronic tax collection and the number is rising. 

The VNACCS/VCIS has also created a foundation for the building of a national “one-stop-shop” mechanism that is expected to bring long-term benefit to enterprises. 

The system has now been connected to the Vietnam Customs’ system and is scheduled to be linked with the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources and Environment in June. 

The Vietnam Customs also reported that as of March 15, the VNACCS/VCIS, launched in April 1, 2014 as part of a project funded by Japan , has attracted the engagement of 53,200 enterprises. The system helped processed 6.3 million customs declarations with total import-export value of US$256.2 billion.