Innovation and modernization of customs procedures for integration and development

In recent years, to implement the Government's directive on boosting administrative procedure reform (APR), creating favorable conditions for people and enterprises, and following closely the modernization plan of customs sector in period 2016-2020, Binh Duong provincial Customs Department has put more efforts, considered APR and modernization of customs procedures as the key solution. Breakthrough steps in PAR has helped creating a favorable investment environment, inviting businesses to invest and expand production in the province.

Customs branches apply IT advancement into the settlement of import and export procedures for enterprises.

Breakthrough in customs procedures

Previously, many enterprises often complained about complicated customs procedures, especially import and export procedures. At present, due to efforts of customs authority in IT application and modern operation, many customs practices have been simplified. This breakthrough brings satisfaction to the business community.

Nguyen Phuoc Viet Dung, Director of Department of Internal Insurance, said that Provincial Customs Department accelerated the application of IT advancement, switched to electronic management. Up to this time, most main customs procedures are processed automatically at all customs branches in the province. To keep working closely with business community, Binh Duong Customs authority implemented various solutions to reform administrative procedures, modernize procedures, help import and export enterprises to save time, costs and be more convenient in customs clearance, tax payment; improve the effectiveness of customs management; to transform administrative procedures from direct contact to online public services on the web portal, maximizing convenience for import and export activities in the area.

The acceleration of IT application into professional tasks and settlement of customs procedures in order to both quickly and neatly process customs dossiers and ensure effective customs supervision of imported and exported goods, reduce clearance time, switch from traditional customs (manual) to electronic customs; creating a change in customs officials' awareness from management and sanction to a balance between management and service; improve the compliance of import-export enterprises, modern technical equipment, organize professional training towards professionalism and expertise to meet the integration requirements of the industry. This is the key to improve the efficiency and transparency of customs agencies and will meet the requirements of socio-economic development of the province and the industry in each period.

One of the breakthroughs in modernization and reform is that provincial Customs Department has successfully implemented and effectively applied programs and software of automatic customs management system at 100% customs branches. These applications help enterprises to carry out customs procedures at "anywhere - anytime - any means", bring many benefits to import and export business community. As a result, Binh Duong Customs has exceeded the customs clearance time of ASEAN-4.

Tran Van Ben, Head of Import and Export Department of EINS VINA Company, said that the application of information technology and management methods of Binh Duong Customs Department in recent years has helped businesses save time and costs, increased satisfaction of businesses. For import-export enterprises, customs procedures have a significant impact on business efficiency. Improved customs procedures help businesses to pay e-tax anytime, anywhere, conveniently, and be cost-effective.

Goal is the satisfaction of enterprises

Binh Duong Customs Department determine their objective is the satisfaction of enterprises. Hence, from beginning of the year, the department has carried out many solutions to support enterprises from all levels of department, sub-departments and teams by classifying enterprise into groups to assist and timely inform policies and regimes related to import and export activities.

In order to boost the reform of customs procedures, constantly improve the quality and efficiency of works, heighten the satisfaction of enterprises, recently, the department has developed a software named "Customer Satisfaction Assessment at Binh Duong Customs Department", and in the first quarter 2020 successfully piloted this software at Thu Dau One customs branch and will soon deploy in other units. This will be a criterion for evaluating customs officials and services at the department and to create an effective communication channel with customers.

In order to strengthen cooperation, build a partnership between customs-enterprises, the department pay attention to dialogue, cooperation, partnership with enterprises, consider enterprises as a "companion" during the task performance process, regularly carry out dialogues and discussions with enterprises by fields and topics that were set up right from beginning of the year. From beginning of 2020, to help enterprises amidst the Covid-19 crisis, Binh Duong Customs Department has organized delegations to visit, meet, and work with enterprises to listen to, learn about, share difficulties of enterprises; committed to creating the best conditions for businesses when doing customs procedures in the area. Kim Won Sik, Chairman of Korean Business Association in Binh Duong, affirmed that with more than 300 Korean enterprises investing in the province, enterprises have received support, favorable conditions for import and export activities from provincial customs authority.

Besides, Binh Duong Customs regularly maintains and improves the effectiveness of friendly office models in its sub-departments, and launches emulation movements with the motto of serving enterprises as the top priority. Thereby further improving the performance of the department, contributing to improving the provincial competitiveness index, contributing to building a reliable working environment to attract domestic and foreign investors.

Nguyen Phuoc Viet Dung said that in order to maximize the convenience for enterprises as well as commercial activities, welcome new investment waves, Binh Duong Customs will continue to enhance the IT application, thereby completing the construction of electronic customs in accordance with e-government; applying Customs Performance Assessment Index System to gradually improve the efficiency in each area of customs activities; collaborating with professional departments of the General Department of Customs and other departments in the province to improve the quality of management and import and export services; strengthening the development of the customs-enterprises partnership; at the same time to constantly innovate, improve the effectiveness of the control, fight against smuggling, risk management; ensuring streamlined, effective and efficient organization, building a professional and prestigious customs force, strengthen the satisfaction of enterprises and people.

Reported by Ngoc Thanh - Translated by Ngoc Huynh