Priority Card for Customs Formalities

Priority Card for Customs Formalities

In the 2004-2005 period, the Vietnam Customs Office is applying five measures of comprehensive administrative reform in the field of customs inspection. One of the measures is the introduction of the priority card for enterprises. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr. Le Manh Hung, Director General of the Customs Department on the issue.

The Customs Office is going to issue priority cards to enterprises. What criteria do enterprises have to meet?

It is still a new idea to Vietnamese customs and we are still only in the process of analysing the proposal. In order to apply the measure in late 2004 or early 2005, we are studying and learning from experiences of other countries, especially Thailand, in providing preferential treatment to certain enterprises.

In the absence of specific criteria, any enterprise involved in import-export activities may request the priority cards from the Customs Office. If they are eligible then their import and export procedures will be subject to simple customs formalities.

Is there any difference between preferential treatment to normal import and export companies and those with priority cards?

Naturally the import and export activities of the enterprises with priority cards will receive more preferential treatment. We are also reducing customs formalities to a minimum and aim to drop the procedure time to half a day or a day from the three days in the past. Accordingly, we will inspect only particular cases. Most Vietnamese commodities will be free from control or will only be subject to sporadic checks, changing the structure from pre-import control to post-import control.

Is the priority card part of the comprehensive administrative reform of the Customs Office?

Yes it is. Other reforms include the upgrading of the institution, organisation, staff and public finance. One of the principle measures is the reform of the management and formalities as this will directly affect the import-export activities of enterprises.

However, I believe that to be successful there must be assistance from the business community, alongside the efforts of the Customs Office. Businesses are companions of the Customs Office in import-export activities as well as in the reform.

Since its establishment how has the task force solve constraints on enterprises?

The task force was formed in May 2004 meeting the aspiration of businesses. The General Department of Customs has directed customs offices in all localities and border gates to promptly solve the constraints of the business community, ensuring that customs officials enable the quick passage of commodities. Customs offices, especially the task force, must discuss issues directly with businesses so as to facilitate the implementation of solutions to import-export activities.

Apart from priority cards, will the customs office take additional measures to accelerate the passage of commodities?

We will modernise the customs operation, transforming the manual and scattered process at present into a concentrated management model, replacing the manual process with modern equipment.

• Phuong Ha