Coordination in Tax, Customs Monitoring

VCCI President Vu Tien Loc said that the financial sector is at the forefront of serving the business community through tax and customs affairs. The business community showed its appreciation for the financial sector for its effective and practical operations. The financial sector needs to raise public intelligence for administrative reform, especially in these two areas. The sector has carried out many close and effective cooperation activities with VCCI, particularly frequent dialogues with the business community which have become an effective channel for exchange and cooperation for the sector and the business community.

 

Bui Van Quan, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Young Entrepreneurs, said that the business environment of Vietnam has changed significantly in the past nine months and taxpayers feel more comfortable with tax payment service. He said the business community valued highly VFF’s supervision over the reform of business environment and administrative procedures.

 

At the meeting, Deputy Finance Minister Do Hoang Anh Tuan briefly reported on the plan for implementation of Resolution No. 19/NQ-CP of the Government dated March 12, 2015 on major tasks and solutions to improve business environment and enhance national competitiveness in tax and customs fields.

 

Accordingly, the tax sector set out objectives for 2015. Tax payment time will be reduced to 121.5 hours or fewer a year. Over 95 percent of businesses declare tax procedures via electronic medium and at least 90 percent of businesses pay taxes via electronic means. At least 90 percent of tax refund procedures will be completed as scheduled. At least 90 percent of taxpayers’ claims will be settled as scheduled. The customs sector will reduce the export time to 13 days and the import time to 14 days in 2015 and to 10 days and 13 days in 2016, respectively. And, the Ministry of Finance determined that the tax service will reach ASEAN-4 level in tax procedure reform in 2016.

 

To realise these goals, the ministry will implement many specific plans and solutions. Tax offices and customs agencies will actively review, modify and supplement tax processes; further train tax officials; intensify internal supervision to ensure the procedural compliance for taxpayers; amend and supplement all tax declaration and payment procedures by speeding up IT application; reduce at least 10 percent of tax administrative procedures and simplify at least 20 percent of tax administrative procedures; assign specific IT application tasks to every units to realise the goal of over 95 percent of businesses declaring taxes via electronic medium and 90 percent of businesses paying tax via electronic means; issue regulations on risk management in tax administration; organise regular customs - business dialogues, etc.

 

The main content in the Meeting Minutes signed by six coordinating agencies is the quality of tax and customs personnel in the coming time. Officials found to commit acts of corruption and harassment will be handled. From supervision results, coordinating agencies will assess realities, advantages and difficulties caused by legal regulations, administrative procedures and coordinating mechanisms to define reasons and propose solutions for business environment improvement to ensure publicity and transparency of procedure and processes and enhance accountability of State administrative bodies. These agencies will oversee the implementation of administrative reform related to reduction, amendment, supplementation and replacement of unnecessary procedures to reduce the time and costs in tax declaration and payment and customs clearance.

 

In the coming time, the VFF Standing Committee will send some supervisory teams to customs and tax offices in some localities. In 2015, they will visit Lao Cai Border Gate (Lao Cai province), Lao Bao Border Gate (Quang Tri province) and Saigon Port (Ho Chi Minh City) to see and examine customs and tax authorities in Lao Cai, Quang Tri and Ho Chi Minh City. This agency will make a list of officials with negative behaviour and acts of harassment to businesses during their service.

 

VFF Chairman Nguyen Thien Nhan said the survey will be carried out in May 2015 in 15 provinces and cities while probing some border gates, customs offices and tax branches. In October 2015, VFF will make a report on supervisory results and submit it to the Government and the National Assembly. VFF Chairman Nhan said tax and customs monitoring requires the participation of businesses because they are direct beneficiaries of these two services. He also stressed that the pressure on these two service sectors in the spirit of Resolution 19 of the Government is very heavy. He also suggested that Vietnam have messages of tax and customs in international integration in December 2015.