Noi Bai Customs: Pursuing Dual Goal of Boosting Trade and Combating Illegal Activities

In recent years, Noi Bai Airport has seen a significant increase in exports, imports, and passenger traffic, with US$9.68 billion worth of goods passing through in 2023. Handling an average of 208 flights daily and serving 36,811 international passengers, the airport's customs office faces numerous challenges in balancing regulation and business facilitation. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr. Phung Quang Minh, Deputy Director of Noi Bai Customs, to gain insights into these matters.

On an average basis, Noi Bai International Airport caters to 208 flights daily, accommodating 36,811 international passengers

Could you tell us what is the biggest challenge for Noi Bai Customs in the coming time?

In my opinion, the biggest challenge for Noi Bai International Airport Customs Office in the coming time is how to simultaneously achieve two goals: Facilitating importing and exporting activities of companies to help enhance economic competitiveness and ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of State inspection and management of customs, fighting against smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of goods and drugs across the border amid the rapidly increasing traffic of vehicles, passengers, luggage and imports and exports in the context of limited resources of customs authorities, especially personnel.

Facing that challenge, Noi Bai Customs defined that further promoting customs reform and modernization and adopting Industry 4.0 achievements and IT application to air customs procedures are top key tasks to build up the capacity of customs officers, ensure government administration of customs and enable trade facilitation. At the same time, Noi Bai Customs helps build the modern customs sector with the world class.

How are customs reform, modernization and digital transformation carried out?

As you know, the consistent viewpoint on customs development to 2030 was stated in the Prime Minister’s Decision 628/QD-TTg dated May 20, 2022: “Customs reform and modernization are the core, customs management modernization is the center, and accelerated digital transformation in customs is the foundation for customs development in the new period."

With that perspective, Noi Bai Customs always pays much attention to speeding up administrative reform, modernizing operational fields, and building a modern digital customs environment on a strong IT application platform and specialized equipment systems. Specifically, Noi Bai Customs deployed, upgraded and completed the National Single Window System and the Automatic Customs Supervision Management at Noi Bai International Airport. The office developed immigration passenger management software at Noi Bai International Airport Customs Office to connect professional data with other competent agencies to serve leaders at all levels; enhanced management efficiency on a modern information system; and synchronously and effectively installed specialized equipment systems like scanners, surveillance cameras, GPS satellite positioning seals. Noi Bai Customs asked the General Department of Vietnam Customs and the Hanoi Customs Department to use additional advanced and modern equipment like radiation detection gates at airport warehouses, smart cameras and metal scanners.

What are the goals of Noi Bai Customs in 2024?

In 2023, Noi Bai Customs collected VND5,926.76 billion for the State Budget, being one of the largest budget collectors in the Hanoi Customs Department. In particular, the office achieved impressive results in fighting, preventing and fighting drugs, seized 39 cases of illegal drug transportation, confiscated 718.51 kg of drugs and 29 people. This helped control this extremely dangerous item for society.

In 2024, Noi Bai Customs worked out a customs control plan to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting; control drugs and precursors; control freight and luggage; develop a customs patrol and control plan for 2024 to control key commodities and VIP flights. At the same time, Noi Bai Customs advised and proposed its superior agencies to coordinate with customs of other countries to launch campaigns to prevent, combat and demolish smuggling at the source to limit and repel sudden increases in air transportation and trafficking of illegal drugs.

At the same time, Noi Bai Customs deployed solutions to facilitate trade, improve government administration, prevent revenue loss, and complete the state budget collection task in 2024. It also prepared to deploy the smart customs model according to the master plan announced by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Thank you so much!

By Le Hien, Vietnam Business Forum