Creating Healthy Business Environment and Supporting Business Recovery

Reforming administrative procedures, modernizing customs, and facilitating trade are key tasks for the Bac Giang Industrial Parks Customs Branch, aiming to create a healthy business environment, support business recovery, drive breakthrough development and contribute to local economic growth.

In 2024, the Bac Giang Industrial Parks Customs Branch was assigned to collect VND1,700 billion for the State Budget. In the year to October 3, its budget revenue reached VND1,743.14 billion, up 43.9% from the same period of 2023 (VND1,211.3 billion) and equal to 102.5% of the assigned plan. The branch received a total of 459,552 declarations and served a total trade turnover of US$39.46 billion, including US$19.97 billion of imports and US$19.49 billion of exports.

To achieve this result, Mr. Luong Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Bac Giang Industrial Parks Customs Branch, said that, in addition to customs administration, the branch focuses on fostering customs-business partnerships, ensuring effective communication, and providing support to enterprises.

Accordingly, the branch regularly engages with enterprises to understand their production, import and export plans, develops budget collection strategies and actively addresses challenges they face. To support businesses, it uses various communication channels, including written materials, in-person meetings, conferences, training, consultations, leaflets, publications, phone, email and Zalo groups. Additionally, the branch views digital transformation as both a goal and a solution, prioritizing the application of information technology in all operations and enhancing employee training to ensure compliance with customs technology standards.

To date, the Bac Giang Industrial Parks Customs Branch has provided 215 out of 237 online public services of Level 3 and Level 4, accounting for nearly 91% of all administrative procedures performed by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, of which 209 administrative procedures of Level 4 have been provided online, reaching 88%. Support solutions for declarants to perform electronic customs procedures have also been boosted, including e-Declaration (electronic customs procedures), e-Manifest (electronic goods declaration), e-Payment (electronic tax and fee payment), e-C/O (electronic certificate of origin of goods) and e-Permit (licenses granted by ministries and branches), thus reducing the time for customs clearance of goods and slashing costs for businesses.

In addition, the Bac Giang Industrial Parks Customs Branch strengthens coordination with the State Treasury, tax authorities and commercial banks in Bac Giang province to facilitate and encourage businesses to adopt electronic tax payment and 24/7 customs clearance. The branch regularly educates political ideology, enhances the sense of responsibility of employees, tightens administrative discipline in performing public duties, effectively carries out the Customer Service Declaration according to the regulations and instructions of the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Mr. Luong Tien Dung said: In recent years, investment in Bac Giang industrial parks has surged, leading to a significant increase in import and export turnover. To create a healthy business environment and successfully complete assigned tasks, in addition to solutions to protect sustainable revenue sources and develop new revenue sources in the long term, the branch will strengthen risk management in customs management, inspection and supervision; and coordinate with relevant agencies to prevent smuggling, trade fraudulence, counterfeiting and knockoffs.

The branch boosts communications on taxpayer support, digital transformation and information technology application in tax management to facilitate businesses; popularize customs laws, provide maximum support, reduce customs clearance time, establish consulting teams, promptly answer businesses; and regularly listen to their thoughts and aspirations.

“The branch regularly provides training to improve the skills and political ideology of civil servants. This helps strengthen trust and satisfaction among local businesses, boosts the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), and contributes to the region's socioeconomic development,” he emphasized.

By Duy Anh, Vietnam Business Forum