Vietnam to Launch E-customs Nationwide in 2008
The Vietnam General Department of Customs plans to launch electronic customs (e-customs) clearance procedures across the country from next year.
The hi-tech system is designed to standardize procedures nationwide and shorten the time it takes to clear customs.
The move follows a pilot program conducted by the General Department of Customs (GDC) in the northern port city of Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City since October 2005.
By late 2006, e-customs had been carried out on 215 businesses with an average volume of 90 manifests per day. A sum of 21,000 declarations with a total export value of US$1.7 billion have to date been undertaken electronically.
E-customs takes the enterprises only 2-3 minutes on average to have goods cleared instead of the 7-8 hours it takes to fill out paperwork by hand.
But is still has some kinks. Customs offices at the borders are yet to be linked with the system, meaning goods are often held up there although customs clears electronically.
The e-customs project is part of a larger e-commerce project undertaken by the Ministry of Trade.
(VNS, VietnamNet)
Vietnamese
