Comprehensive measures help boost tax revenue

(LSO) – A report by the Lang Son Customs Department shows that as of August 12, tax revenue from import and export through border gates in the province exceeded 2.24 trillion VND, an increase of 48 percent from the same period last year and equal to 80.1 percent of the target.

   Attracting export-import businesses

Of the figure, the customs division at Huu Nghi international border gate collected over 1.9 billion VND.

Tran Bang Toan, director of the Huu Nghi international border gate’s customs division, said that the division targeted to collect over 2.23 trillion VND in tax this year and by August 12, it has collected over 80 percent of the goal. To achieve it, the division has drawn up a detailed plan for tax collection, with specific goals assigned on a monthly basis, right from the beginning of the year. The plan focuses on attracting export-import businesses, particularly major transport firms, to implement customs clearance through the border gate.

Customs divisions at other border gates have also proactively stepped up procedure reforms to attract more firms for clearance of goods.

The Lang Son Customs Department has directed its divisions to fulfill major tasks, including focusing on effectively accelerating administrative reforms in accordance with the Government’s Resolution No.2/NQ-CP on improving business climate and national competitiveness in 2019, with a vision to 2021.

Since the beginning of this year, customs divisions at local border gates have processed nearly 69,000 online applications for 2,457 enterprises, with all of them settled on time without affecting the enterprises’ operation.

Additionally, the customs divisions have held regular meetings with businesses to look into and help solve their problems, contributing to the increase in the tax revenue.

Import value of items with high tax rates, like consumer goods, automobile parts and accessories, automobiles, machinery, traditional medicines, furniture and chemicals, from January to August 12 rose by 17 percent year on year to nearly 1.15 million USD.

Staff of the Huu Nghi international border gate’s customs division examine imported vehicles.

 At the same time, these divisions have also actively upgraded their computer systems to facilitate import and export activities.

   Solutions for remainder of the year

At a meeting on July 31, the Lang Son Customs Department forecast that tax revenue in the second half of the year will decrease compared to the first half due to a projected drop of 50 percent in imports of vehicles to Vietnam, which is likely to lead to a decline of about 180 billion VND in tax collection. Decreases are also forecast for automobile parts (30 billion VND), cooling machines (50 billion VND), steel and steel and iron products (60 billion VND).

The total tax revenue in the second half of the year is predicted to fall by around 500 billion VND from the first.

The director of the Lang Son customs department said the authority will continue urging its divisions to take various measures to boost tax collection and further foster administrative reforms  and modernise procedures to create best conditions for exporters and importers./.