Lang Son’s leader inspects activities at Chi Ma border gate

(LSO) – A working delegation of the provincial People’s Committee of Lang Son province, led by Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial Party’s Committee Pham Ngoc Thuong, on September 4 examined import-export activities at Chi Ma border gate in Loc Binh district.

Lang Son province and China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region officially opened the Chi Ma-Ai Dian border gate on September 10, 2018.

However, import-export activities through the border gate remain stagnant. Total import-export revenue in the first eight months of 2019 reached only 82.5 million USD, down 14.3 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the temporary imports for re-exports were estimated at 120 million USD, decreasing 31.3 percent from the same time last year.

The working delegation of the provincial People’s Committee inspects the management and operation of the complex building of relevant forces.

Import-export taxes collected at the border gate hit 28.6 billion VND (1.23 million USD), or 60.6 percent of the set plan and increasing 5 percent year-on-year.

At the working session, representatives of competent forces informed the delegation about challenges while performing their duty related to import, export, immigration, fight against smuggling and trade fraud, and human trafficking.

Clarifying the cause of the drop in import-export revenue, they said China has new policies and mechanisms setting stricter standards for imported goods.

Thuong spoke highly of the authorized forces’ efforts in ensuring security in the border gate area and coordinating to carry out their missions as well as give timely forecast for the security situation in the area.

Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee speaks at the working session.

He asked the relevant forces to make greater efforts to assure public order, prevent smuggling, and promote their role in accelerating import-export activities.

In addition, they should serve as fact-finders to propose provincial and government leaders necessary measures to attract import-export companies and create favourable conditions for border residents to boost economic development. They were urged to review all projects in the border gate area, and have proper punishments for any project that violates legal regulations.

Thuong also asked Loc Binh district to join hands with competent authorities to boost diplomacy and friendship with Chinese border localities./.