Lang Son Customs: A mark of modernization

In recent years, the Customs Department of Lang Son province has always focused on modernizing and promoting the “digitization” of customs declaration activities, thereby contributing to shortening customs clearance time for goods, promoting import and export of goods through the province.

Officers of Customs Sub-department of Huu Nghi International border gate support businesses in customs declaration

To well serve the province’s import-export activities and complete assigned tasks, Lang Son Customs Department is one of the first three customs units in the country to study and implement computer programs and applications in professional activities. Since March 2008, the Provincial Customs Department has implemented remote customs declaration for all types. At that time, remote customs declaration helped to reduce customs clearance time for businesses by more than 70%. In particular, this is the first time businesses can proactively declare customs documents from the business headquarters without having to go to the customs unit to declare.

Immediately after successfully implementing remote customs declaration, in 2014, the Provincial Customs Department continued to deploy the Viet Nam Automated Cargo Clearance System (VNACCS/VCIS) at border gates in the province. Up to now, the VNACCS/VCIS system continues to be applied and implemented by customs units at customs sub-departments at border gates. Only from January 1, 2018 to the end of August 2023, the total number of businesses participating in implementing VNACCS/VCIS electronic customs procedures is 8,719 businesses with a total of 565,774 declarations.

“In order to make declarations on a fully automatic system, completely eliminating the use of papers in carrying out customs declaration procedures, from 2020 until now, the Provincial Customs Department has invested in research and application of 5 new software to serve professional knowledge on a digital platform in order to complete and switch to “digitizing” customs procedure. At the same time, the leaders of the department directed the customs departments, divisions, departments and sub-departments to cut down unnecessary documents, papers, orders and procedures to ensure compliance with the orientation of building a “paperless” and “smart customs” model. Mr. Nguyen Anh Tai, Deputy Director of the Provincial Customs Department

 

Sharing about the effectiveness in implementing the VNACCS/VCIS system, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Head of Customs Management Supervision Division, Provincial Customs Department said: The implementation of the VNACS/VCIS system at border gates in the province has fundamentally changed the management and supervision of customs, limiting the use of paper documents through the application of electronic signatures. The VNACCS/VCIS system has helped reduce the time to receive customs registration documents for businesses, as well as the time to receive, process and clear goods. Currently, clearance time for a shipment of goods only takes 2 minutes.

Mr. Nong Ngoc Son, Director of Bac Giang Agricultural Products Co., Ltd (Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province) said: Currently, when going to the border gate, businesses do not need to carry any documents because previously, information related to the shipment was declared on the electronic system. Therefore, when goods arrive at the border gate, they just wait for customs clearance and do not need to declare further. This helps businesses reduce many types of costs and travel time.

In recent years, in order to improve the quality of serving businesses engaged in import-export activities, Lang Son Customs has promoted the application of information technology in managing import-export activities of goods at the province’s border gates. Most clearly, since 2020, Lang Son Provincial Customs Department has implemented an integrated supply chain management model according to the guidance in the security and trade facilitation framework (SAFE) of the World Customs Organization. Cargo screening and inspection are also conducted through the electronic container scanning system. Along with that is implementing “digitization” of the results of customs procedures… Currently, 99% of procedures related to import and export goods of businesses that carry out procedures through customs sub-departments are carried out through an automatic system on a digital platform. Along with that, from 2022 up to now, Lang Son Customs has made efforts with the province to implement the digital border gate platform at Huu Nghi International Border Gate and Tan Thanh Border Gate. Up to this point, 100% of businesses operating in import and export of goods through Huu Nghi International Border Gate and Tan Thanh Border Gate make online declarations on the Digital Border Gate Platform before the vehicles of transporting goods go to the border gate area. These contribute to shortening the time for customs clearance of goods and improving the efficiency of customs clearance of goods through border gates.

According to statistics from Lang Son Customs Department, by the end of August 2023, the number of customs procedures requiring paper copies will only be about 5%. Currently, 100% of online public services related to customs operations are at level 4 and level 3.

It is known that the Provincial Customs Department is currently directing its sub-departments, divisions and commissions to effectively implement the VNACCS/VCIS system and software to serve related professional work. At the same time, the department continue to build and gradually “digitize” the entire declaration process of the business as well as the processing process of related divisions. The goal of the provincial Customs Department is that by the end of 2025, the documents in the customs dossiers will be standardized, digitized and completely implemented in an electronic and paperless environment.