Continuing to create favorable conditions, promote goods customs clearance

– On the afternoon of May 17, Mrs. Doan Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee chaired a meeting to deploy solutions to remove difficulties and problems related to goods import and export activities through Huu Nghi International Border Gate and Tan Thanh Border Gate.

According to a report at the meeting, from January 1 to May 12, 2021, the total import-export turnover through Huu Nghi International Border Gate reached 779.6 million USD. The main exported items are agricultural products, fresh fruits of all kinds, fine art furniture, plywood, paper…; the main imported goods are machinery and equipment, spare parts, chemicals, raw materials, components for production, assembly, automobiles and so on.

The total import and export turnover through Tan Thanh Border Gate reached 196.9 million USD, export and import items are mainly fresh fruits, agricultural products and a number of consumer goods.

At this time, at Huu Nghi International Border Gate, the volume of vehicles for goods customs clearance during the day is very large, averaging over 800 vehicles/day, peaking at over 1,000 vehicles/day, of which about 200 – 250 exported goods vehicles/day, about 550-600 imported goods vehicles/day, peaking at over 700 imported goods vehicles/day.

At Tan Thanh Border Gate, the daily volume of vehicles carrying import and export goods averages 300 vehicles/day, of which about 260 exported goods vehicles/day and about 40 imported goods vehicles/day.

The report of Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone Management Board  at the meeting stated besides the achieved results, goods import and export activities through the two border gates currently face some difficulties, which prolongs goods customs clearance time, thereby leading to local congestion.

Mrs. Doan Thu Ha, Vice Chaiworman of the Provincial People’s Committee spoke at the meeting

The reason is that China has increased inspection and disinfection of goods and vehicles to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic; the number of drivers in China’s Specialized Driver Team is small (one driver must be in charge of 3-4 vehicles), leading to the situation of Chinese vehicles congested at the parking lot of Huu Nghi Xuan Cuong Joint Stock Company, causing difficulties in arranging Vietnam’s export goods trucks to get in the parking lot for goods delivery and receipt; Tan Thanh specialized cargo route (Lang Son, Viet Nam) – Pu Zhai (China) through the landmark area 1088/2-1089 has not been officially put into operation; the port capacity of the border gate area has not met the requirements; the number of exported goods vehicles has increased rapidly from the end of April until now; the coordination of sectors in handling and regulating vehicles in the area outside the border gate is not timely and scientific and so on.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee acknowledged the efforts of departments, committees and agencies, especially functional forces at  border gates and businesses in promoting import and export of goods through the two border gates as well as the Covid-19 prevention and control in the past time.

Regarding the tasks in the coming time, she requested Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone Management Board to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Provincial Police, the Provincial Border Guard Command and relevant agencies to build plans to manage, channel and regulate  import and export goods vehicles when the volume of goods in the area of ​​the two border gates increases, preventing congestion in the border gate area.

Along with that, it is required to develop a plan to arrange vehicles to be concentrated at a number of other suitable locations to ensure traffic safety, security and order and environmental sanitation; assign Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone Management Board to coordinate with other sectors and units to consider a plan to establish an interdisciplinary working group to manage and capture the goods import-export situation at the border gates; strengthen propaganda, guiding and requesting import-export enterprises to speed up the completion of documents and customs clearance procedures according to regulations; establish a hotline to receive feedback from businesses and traders participating in import-export activities, thereby coordinating to solve difficulties and problems; promptly report to the leaders of the Provincial People’s Committee to direct the settlement of arising problems beyond authority; continue to well perform  foreign affairs to discuss with the Chinese authorities on solutions to improve the goods customs clearance capacity; request Huu Nghi Xuan Cuong Joint Stock Company, Bao Nguyen Transportation Trading Joint Stock Company to arrange forces to regulate and channel the traffic flow in the open parking area, to carry out the customs clearance of cargo trucks at the fastest; at the same time strictly comply with regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control.

Department of Industry and Trade was assigned to preside over the review of import-export activities through the province over the past time, proposing solutions and policies to attract import-export activities through the province; consider establishing a website to provide the province’s guidelines and policies and information on import-export activities through border gates in the province; Department of Health was assigned to consider the vaccination against the epidemic for the specialized driver team, along with performing well Covid-19 prevention and control at the border gate areas.

The Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee asked the heads of departments, agencies, units and functional forces to continue improving the sense of responsibility in performing official duties; support, create favorable conditions, reduce time and costs, promote goods customs clearance; at the same time, strengthen inspection, supervision and strictly handle acts of harassment, causing difficulties for the operation of import-export enterprises in the province.