Continuing to improve the capacity of goods customs clearance, edit and perfect the digital border gate platform

Mrs. Doan Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee spoke at the meeting with relevant units at Tan Thanh Border Gate

On the afternoon of June 1, Mrs. Doan Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee checked the import and export of goods and the piloting of the digital border gate platform at Tan Thanh Border Gate.

According to the report of the Management Board of Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone, from the beginning of 2022 to the end of May 2022, China tightened the control of the COVID-19 epidemic, so there were times when goods customs clearance through Tan Thanh Border Gate was temporarily suspended, customs clearance performance was lower than in the same period in 2021 (in the first two months of 2022).

However, from the beginning of March 2022 to May 31, 2022, after agreeing to deploy a new method of delivering and receiving import and export goods (from February 26), the ability to clear goods, especially customs clearance for trucks carrying Vietnam’s exported goods to China has increased. Accordingly, on average, 200-220 vehicles/day can be cleared through customs, of which 100-120 vehicles carrying exported goods/day can be cleared.

The functional forces at Tan Thanh Border Gate exchanged and clarifies some contents about the pilot of the Digital Border Gate Platform.

Regarding the pilot of the digital border gate platform at Tan Thanh Border Gate, according to a report of the Department of Information and Communications, from February 21 to now, 100% of trucks carrying import and export goods through the border gate have been declared online and processed on a digital border gate platform.

At the meeting, relevant departments, agencies and functional forces at Tan Thanh Border Gate discussed the advantages and disadvantages in customs clearance of goods through the border gate. At the same time, they proposed solutions to improve customs clearance efficiency in the near future.

After listening to reports and opinions of relevant agencies and units, concluding the inspection, the Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee stated that in the first five months of 2022, with the implementation of a number of flexible and reasonable solutions of all levels, agencies and relevant forces, the capacity of goods customs clearance through Tan Thanh Border Gate has been improved. However, due to China’s continuing to strictly implement measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic and Vietnamese agricultural products exported to China which must undergo 100% inspection, so the number of trucks carrying export goods left at the border gate area is still quite huge.

In order to continue to improve customs clearance capacity, the Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee requested that the Management Board of Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone continue to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant agencies in implementing the external relations with Chinese authorities, maintain a daily information exchange mechanism on epidemic prevention and control, and promptly remove difficulties in the process of delivering, receiving and circulating goods through the border gate. Thereby, it will create favorable conditions for customs clearance of import and export goods. At the same time, it is requested to proactively grasp the situation, coordinate with departments and agencies to deal with arising issues; promptly provide necessary equipment to maintain operations in the non-tariff zone, especially to ensure environmental sanitation and living conditions of long-distance drivers and functional forces.

The forces at the border gate must actively regulate and separate the means of transport to ensure publicity and transparency; proactively have priority channels to vehicles carrying fresh fruit products.

The People’s Committee of Van Lang District shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant agencies to timely implement the plan to establish a green zone to ensure the COVID-19 prevention and control to serve import-export activities in the border gate area. The Department of Health should direct Lang Son International Health Quarantine Center to implement an automatic disinfection spray system at the entry channel of area B1, the specialized road for import and export at Tan Thanh (Vietnam) – Po Chai (China) and so on.

Regarding the pilot of the Digital Border Gate Platform, the Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee pointed out that the Department of Information and Communications must direct Lang Son Telecommunications to continue editing and perfecting the digital border gate platform; upgrade the internet transmission system, continue to arrange staff to directly support functional forces, businesses and individuals participating in import-export activities at border gate areas and so forth.