In response to the Government's request to accelerate administrative reform and enhance information technology application, the General Department of Customs has made great breakthrough in application of information technology during the past 10 years. The achievement in IT application creates driving force to build Vietnam Customs of modernism, professionalism, transparency and efficiency, as well as making an important contribution to the completion of Customs modernization reform and trade facilitation, towards building Digital Customs.
Up to now, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has completed the 5E target (E-Declaration; E-Payment; E-C/O; E-Permit and E-Manifest) in IT application for state management of customs, built a centralized information technology system at the General Department level serving the state management of customs, operating stably, smoothly, covering and supporting most of the key areas of customs management.
With the achieved results, in 2019, the General Department of Customs was awarded the Outstanding Digital Transformation State Agency Award by the Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA).
Promoting IT applications to serve people and businesses
In order to create favorable conditions for people and businesses, the General Department of Customs has promoted IT application in customs procedures process in particular and import-export activities in general. Together with rapid development of national economy, the workload of the General Department of Customs has increased rapidly, specifically: import-export turnover has increased 23% averagely year by year, import-export tax amount has increased 9.2% averagely year by year; number of import and export declarations has increased 22% averagely year by year. But, in contrary, the number of customs officers and employees has decreased according to Resolution 39-NQ/TW of the Politburo; in fact, the number of customs officers and employees has decreased by 1.5-1.7% year by year in the past 5 years. However, attributed to IT application, customs procedures have still been carried out smoothly, continuously and quickly. Accordingly, IT has become an important tool for the General Department of Customs to successfully complete the set political tasks.
Up to now, 100% of basic customs procedures have been automated, 100% of customs departments and sub-departments have carried out electronic customs procedures with participation of 99.65% of enterprises. Accordingly, the declaration, receipt, information processing and customs clearance decision-making are done at a very high degree of automation; processing time for a customs dossier is only from 01 to 03 seconds.
Since 2012, the customs authority has connected with IT systems of commercial banks and the State Treasury to implement electronic payments (E-payment). To further facilitate people and businesses, since 2017, the General Department of Customs has focused resources on implementing the 24/7 electronic tax payment and customs clearance project. Accordingly, businesses can pay tax at anytime, in anywhere, by any device with internet connection; tax payments are settled promptly and accurately, reducing time for tax payment and customs clearance to be done right after paying tax, thereby shortening the time to complete customs procedures. The amount of budget revenue collected by electronic method reaches 98.4% of the total budget revenue of the General Department of Customs;
Since 2017, the General Department of Customs has implemented Vietnam Automated System for Seaport Customs Management (VASSCM) through connecting and exchanging information with enterprises operating in seaports, airports, warehouses, and locations subject to customs supervision. The implementation of VASSCM contributes to simplify documents and procedures for taking goods out of the warehouses and ports; reduce contact between customs and businesses; reduce time for import-export procedures to overcome congestion at port gates/warehouses; .... The implementation VASCM has so far been carried out at most of the customs departments of provinces and cities.
In order remove difficulties for businesses, create favorable conditions for import and export goods to be traded smoothly through inland border gates, from January 27, 2022, the General Department of Customs has officially deployed an anti-congestion warning function on the National Single Window Portal. The General Department of Customs also expects to expand the solution of applying GPS data to warn transport congestion and monitor import and export goods at border gates, Inland Container Depots (ICDs), international seaports and airports in the near future.
To support and facilitate businesses in taking customs declaration, from January 1, 2022, the General Department of Customs has coordinated with EPAY Company to deploy free customs declaration software for businesses. In March 2022, the General Department of Customs organized online trainings and conducted guidance on using free customs declaration software for customs agencies and businesses.
The General Department of Customs has already coordinated with the People's Committee of Lang Son province to deploy an information exchange system with the digital border gate platform of Lang Son province (upgrade completion by April 10, 2022).
Also in 2022, the General Department of Customs continues to expand the implementation of GPS electronic positioning seal system nationwide for monitoring import and export goods transported by containers, contributing to improving the efficiency of State management on customs and facilitating businesses.
In recent years, the General Department of Customs has enhanced the provision of online public services to serve people and businesses and has achieved breakthrough results. The General Department of Customs has so far provided 221/244 online public services at level 3 and 4 (nearly 91% of the total administrative procedures performed by customs authorities), of which 215 are at level 4 (accounting for 88.1%), allowing people and businesses to submit dossiers and receive results online via internet.
Up to now, the General Department of Customs has completed integrating 98 online public services of level 4 into the National Public Service Portal.
Comprehensive IT application in customs operations
Along with promoting IT application in reforming administrative procedures, serving people and businesses, the General Department of Customs has also focused on implementing activities to gradually apply IT comprehensively in all areas of the customs professional operation, including: Customs management supervision; Import and export tax collection management; Management of taxable prices; Risk management; Post-clearance inspection and Anti-smuggling investigation, handling of violations. The General Department of Customs has deployed IT systems for post-clearance inspection and anti-smuggling investigation, handling of violations. The above said systems have all been uniformly deployed throughout the customs branch and brought about positive effects in state management of customs.
In addition, the General Department of Customs has also applied IT in internal direction and administration and has brought high efficiency. The General Department of Customs has deployed the E.Doc system exchanging with the system of the Ministry of Finance, connecting automatically at 3 levels: General Department - Department - Sub-Department, allowing management of outgoing and incoming dispatches, helping to reduce a large amount of paper documents, and at the same time improving the timeliness in document delivery and handling by customs officers and employees throughout the country...
Implementing National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window
As the standing unit of the National Steering Committee on ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window and Trade Facilitation Mechanism, in the past time, the General Department of Customs has made great efforts, initiatives in coordinating and cooperating with other ministries and branches to implement the ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window and Trade Facilitation Mechanism. As of October 17, 2022, 250 administrative procedures of 13 ministries and branches have been connected into the National Single Window.
The General Department of Customs maintains official connection of the ASEAN Single Window to exchange information on electronic certificate of origin form D with all 9 ASEAN member countries, coordinates with ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN countries to connect and exchange ASEAN Customs declarations in accordance with ASEAN's common plan and roadmap, prepares relevant requirements to pilot the connection for exchange of phytosanitary certificates, develops solutions and roadmaps to connect and exchange electronic documents between ASEAN and partners such as Japan, China, and Korea.
With regard to connection with non-ASEAN partners, the General Department of Customs has completed the trial exchange of customs declarations information through a secured connection channel with the Eurasian Economic Union; exchange of electronic C/O information with Korea; exchange of electronic certificates with New Zealand.
The implementation of the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window has helped to reduce paperwork, shorten time, and reduce costs of administrative procedures settlement in import and export, fundamentally change the professional management and inspection methods; at the same time, promote e-Government development, improve the state agencies’ operational quality and efficiency, serve people and businesses better and better. In 2018, the official exchange of e-C/O information helped to save USD 7.89 million, of which USD 2.95 million for imports and USD 4.94 million for exports.
Studying and Applying the 4th Industrial Revolution Technologies
Acknowledging that approaching and proactively applying the latest technologies of the 4th industrial revolution is the key to further promote customs reform and modernization, the General Department of Customs has studied and step by step applied such technologies including Internet of Things (IoT), big data analysis (BI), mobile technology, blockchain,... for state management of customs.
However, recognizing existences and limitations in IT application for state management of customs, such as not fully applying the Industrial Revolution 4.0 technologies, low level of IT application and automation in some areas of customs operations, the General Department of Customs, in the coming time, shall further promote IT application, with a focus on digital transformation to realize the digital customs goal.
On May 4, 2022, the General Department of Customs issued Decision No. 707/QD-TCHQ approving the Customs Digital Transformation Plan by 2025, with orientation to 2030. The General Department of Customs has directed and guided its units and affiliated units to develop a Digital Transformation Plan to 2025, with orientation to 2030, and established a Steering Committee to implement the digital transformation plan thereof.
Accordingly, in the coming time, the General Department of Customs will continue to strengthen the information technology application, focusing on strongly implementing digital transformation with the following main objectives and contents: To complete Digital Customs by 2025; To complete Smart Customs by 2030; 100% of customs procedures to be digitalized and electronically handled by 2025; 95% of customs dossiers to be converted into digital data by 2025 and 100% by 2030; 100% of dossiers on organizations and individuals relevant to export and import activities, people and means of transport on exit, entry or in transit, exported, imported and transited goods to be managed in digital data form; 100% of customs professional control records to be basically converted to electronic data by 2025, towards digitalized data by 2030.
By 2025, 100% of administrative procedures with high using demand will be provided as 4th level online public services for people and businesses to carry out on various means of access. 4th level online public services with appropriate technologies will be integrated into the National Public Service Portal.
By 2025, 80% of customs inspection activities will be carried out through digital environment and information technology system of the General Department of Customs; 100% of administrative procedures in the field of licensing, specialized inspection for export, import and transit goods are carried out through the National Single Window...
By 2030, other criteria shall be completely digitalized, such as: 100% high-risk goods transported by containers subject to customs supervision are monitored by modern technical means, data is connected to the Customs centralized processing center; 100% of key international ports and border gates implement Vietnam Automated System for Seaport Customs Management (VASSCM), equipped with cargo and baggage screening systems, camera monitoring systems and supporting equipments for customs inspection and supervision. The results, images and information are transmitted directly to the Customs centralized processing center and shared with relevant ministries, branches and units at the border gate; 100% of import-export enterprises incurring tax debts are automatically monitored and updated on the Customs electronic system...
Focusing implementation of digital transformation by 2025
The General Department of Customs is currently focusing on digital transformation to meet the requirements of smart administration, management of businesses, import-export and transit goods, means of transport on exit, entry and transit completely; to be capable of integrating, connecting and sharing information with ministries, branches and enterprises through the National Single Window and ready to exchange customs data with countries in the region and the world; have a high degree of automation, apply new and modern sciences and technologies on digital platform.
Accordingly, the General Department of Customs is concentrating resources of the whole branch to carry out the overall redesign of the customs professional process, in which, overall reviewing current professional processes, building processes to ensure interoperability, keep meeting customs management requirements from beginning step to ending step, complying with international standards and practices, and at the same time facilitating strong application of information technology and other technologies of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Based on results of the overall professional process redesign, the General Department of Customs shall apply information technology and digitalize professional processes in 2021-2025 period.
Implementing digital transformation in National Single Window, the ASEAN Single Window mechanism, the General Department of Customs has continued to coordinate with ministries and branches to carry out the following contents: Developing a Governmental Decree on connecting and sharing information between government agencies and related parties through the National Single Window in the field of import, export and transit of goods. The General Department of Customs has completed the draft Decree and is sending it to relevant units for comments.
Formulating and implementing the IT system construction and development for digital transformation and National Single Window, the ASEAN Single Window project: the General Department of Customs has built the Project Draft and Survey Form to serve the construction of the IT System to implement the National Single Window in the direction of centralized processing. In addition, the Ministry of Finance is considering the option of hiring a Project Consultant to build an overall architectural model, apply latest technologies of the industrial revolution 4.0 and inherit the results of invested systems. Currently, the General Department of Customs is studying and amending the draft, receiving and explaining comments of units under the Ministry of Finance.
Along with implementation of the tasks mentioned above, in the coming time, the General Department of Customs will carry out other relevant key tasks, including: Digital transformation for import and export businesses; digital transformation in internal management such as document management, administration, personnel management, internal accounting, developing platform for internal centralized connection and exchange system; building platform to deploy e-customs and improving platform for providing online public services.
The General Department of Customs will also continue to promote the study and application of Industrial revolution 4.0 technologies for state management of customs, such as artificial intelligence (AI) in goods scanning, internet of things (IoT) in customs supervision; big data analysis (Big Data) in import-export businesses management;...
In addition, the General Department of Customs will deploy solutions to support and promote digital transformation in businesses, ministries and branches to ensure synchronization with the Customs digital transformation process, meanwhile promoting digital transformation in implementation of the National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window mechanism.
(Thu Hằng)
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