Deputy PM asks to create maximum convenience for people, businesses

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired the eighth meeting of the National Steering Committee on ASEAN Single Window, National Single Window and Trade Facilitation (Commission 1899) in Hanoi on August 5.

The meeting reviewed the commission's performance in 2021 and the first six months of 2022, and defined orientations and tasks for the rest of the year.

According to Deputy General Director of the General Department of Vietnam Customs Mai Xuan Thanh, as of June 30, 249 out of 261 administrative procedures of 13 ministries and sectors had been connected to more than 55,000 businesses.

Meanwhile, 25 out of 35 administrative procedures that needed to be completed by the first quarter of this year had been implemented.

Vietnam has launched official connections of the ASEAN Single Window to exchange information on electronic certification of origin form D with all other ASEAN member countries.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has coordinated with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN countries to complete the connection and exchange of customs declarations for all ASEAN countries in accordance with the common plan and roadmap.

With non-ASEAN countries, the ministry is processing the opening of an official connection channel. The ministry is Finance also coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to prepare to pilot the exchange of phytosanitary certificates. ASEAN countries are also discussing the design of solutions and roadmaps to connect and exchange electronic documents between ASEAN and its partners of Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea.

The ministry has completed the exchange of information on the experimental customs declaration through a secure connection channel with the Eurasian Economic Union, said Thanh.

The Ministries of Finance, and Industry and Trade are coordinating to negotiate a protocol, of which an annex of technical requirements for the upgrade of the National Single Window to exchange electronic C/O information with the Republic of Korea has been agreed.

The Ministry of Finance is also coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries to build a technical system for the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement between Vietnam and New Zealand.

Regarding trade facilitation, Thanh said that many trade facilitation solutions have been implement, speeding up the clearance of goods, especially agricultural products, fruits and vegetables.

Regarding the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Vietnam has followed the schedule of TFA commitments with the WTO with significant progress, with over 80% of the commitments realised. As scheduled, Vietnam's TFA implementation rate will reach 94.5% on December 31, 2023 and 100% on December 31, 2024.

At the meeting, participants gave many opinions on trade facilitation, especially in the field of logistics.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy PM Minh, who is also Chairman of the Commission 1899, lauded the achievements in the implementation of the National Single Window, the ASEAN Single Window and specialised inspection and trade facilitation, thus creating favourable conditions for businesses and people in import and export, trade, entry and exit activities of people and vehicles.

He asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to continue reviewing legal basis for logistics development, while requesting all ministries, sectors and localities to review all administrative procedures to minimise overlapping and waste of time for customs clearance, and report to the commission on unnecessary procedures.

He underlined the need to quickly develop a decree on information connection and sharing in the field of export, import and transit of goods, as well as the exit, entry and transit of people and means of transport under the National Single Window to suit the reality.

He directed the Ministry of Finance, from now until the end of the year, to allocate funds for the activities of the Commission 1899, ensuring the implementation of the National Single Window, the ASEAN Single Window, specialised inspection and trade facilitation are carried out smoothly, contributing to the economic development process and creating maximum convenience for people and businesses.