Lang Son Customs Department officials check registration numbers of an import truck at Huu Nghi Border Gate in the northern province of Lang Son. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The National Single Window (NSW) has thus far covered only 30 percent of customs procedures for goods and vehicles, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Duong Thai said on March 31.
He said a national plan on the one-stop-shop mechanism for 2016-2020 is being drafted, aiming to raise coverage across State agencies to 100 percent by 2018.
According to Thai, since September 2015, the NSW has completed technical connections with four ASEAN member states – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
The drafted master plan also includes proposals on expanding the connection within and outside the bloc.
Accordingly, Vietnam will officially apply the ASEAN Single Window in 2017. In 2018, certifications on goods origins and animal/plant quarantines, as well as permission papers for ships to leave port, will be issued in electronic form to countries wanting to connect with the NSW. In 2020, the exchange of electronic certifications will be expanded based on agreements Vietnam has signed to facilitate trade with foreign partners.
Thai went on to note that border checkpoints nationwide have digitised most of their procedures based on the Vietnam Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System/Vietnam Customs Information System (VNACCS/VCIS).
The NSW is designed to reduce customs clearance time for businesses by 15 to 30 percent and increase their ties with State-run management agencies.
Launched in the end of 2014, the mechanism is used by 9 out of 14 ministries.-VNA
