A corner of Hai Phong Port in the northern city of Hai Phong (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - In many seaports across Vietnam,it takes vessels about 15 minutes or less to enter or leave the ports even ifbusinesses have already submitted dossiers online.
Dao Trong Hung, a representative of HCM City-based Vietfrach– a shipping company, said that thanks to administrative reforms, especiallyonline procedures, the company submitted few paper dossiers/applications at the‘single window’ section when its vessels wanted to come or leave seaports.
"It’s much simpler than previously to fill and submitmaritime applications at the ‘single window’ - a system that allows businessesto declare information and submit documents in a standardised form once ata single location to complete all legal requirements concerningimport, export and transit (regarding cargos, transport means and passengers),"Hung said.
When time spent performing administrative procedures isreduced, businesses save hundreds of millions of VND per month on rentingvessels, while costs for wharfs, berths, commuting and labour are also reduced.
Le Van Thuc, director of Vung Tau Port Authority, said theport handles 30 administrative procedures relating to maritime activities andnow, it takes business about 15 minutes to complete necessary procedures at theport.
Now, once cargo arrives at port, goods can be loaded orunloaded immediately while previously, goods loading or unloading must waituntil procedures are completed, Thuc said.
He added that all procedures were publicised together ashotlines that allow applicants to contact heads of relevant sections if theyhave problems and want to complain.
Nguyen Viet Khoa from a company that has vessels arrive atVung Tau Seaport applauded administrative reforms at the port.
“Now, both goods owners and ship owners can submitapplications online before their vessels arrive or leave the port. So, time issaved,” he said.
“We don’t have to go to the port to meet the port authoritymuch. Instead, business contact relevant port officers via telephone and emailto have registration work done,” he said.
Ha Quang Thng, head of sea ship department under Hai PhongPort Authority, said that when online procedures were available, applicants didnot have to go to offices of border guards, customs, health inspectors oranimal quarantine to ask for permissions.
Meanwhile, these agencies did not need to go the ship fordirect inspections all the time, which helped save time and reduce costs.
The port also implemented the Facilitation of InternationalMaritime Traffic Convention and accepted international application forms toavoid overlaps that inconvenience applicants, Thang said.
Director of HCM City Port Authority Nguyen Hai Nam said theport was implementing online administrative procedures but it could not grantonline permission for vessels to leave the port because digital signatures werenot implemented properly.
Director of the Ministry of Transport’s Marine DepartmentNguyen Xuan Sang said that forms and information of all 107 maritime proceduresavailable online, which business could fill in and submit 35 forms online whilethe others still required paper based applications.
The 35 forms include 24 procedures on ship registration, sixprocedures on crew management and five procedures on sea ships. The five seaship procedures are available on Vietnam National Single Window.
“The Marine Department developed an online database on shipsand crew which helps save time when handling dossiers from Vietnamese vessels,”he said.
Sang said that the department continued to review and promoteinformation and technology applications so more maritime procedures would beavailable via the national single window.-VNA
VNA
