Necessary infrastructure has been basically completed for thelaunching of the “one-stop-shop” customs model at Lao Bao border gate inthe central province of Quang Tri, slated for January 1, 2015.
The model is expected to cut by half the time taken to clear customsprocedures at the pair of Lao Bao – Densavan border gates betweenVietnam and Laos.
The Lao side has also finished preparations for the change at the Densavan border gate.
Vietnam and Laos inked a memorandum of understanding on theimplementation of the “one-stop shop” model at the Lao Bao-Desavanborder gates in 2005 in line with an agreement on facilitating people’stravel and goods transport across border signed by countries in theGreater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).
Under the MoU, themodel would be deployed in four steps, starting with one-stop shopcustoms check for goods, then expanding to the process of all customsprocedures and examination. Next the model would also cover quarantineand health checks and finally be completed with the inclusion ofmigration control.
In 2012, the countries agreedto take a short cut from step one to step four, but little progress wasmade in realising the model due to a lack of relevant official documentsand a mismatch between regulations of the two sides. The incompleteinfrastructure at the two border gates also hindered the implementation.Vietnam and Laos held a meeting at deputy foreign minister level overthis issue in February 2014 and agreed to strive to begin a trial run ofthe “one stop shop” model at Lao Bao border gate on January 1, 2015.
The “one-stop-shop” model is expected toremarkably shorten customs clearance duration, thus saving time andreducing cost for enterprises. This is considered a breakthrough in thereform of customs administrative procedure.-VNA
