After two years of deployment, the Vietnam Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System and Vietnam Customs Information System (VNACCS/VCIS) will be deployed in all 34 provincial/municipal customs departments across the country on June 25, the Vietnam Business Forum Magazine (VBF) reported.

Funded by the Government of Japan, this project is based on techniques and technologies applied by Japanese customs authorities and government. Hence, VNACCS/VCIS is expected to become an effective tool for Vietnamese customs authorities and the government, and help the business community carry out customs clearance procedures.

The VNACCS/VICS system automates many tasks like automatically determining the tax rate for each HS code, including special preferential tax rates in accordance with agreements with other nations, and calculating duties on specific merchandise in every declaration sheet, automatically storing modifiable declaration forms. This is a huge benefit for enterprises when they do customs procedures.

The reception and operation of the VNACCS/VCIS system will directly improve the efficiency of customs clearance of imported goods, thus facilitating trade and enhancing Vietnam’s economic competitiveness.

The operation of the VNACCS/VCIS system will help the Government of Vietnam to realise its objectives in the Customs Development Strategy in 2011 - 2020 period and initially meet its commitments to deployment of single-window national customs mechanism and participation in the ASEAN Single Window.

Nguyen Ngoc Tuc, General Director of the General Department of Vietnam Customs said that to carry out the project the parties concerned mobilised every resource and received valuable expertise from specialists in various fields.

All concerned parties made ​​great efforts to compete their enormous workloads like analysing thousands of document pages, dozens of processes, hundreds of forms, and thousands of information indications in a limited time offer.

Currently, the General Department of Vietnam Customs set up personnel apparatus for the system operation from the central to local levels. GDC and its branches have online help desks and hotlines to support enterprises. In early stage, the GDC will send staffs to its branches to operate this system smoothly. Exporters and importers can contact help desks at customs offices they are working with for assistance with VNACCS/VCIS.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh told the Ministry of Finance to collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies to secure resources, connection systems and information technology infrastructure for the stable, sustainable and efficient operation of the system; and to direct the review, analysis and evaluation of system advantages and disadvantages to ask the Government for supplementation, modification, upgrading and expansion.-VNA