Seminar to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam Customs

Panorama of the seminar celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam Customs. Photo: Hoang Vinh

On September 10, 1945, following President Ho's Directive, Minister of the Interior Vo Nguyen Giap signed a decree to establish the "Customs and Indirect Tax Department", giving birth to the present-day Vietnam Customs. Since then, on every stage of the nation's revolution, the Customs has always strictly followed the Party and State's guidelines and policies, effectively serving each different stage in the nation's great revolutionary cause.

Immediately after its establishment, the industry's staffCustomwas steadfast and brave in the uncompromising struggle against French colonialism to protect the tariff sovereignty of the revolutionary state.

In 1975, after the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, the South of our country was completely liberated, the Customs sector also unified the name of the Central Customs Department under the Ministry of Foreign Trade. On August 20, 1984, the State Council approved the establishment of the General Department of Customs under the Council of Ministers.

Comrade Chu Quang Hai - Party Secretary, Director of Nghe An Customs Department reviewed the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam Customs (September 10, 1945 - September 10, 2020). Photo: Hoang Vinh

In more than 20 years of national renovation, the Customs sector has made strong progress in all aspects of work such as improving customs procedures, reforming administrative procedures along with building working style and attitude of civil servants; enhancing the effectiveness of supervision and management, collecting import and export taxes, applying modern science and technology, effectively contributing to the development of trade, investment and tourism activities, promoting the country's regional and international integration process...

In recent times, the method of state management of customs has undergone a remarkable transformation from manual management to electronic management, promoting the application of information technology in customs activities, from applying electronic customs declaration to implementing electronic customs procedures and automatic customs clearance. The automatic customs clearance system (VNACCS/VCIS) has been implemented in all units in the industry with more than 99% of enterprises participating; processing more than 99.6% of declarations. Notably, during this period, the General Department of Customs has built and officially operated the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window. This is an important step forward in integration and support, facilitating import and export activities.

Mr. Chu Quang Luan - former Director of Nghe An Customs Department shared his experiences in the operation of Nghe An Customs and contributed ideas to build the Customs sector to develop more and more in the direction of modernity, professionalism, transparency and efficiency. Photo: Hoang Vinh

The budget collection work of the Customs sector has achieved high results. From 2000 to now, the Customs sector has always exceeded the assigned plan, the revenue of the following year increased higher than the previous year, accounting for 25% to more than 30% of the total state budget revenue. As the agency managing import and export goods, synthesizing the import and export situation of the whole country, in recent years, the Customs sector has made many efforts in price management, controlling inflation, limiting trade deficit, contributing to market stabilization and developing the country's economy.

With many efforts and struggles, the Customs sector has been awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal, the Third Class Independence Medal and many other noble Medals by the State. The above achievements are the result of the persistent efforts of many generations of customs officers under the leadership and close direction of the Party, State, Ministry of Finance, the effective coordination of functional agencies, local authorities, business community, and the great support of the people.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Luong - Former Deputy Director of Nghe An Customs Department reviews his working process at the Customs sector. Photo: Hoang Vinh

As a unit under the General Department of Customs, the DepartmentNghe An Provincial Customshas constantly innovated and grown in all aspects. Currently, 100% of the Branches have deployed the VNACCS/VCIS Automatic Customs Clearance System; the departments and units have been computerized and applied customs software, meeting the increasing needs of trade, investment and tourism activities in the area. In the first 8 months of 2020, the import-export turnover reached 1,129.5 million USD and the budget revenue reached 691 billion VND, reaching 38.4% of the assigned target.

2020 marks the 75-year glorious history of the customs sector, and is also the year that concludes the implementation of the Customs Development Strategy to 2020 as approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 448/QD-TTG in 2011. The General Department of Customs is developing the Customs Development Strategy for the period 2021-2030.

In particular, the general orientation and objectives are: to build a modern, professional, transparent, effective Vietnam Customs, operating effectively and efficiently on the basis of a synchronous legal system, strongly applying the technology of the 4th Industrial Revolution, facilitating legal trade activities, ensuring security, social safety and protecting national interests. Together with all customs officers and soldiers across the country, Nghe An Provincial Customs Department is determined to perform well the assigned political tasks according to the above orientation and objectives, completing the mission of "guarding the economy" of the industry, actively contributing to the construction and development of the province's economy.

Nghe An Customs patrols and controls at sea. Photo by Hoang Vinh

At the seminar celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Customs sector, leaders of the Customs Department through the periods were very proud and happy with the strong development of the Vietnam Customs sector and the Nghe An Customs Department, at the same time exchanging and participating in many ideas to build the Customs sector to increasingly develop in the direction of modernity, professionalism, transparency and efficiency.