Vietnam Customs said the launch of the country’s National Single Window (NSW) and its coming full connection to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Single Window (ASW) is slated to bring a host of economic benefits to the country.
The NSW is a system that allows for data and information to be presented once, for the processing of information to be conducted once, and for the decision on the release and clearance of goods to be issued once.
Deputy Finance Minister Do Hoang Anh Tuan and officials from the General Department of Vietnam Customs in a recent press conference said the NSW will bring efficiency to the process of facilitating transactions for the business community, especially in fast-tracking procedures for vessel entry, exit, and transit.
Nguyen Manh Tung, director of Customs IT and Statistics Department, said, “Previously, when a ship arrives or departs, enterprises have to bring documents to many different authorities such as Customs, Border Guard, Port Authority, Health Quarantine Authority, Animal and Plant Administration Authority; at present, NSW allows enterprises to send applications (at) only one point (through the) National Single Window Portal.”
Afterwards, the application information will be shared with relevant agencies for processing, and these agencies will forward the results to the National Single Window Portal to enterprises. “Thus, enterprises will reduce the cost of preparing documents (due to [being] carried out by electronic method), reducing travelling time, clearance time and costs,” said Nguyen.
In addition, the single window scheme will have a positive impact on the exchange of data on country of origin (C/O) with countries that Vietnam has bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements with. When Vietnam Customs needs to verify the C/O for a certain case, it usually takes two or three months to get the response from importing countries, said Vietnam Customs.
When NSW is connected to ASW, information will be exchanged almost instantaneously, it added. “That result brings many advantages to the business community in the country and abroad, and contributes to improve the efficiency of management through prevention of fraud on origin,” added the agency.
It further said that thanks to the NSW implementation, some ministries have reported of significant processing time reductions, especially in the handling of vehicle registrations by the Ministry of Transport.
The government in a resolution has mandated the cutting down of customs clearance time to between seven and eight days. “If clearance time is from 7 to 8 days, the total average storage cost per shipment will be reduced about USD1,750 to 2,000,” estimated Customs.
With millions of shipments per year, the savings for businesses and society are “enormous,” it said.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung led ceremonies implementing the country’s NSW and its technical connection to the ASEAN Single Window customs system in Hanoi on September 8.
The Ministry of Finance and Customs are targeting to formally connect the NSW to the ASW before the year closes.
The ASW is expected to expedite cargo clearance within the region by integrating and automating member countries’ national customs processes and to effect a more transparent way of doing business.
