The Ministry of Finance of Vietnam has recently issued a new policy making significant changes to the functions, duties, and organizational structure of the customs departments under the General Department of Vietnam Customs that are located in the provinces and cities.
Under Decision 1919/QD-BTC, issued on September 6, 2016, city and provincial customs departments are directed to assist the General Department in implementing customs administration and customs law enforcement in their respective areas, according to state-run VCN.
Under the new rule, each local customs department will have its own legal status and seal, and may open an account at the State Treasury.
Decision 1919/QD-BTC also delineates the organizational structure of advisory units assisting the directors of customs departments.
There are nine divisions in the Hanoi Department of Customs, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Customs, and Hai Phong Department of Customs. These divisions are those concerned with customs supervision and management, export-import tariffs, anti-smuggling and violations, risk management, inspectorate, organization, finance and administration, office, and information technology.
In the provinces and cities of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Da Nang, there are eight divisions in their customs departments. These divisions focus on customs supervision and management, export-import tariffs, anti-smuggling and violations, risk management, organization and inspectorate, finance and administration, office, and information technology.
For customs departments in An Giang, Quang Tri, Nghe An and Lao Cai provinces, there are to be five divisions, down from six previously: Operations Division, Anti-Smuggling and Handling of Violations Division, Organization and Inspectorate Division, Finance and Administration Division, and Office Division.
For customs departments in the provinces and cities of Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Long An, Ha Tinh and Tay Ninh, the number of divisions is reduced from five to four: Operations Division, Smuggling Prevention and Handling of Violations Division, Organization and Inspectorate Division, and Office Division.
For Thanh Hoa Department of Customs, the divisions are down to three from five previously: Operation Division, Organization and Inspectorate Division, and Office Division.
For customs departments of provinces and cities such as Binh Dinh and Kien Giang, there will be only three divisions: Operations Division, Smuggling Prevention and Handling of Violations Division, and Office Division.
For those in the provinces and cities of Ha Giang, Quang Ngai; Quang Binh, Dien Bien, Thua Thien Hue, Dak Lak, Gia Lai-Kon Tum, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Binh Phuoc, Ca Mau, Ha Nam Ninh, there are only two divisions: Operations Division and Office Division.
The director general of Vietnam Customs will define the functions and duties of every Customs Department, said the VCN report.
Post-clearance audit and control forces overhauled
At the same time, the customs branches at border gates, post-clearance audit branches, customs control teams, and drug prevention teams are to be reorganized extensively.
Post-clearance audit branches are ordered to comply with the directive of Customs Act 2014 on strengthening post-clearance audits from 2015 to 2020.
Under Decision 1919/QD-BTC, there will now be only 21 customs departments having post-clearance audit branches. These are Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Ninh, Binh Duong, Binh Dinh, Can Tho, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Ha Tinh, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, HCM City, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, Tay Ninh, and Thanh Hoa.
In addition, the Smuggling Prevention and Handling of Violations Division and customs control teams are being restructured and merged to centralize and strengthen the customs control forces.
Specifically, there are 22 customs departments with control forces: Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Quang Binh, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Khanh Hoa, Ha Nam Ninh, Hai Phong, Ha Giang, Gia Lai (in Kon Tum), Dong Thap, Dong Nai, Dak Lak, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Ca Mau, Binh Phuoc, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, and Ba Ria Vung Tau.
The rest of the customs departments will retain the current separate structure of the Smuggling Prevention and Handling of Violations Division and the Customs control teams.
The latest decision takes effect upon signing and replaces Decision No 1027/2010/QD-BTC, which was issued May 11, 2010 by the Minister of Finance and which stipulated the functions, duties, and organizational structure of customs departments in the provinces and cities, the report said.
Photo: Thang Nguyen
