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The customs office in the northern border province of Lang Son has implemented online tax declaration procedures. However, customers are unhappy with the updated system for processing paperwork for certain imported goods.— VNA/VNS Photo Pham Hau |
HA NOI — A supposedly updated system for processing papers to license certain imported goods has already drawn much criticism from customers.
The system, publicised as being "automatic", was introduced only last month. It is based on importers completing import licensing forms and sending them off to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoIT).
It replaces the old office-based system where all the paper work was handed to officers at the ministry or its branches throughout the nation.
Not only is the new system at least two days slower than the former system - from five to seven days - it has also caused a few headaches because of documents "lost in the mail".
The seven-day period for responses from the ministry plus the uncertainty of the postal system has created problems for Matsu Electronics Company, which specialises in the distribution of air conditioners from Malaysia.
The company sent the relevant paper work to the ministry on July 23, but hadn't received a reply two weeks later.
"I don't know if there's anything wrong with the application. If it's considered incomplete by the ministry, we'll have to start the process all over again," said Long Quoc Trung, the company's director.
He said this would mean waiting for at least another seven working days.
Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, from Inco Import-Export Company, said although the ministry promised that applications would be approved or rejected within a week, it always took longer, even as much as 13 or 14 days.
Hoa was also concerned about the strong possibility of application forms being lost in the mail.
The ministry's automatic import licensing procedure is outlined in Circular 17 (the old method) and Circular 24 (the new method).
Circular 17 states that the processing time will be five business days. Circular 24 increases this to seven business days.
Trung also said that while the new circular required various receipts, applications and other documents, the biggest concern for importers was who was responsible if paperwork was lost in the mail.
The regulations only said that if applications were lost or damaged, enterprises must resend them with an explanation letter and ask for another import licence.
This could cost enterprises dearly in terms of longer storage fees for goods containers, Hoa said.
For enterprises importing food products, the cost was higher because of the need for refrigeration.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Bien said the new procedures would be improved.
He admitted that businesses had complained about some concerns and confusion on sending their applications through the post - and the extra time needed to process them.
The new procedure, regulated by Circular 24/2010/PT BC, mainly controls the imports of seafood, cacao, coffee, wine, iron and steel products.
It was part of measures to control imports and curb Viet Nam's large trade deficit, said Bien. – VNS
by http://vietnamnews.com.vn/
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