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Vietnam gives push to ASEAN OSS mechanism
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed a decision to set up a national steering committee on ASEAN one-stop-shop (OSS) mechanism for the 2008-2012 period.
The committee, headed by Finance Minister Vu Van Ninh, will assist the government in directing the implementation of the OSS mechanism under the agreements and protocols signed with ASEAN countries. It will also be responsible for directing and coordinating activities of relevant agencies and organisations.
The establishment of the committee aims to implement the committed roadmap on customs clearance for import and export commodities among ASEAN countries, under which it takes only 30 minutes for goods lots to go through customs and taxation procedures. The mechanism is expected to establish an ASEAN OSS environment by 2012.
Over the past time, the Vietnamese customs service has made remarkable efforts to catch up with the regional level by 2010. The service is boosting an all-round reform towards modernisation with financial assistance from the World Bank.
The amended Law on Customs, effective in 2006, also helps change the customs management method from manual checking to analysis- and information processing-based control.
Customs formalities have been simplified to reduce customs clearance time and facilitate import-export activities, investment and tourism as well as prevent smuggling and trade frauds.
Besides joining the International Convention on the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System, the Kyoto Convention on Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures and related international treaties, Vietnam has actively implemented international commitments in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and World Customs Organisation (WCO).
VNA
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