Relations between customs offices and enterprises will be furthered inthe next two years in an effort to modernise customs activities,speakers said at a forum in Ho Chi Minh City.

Leaders of Vietnam's General Department of Customs and foreign-directinvested enterprises met on November 29 to discuss ways to improvelinkages between the business community and the customs sector.

Tran Quoc Dinh, deputy head of the department's Customs Reform andModernisation Board, said that better relations would help improvemanagement as well as help modernise customs procedures, thus benefitingcompanies' import-export activities.

Dinh said thatsuch relationships was one of several key pillars in developing customsin the 21st century, with enterprises taking a proactive role to ensuregrowth in world trade.

Better relations would entail several channels for enterprises to show their feedback about policies and procedures.

With new platforms between both parties, customs and enterprises wouldbe free to discuss problems and issues, and work more effectively witheach other in the implementation of customs laws and regulations.

Next year, a unit will be established to manage relations between customs and enterprises.

"It will be professional and work in accordance with laws and legaldocuments compiled by customs and enterprises," Dinh said.

During the dialogue of leaders, the department representatives saidthat more conditions would be created for companies to receiveprioritised conditions in export-import activities.

During the dialogue, organised by Ho Chi Minh City's Investment andTrade Promotion Centre, more than 220 representatives from customsdepartment and enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City discussed many otherproblems, such as procedures and e-customs.

All of the obstacles that companies face were included, and solutions were offered.

Also, new regulations proposed in the draft for an amended Customs Law were also discussed.-VNA