The General Department of Customs has completed a draft scheme to implement the National Single Window  mechanism from 2016-2020. (Source: thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – The General Department of Customs has completed a draft scheme to implement the National Single Window (NSW) mechanism from 2016-2020 for administrative reform in Vietnam.

A decision from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and four ministerial circulars instructing businesses to use the NSW is expected to be issued soon.

The NSW, launched in late 2014, was designed to reduce customs clearance time for businesses by 15 to 30 percent and boost their ties with State-run management agencies.

The NSW allows enterprises to send their import/export/transit applications to the NSW portal instead of physically delivering applications.

The online application forms are received and sent to relevant agencies for processing. The receivers, after processing the applications, return them to the NSW portal which replies to enterprises. By the end of May, 2016, the mechanism was used by 9 out of 14 ministries.

The NSW has thus far covered only 30 percent of customs procedures for goods and vehicles, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Customs Nguyen Duong Thai said.

He said the national plan on the one-stop-shop mechanism for 2016-2020 aimed to raise coverage across State agencies to 100 percent by 2018.

Thai added that since September 2015, the NSW completed technical connections with four ASEAN member states – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

The drafted plan also includes proposals on expanding the connection within and outside the bloc. Vietnam will officially apply the ASEAN Single Window system in 2017. In 2018, certifications on goods origins and animal/plant quarantines, as well as permission papers for ships to leave port, will be issued electronically via the NSW.

In 2020, the exchange of electronic certifications will be expanded based on agreements Vietnam has signed to facilitate foreign trade.

Nguyen Manh Hung, Head of Customs Information Technology and Statistics under Vietnam Customs said late last month that the NSW required technical compatibility among involved ministries/agencies.

However, the information technology infrastructure in some ministries/agencies was not up to scratch, he said.

Implementing the NSW faced other barriers including inconsistent legal documents on administrative procedures relating to imports, exports and international transport.

Ministries are still hesitant to use the NSW as they are unclear about their responsibilities in proce꧑ssing applications and how stable the system is.-VNA