Hanoi (VNA) – A Vietnamese topcustoms official on August 27 met with representatives from ministries, publicagencies and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to discuss theimplementation of a trade facilitation project, with an emphasis on import-export specialisedinspection.

The USAID-fundedTrade Facilitation Programme (TFP) aims to reform, standardise and streamlineimport-export administrative procedures to conform with the international standards as committed byVietnam in the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) and the Government’s policies in customs reforms,said Deputy Director General of the General Department of Customs Mai XuanThanh.

One of theproject’s most important components is to reform import-export specialisedinspection, enhancing the National Single Window (NSW), which requiresinter-sectoral cooperation among relevant ministries and agencies, he noted.

Thanh expectedthe relevant ministries and agencies to actively coordinate with customsauthorities and USAID experts to step up the TFP implementation.

Over the pasttwo decades, Vietnam has become one of the most open economies in the world butsuffers from inefficient customs and border procedures that lead to long delaysat the ports and hurt Vietnam’s trade competitiveness.

Specialisedinspection forms part of customs clearance procedures performed by differentministries and agencies. The involvement of many governmental bodies has causedlengthy delays and increasedunneccessary costs for businesses, particularly small- and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs).

Thus, the TFPhelps Vietnam adopt and implement a risk management approach to modernise andexpedite customs procedures to address these challenges.

A USAIDrepresentative said that the agency wants to cooperate with the GeneralDepartment of Customs and governmental bodies to streamline customs clearanceprocedures and foster an effective coordination among central and localauthorities in enforcing trade facilitation policies.

According tothe National Steering Committee for the ASEAN Single Window, National SingleWindow and Trade Facilitation (Committee 1899), there were close to 70,100goods items needing import-exportspecialised inspection by 13 ministries and governmental agencies as of Aprilthis year.

The Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development requires the largest number of goods –7,623 items – to be inspected.–VNA