HA NOI (VNS) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung launched a national one-stop-shop customs mechanism to tie-up with the ASEAN mechanism yesterday.

Attendees at the launch ceremony included Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh.

Deputy PM Ninh, who is Head of the National Steering Committee on ASEAN and the National One-Stop-Shop (OSS) Customs Mechanism, said the move was a turning-point aimed at accelerating administrative reform towards e-government.

Viet Nam has enacted a number of measures to speed up administrative reforms, shorten the time required and reduce costs for customs procedures to facilitate business and investment activities among enterprises and individuals.

The national and ASEAN OSS mechanisms will simplify administrative procedures in accordance with international practices and standards in order to facilitate trade, investment and tourism.

Through the implementation of the mechanisms, Viet Nam was determined to carry out its commitment to working with other ASEAN countries to realise the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community by the end of 2015, Ninh stated.

On this occasion, Viet Nam connected the ASEAN OSS customs mechanism with Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

According to Ninh, with a total population of around 625 million and total GDP of more than US$2.5 trillion, ASEAN holds an increasingly important position and role in the region and the world. However, this advantage would be brought into full play only once all member states work towards a sustainable bloc.

The Government official called for close co-ordination among ministries, sectors and foreign organisations to make the ASEAN and national OSS customs mechanisms effective and beneficial to businesses and people.

From 2015-16, the steering committee plans to connect the national OSS with the ASEAN OSS mechanism, share information on the ASEAN certificate of origin form D and the ASEAN Customs Declaration Document for Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Between 2016 and 2020, the mechanism will be made available to all ministries and sectors in the form of online public services while extending information sharing with trade partners within and outside ASEAN regarding the flow of exports and imports via the ASEAN OSS portal.

By VNS

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