Provincial-Selection Report: Trade Facilitation Program

The primary objective of the program is to support the adoption and implementation of a risk-based approach to Customs and technical Specialized Inspection institutions in Vietnam. This objective is aligned with the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which entered into force on 22 February 2017. The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) serves as the primary counterpart for the Trade Facilitation Program within the Government of Vietnam (GVN). The GDVC also acts as the focal point of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) for Vietnam. The program aims to strengthen the role and capacity of the NTFC to effectively implement and coordinate trade facilitation policies and procedures, and to promote more proactive public-private dialogue. The Trade Facilitation Program activities are organized into four different components. In addition to providing targeted assistance at the central level, the program will secure provincial buy-in by localizing technical assistance, operations, and capacity building in at least five provinces to be identified and selected in close cooperation with the GDVC. The program will focus on promoting the benefits of a risk management approach to specialized inspections mandated by line ministries to protect food safety, public health, and the environment. The program team conducted a series of visits to nine key provinces in Vietnam, including Binh Duong, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Lang Son, Quang Tri, and Tay Ninh. The visits aimed to take stock of the current situation and analyze the challenges and opportunities for trade facilitation in each province. The program team met with local Customs Departments and discussed various topics, including Customs procedures and Specialized Inspection, Risk Management, Coordination and collaboration with SI line ministries, the National Single Window, and Customs to business cooperation and collaboration. Based on the findings from the visits and meetings, the program team proposed the selection of six provinces for the initial focus of the program activities. The selected provinces are Hanoi and Hai Phong in the North, Da Nang and Quang Tri in the Central region, and HCMC and Dong Nai in the South. The selection of these provinces is based on a range of factors, including trade volumes, value, and the quantity of Customs declarations, as well as the desire to have a broad spread of different working environments and Customs regimes. The selection of the six provinces does not mean that the local Customs Departments in the other identified provinces will be excluded from program activities or events. The program team will work with many more provinces than the obligatory five provinces, as many of the selected provinces are also responsible for neighboring provinces. The selection of the six provinces presents the GDVC and the program with workable prospects to achieve effective and sustainable change, offering a broad landscape with differing trade and Customs regimes and scenarios.