A vehicle loaded with Vietnamese goods goes through Ma Thu Lang Border Gate to enter China.(Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Industry andTrade (MoIT) is seeking public comments on a legal draft amending Decree No. 14on cross-border commercial activities.
The draft aims to plug some loopholes that havebeen exploited by traders to disguise their commercial activities ascross-border individual transactions (CITs).
It is also part of the government's efforts to promote themovement of goods via official channels, putting an end to trade bottlenecks atborder gates.
The draft stipulates that traders who engage in commercialactivities at auxiliary border gates or border crossing points must do soat the gates or points approved by provincial authorities.
The traders and their companies are also requiredto carry a valid passport or equivalent papers while doing thetrade. Vehicle drivers, in addition to the papers, are required to have avalid driving licence as well.
Article 24 puts the Ministry of Finance (MoF), with the assistanceof provincial authorities, in charge of issuing guidelines on the collection oftaxes applied to imports and exports. MoF and the Ministry of National Defenceassume the role of inspecting vehicles involved in cross-border commercialtransportation.
MoF is also tasked with establishing a database of traders andsending the data to MoIT every 10 months. Provincial authorities, meanwhile,are required to provide data for MoIT on request.
Under the draft, the number of times and the amount of taxexemption applied to CITs would be cut down on January 1, 2025. Goods inCITs are required to strictly comply with the quality standards andorigin-tracking rules imposed by the importing countries as of the date.
The draft also establishes new norms for CITs, under which borderresidents are required to show up at border gates for exit procedures if theyengage in CITs.
From January 1, 2026, traders who export goods via officialchannels must report their exit of the country at either border gates or bordercrossing points approved by bilateral trade agreements.
"Trade at not-yet-approved border gates or border crossingpoints will be suspended from January 1, 2027," said the draft.
The draft also stipulates that from January 1, 2028, only thetypes of goods that have cleared through customs at approved border gates areeligible for customs clearance at other border gates and border crossingpoints.
MoIT said cross-border trade had been flourishing in recent yearson the grounds of Decree No.14, significantly improving the livelihood ofborder residents, especially those from ethnicminorities.
However, the decree has begun to show some loopholes afterfive years of being in place, exposing the need for a revision to fix thecracks, and here comes the draft, which is expected to end commercialcongestion at border gates and encourage a shift from unofficial to officialchannels./.
The draft aims to plug some loopholes that havebeen exploited by traders to disguise their commercial activities ascross-border individual transactions (CITs).
It is also part of the government's efforts to promote themovement of goods via official channels, putting an end to trade bottlenecks atborder gates.
The draft stipulates that traders who engage in commercialactivities at auxiliary border gates or border crossing points must do soat the gates or points approved by provincial authorities.
The traders and their companies are also requiredto carry a valid passport or equivalent papers while doing thetrade. Vehicle drivers, in addition to the papers, are required to have avalid driving licence as well.
Article 24 puts the Ministry of Finance (MoF), with the assistanceof provincial authorities, in charge of issuing guidelines on the collection oftaxes applied to imports and exports. MoF and the Ministry of National Defenceassume the role of inspecting vehicles involved in cross-border commercialtransportation.
MoF is also tasked with establishing a database of traders andsending the data to MoIT every 10 months. Provincial authorities, meanwhile,are required to provide data for MoIT on request.
Under the draft, the number of times and the amount of taxexemption applied to CITs would be cut down on January 1, 2025. Goods inCITs are required to strictly comply with the quality standards andorigin-tracking rules imposed by the importing countries as of the date.
The draft also establishes new norms for CITs, under which borderresidents are required to show up at border gates for exit procedures if theyengage in CITs.
From January 1, 2026, traders who export goods via officialchannels must report their exit of the country at either border gates or bordercrossing points approved by bilateral trade agreements.
"Trade at not-yet-approved border gates or border crossingpoints will be suspended from January 1, 2027," said the draft.
The draft also stipulates that from January 1, 2028, only thetypes of goods that have cleared through customs at approved border gates areeligible for customs clearance at other border gates and border crossingpoints.
MoIT said cross-border trade had been flourishing in recent yearson the grounds of Decree No.14, significantly improving the livelihood ofborder residents, especially those from ethnicminorities.
However, the decree has begun to show some loopholes afterfive years of being in place, exposing the need for a revision to fix thecracks, and here comes the draft, which is expected to end commercialcongestion at border gates and encourage a shift from unofficial to officialchannels./.
VNA
