Customs officers learn about new roles and duties
Customs officers learn about new roles and duties
The Ministry of Finance is training customs and tax officials, upgrading their skills so they are ready to provide better services when Laos joins the World Trade Organisation early next year.
The Customs Department held a training course at the Don Chan Palace hotel in Vientiane yesterday, as part of the government's efforts to enhance the capacity of Lao customs staff so they can expedite the import and export of goods after Laos joins the WTO in 2013.
Laos will be required to allow the free flow of goods in and out of the country after the establishment of the Asean Economic Community at the end of 2015. This will mean applying a similar customs clearance system to other Asean member countries, to ensure the smooth flow of goods throughout the region.
Laos has now installed the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) world system as part of efforts to modernise revenue collection and make it easier for businesses to pay taxes.
The ASYCUDA system will enable businesses and traders to pay customs duties directly via the Internet, saving both time and money and making customs clearance more efficient.
About 30 customs officers are attending the training course, which will run until November 30.
Officers will learn about a number of international laws and the Lao government's commitments and obligations in regards to joining the WTO, so they can put these policies into practice.
According to customs officers, as part of the WTO obligations, Laos will have to abolish almost all reference prices on imported goods except for vehicles and fuel. Officials currently use reference prices to assess the tariff charged on imported goods.
Laos will also have to simplify import and export procedures. Investors say that if the government wants their business, it must make it easy for them to import raw materials for their processing industries and export their goods to foreign markets.
At present, enterprises are facing difficulties importing and exporting goods as they need a number of approvals from the different sectors concerned. The government is aware of the trade barriers and has vowed to eliminate them and create a better trade and investment climate in the country.
The government has also promulgated the VAT law, which authorises tax officials nationwide to impose a 10 percent value added tax on all consumer goods, including imports. The VAT replaces the 5 percent turnover tax.
vientiane times
