Online Interview
Topic: By Streamlining Administration, Delegating Power to Lower Levels and Transforming Functions, What has China Customs Transformed?
Time:02:30 PM (Thu) April 03, 2014
Special Guests:Chen Xudong, Press Spokesman of the GACC, Director of the GACC Department of Policy and Legal Affairs, and Director General of the GACC Office of Reform; Ms. Qiu Yueling, Director General of National Education and Training Center of the GACC
Online Interview Photos
By Streamlining Administration, Delegating Power to Lower Levels and Transforming Functions, What has China Customs Transformed?
[Chen Xudong]: Third, we have carefully done the follow-up work of the reform on administrative examination and approval. We have upgraded the management mode for each item to be abolished and delegated, improve the supporting system, cancel the pre-examination, strengthen the in-process and ex post supervision, and attach equal importance to the “delegation” and “control”. 04/03/2014 14:49:20
[Chen Xudong]: Fourth, according to the spirits and requirements of streamlining administration and delegating more power to lower levels, we have actively “set the clock”, put more pressure on ourselves, and organized and simplified the internal administrative affairs and working process. We find our niche via functional transformation, streamline ourselves via power decentralization. As a result the working process is simplified and the management efficiency of the Customs is increased. [IMG]
[Wang Hua]: Thanks for your explanation, Mr. Chen. For the Customs, the result of the reform is “accurate, effective and fine management”. Then can you give some examples to show the benefits the reform brings to the enterprises and the individuals? 04/03/2014 14:51:45
[Chen Xudong]: OK. For instance, after canceling the “examination and approval of qualification for customs declarer”, there is no threshold or access condition for the declarers any more. There is no unified national test for declarer qualification. Instead, the customs brokers select and employ declarers on their own by using the market mechanism. As a result, the employment threshold is lowered to the maximum extent, with much vitality released in starting the business and a fair and competitive environment created for employment and starting business. 04/03/2014 14:52:09
[Chen Xudong]: Another example, the cancellation of 6 items related to processing trade previously subject to examination and approval, including the “handbook registration (change), outward processing, transfer for further processing, transfer of excess materials, verification and cancellation, and abandonment of checking and approval”, simplifies the working process, reduces the document circulation, and makes it more convenient for the enterprises. In particular, the outward processing is further opened. The enterprises are allowed to do outward processing first, and go through the registration procedures later. And the outward processing cross Customs districts is free from cash deposit in principle, which significantly relieves the burden of the enterprises. 04/03/2014 14:53:37
[Chen Xudong]: What’s more, after the “modification to Customs Declaration Form and revocation of examination and approval” and “checking and approval of direct return of inbound goods " are cancelled, those two items are included in the management over the normal customs clearance process, which brings much convenience to the enterprises. 04/03/2014 14:54:14
[Chen Xudong]: In a word, the cancellation and delegation of those 7 items lowers the threshold for being declarers, greatly simplifies the clearance procedures, and saves time, increases the efficiency, and reduces the costs. The benefits are very obvious. 04/03/2014 14:54:23
[Wang Hua]: Right. I've heard that more than a hundred thousand people take the test for declarer qualification every year. It is one of the most popular qualification tests in China. In this reform, the “examination and approval of declarer qualification” was canceled. Ms. Qiu, can you give us some detailed information? 04/03/2014 14:54:47
[Qiu Yueling]: As it’s known, the job of customs declaration is a very professional job, which needs knowledge on foreign trade, customs, inspection and quarantine, tax administration, foreign exchange, etc. and sets high requirements on the professionalism of the declarers. However, along with the rapid growth in the volume of trade business, the demand for declarers is increasing sharply, and the declarers are very unequal in the professionalism. 04/03/2014 14:55:02
[Qiu Yueling]: Some incompetent declarers often make errors or ill conducts repeatedly in customs declaration, which may give rise to the modification or return of a great deal of the Customs Declaration Forms, wastes in the administrative resources of the Customs, low clearance efficiency and increases in the costs of enterprises. To improve the quality of customs declaration, speed up the clearance, and standardize the management over the declaration business, the Customs has, with many years of exploration, established a set of management system, covering declarer qualification management, code of conduct, supervision, training, assessment, punishment, etc. 04/03/2014 14:55:43