The Repulic of South Korea confirmed to support Lao PDR on the global advance Customs system with upgrading the technical skills for Custom sector throughout the country to enhance the state revenue collection to be more transparency and be able to track, and request that the customs sector of Lao PDR and S. Korea increase cooperation on the international level. Currently, the Customs Department, Misnistry of Finance is using the ASYCUDA system, which is an advanced system to assist on revenue collecting at 11 border check points and it will operate one more to become 12 border check points at the end of 2014. The ASYCUDA system helps to reduce time and faster facilitate to business operators. However, the government as well as the Ministry of Finance is still looking for ways to try various system to helps on the custom operation in all level.
Dr. Athsaphangthong Siphandone, Director General of Customs Department, Ministry of Finance and his delegations welcomed Mr. Kim Nak Hoe, Director General of Customs Department of S. Korea and also organized a meeting for discussion between both parties. This meeting was the third meeting already because two meeting was organized in Seol Capital, S. Korea since 2012 in order to discussion the issue of upgrading the skills of customs of both nations for the actual implementation. In the past, both nations has cooperated on various technical areas, such as the implementation of Asian-S.Korean Free Trade Agreement, detecting the illegal trade, inspection of Rules of Origion, coordination, and exchange information which could reach the goal and agreed objective.
Dr. Athsaphangthong Siphandone also reported the implementation of the 05 years customs development strategic plan (2012-2017). It indicated that the revenue collection has increased from 15%-25% per year, and the most income revenue came from import tax, which covers 30% and 70% came from the export tax, customers tax, etc. by using the ASYCUDA System. In the past, the customs administration has received cooperation and support from many sectors, particularly the assitance from S. Korea to improve skills on customs administration to a higher level.
This meeting also continued on discussing, sharing comments and assisting one another in the new work related areas, especially improving customs administration to be modernizaton, resolving the difficulties for customs clearance at border check pionts, human resource development, technical exchange between the Customs of both nations, and the cooperation in the international level.
Mr. Kim Nak Hoe also described the revenue collecting of S. Korea by applying electronic system 100% which could reduce the number of human resource. The system is one of the most advanced system in the world, which is used by S. Korea at present. The Republic of South Korea is please to offer a grand aid on improving skills of techincal staff and offering the advanced software of S. Korea to help on revenue collecting for Lao Customs Administration. At the end, both parties also signed the third Memorandum of Understanding of the two Custom Depatments.
Source: Economic and Trade Newspaper
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