USAID helps improve leadership, management skills of customs officials

The three-day course saw local customs officials provided with in-depth knowledge and skills on leadership and strategic management aimed at fulfilling the sector’s tasks during the ongoing economic recovery period, as well as meeting the new requirements of Industry 4.0.

According to Bui Ngoc Loi, deputy director of the Personnel and Organization Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the sector is facing a number of challenges, including disruptions in the global supply chain and slow customs clearance due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, he said Industry 4.0 has also forced the sector to reform institutions and simplify administrative procedures for the effective implementation of new-generation free trade agreements, along with applying digital technology in a bid to create a long-term competitive advantage for the Vietnamese economy.

The training course helped improve the leadership and management capacity of customs officers as part of efforts to fully meet the requirements of the international integration process, Loi noted.  

With total capital of over US$22.2 million, the USAID-funded Trade Facilitation Program is being carried out throughout the 2018 - 2023 period, with the primary aim of reforming, standardising, harmonizing, and simplifying administrative procedures in terms of import and export in line with international standards. It seeks to implement the Trade Facilitation Program of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Government's policy on reforming specialised inspection procedures for the import and export of goods.