China Customs: Customs E-Payment System Started Up

On September 2, 2010, the "Starting Ceremony of China Customs Electronic Payment System for Duties and Fees" was held in Shanghai.

Vice Minister of China Customs, Sun Yibiao, and the Standing CPC Committee member of Shanghai and Senior Vice-Mayor of Shanghai, Yang Xiong, both attended the ceremony and jointly started the system for operation.

In August 2007, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) formally decided to establish the China Customs Electronic Payment System for Duties and Fees and included it as a key project in the Memorandum of Co-operation between the General Administration of Customs of China and the People's Government of Shanghai Municipality.

The establishment of the System is a vital progress of Customs clearance by classification and paperless reform project, marking a new stage of the electronization of Customs payment of duties and fees.

It is also a bold innovation and effective exploration in the extension to e-commerce from e-government to achieve a high degree of integration between the two.

The introduction of advanced information technology and the concept of third-party services to conduct specialized investment construction, operating maintenance and customer services by the GACC is a concrete embodiment of the successful mode of "promotion by governments and operation by markets" formed in the construction of e-port for years, which will provide useful references for local governments to promote the development of e-government and e-commerce.

As per Vice Minister of China Customs, Sun Yibiao, the Central Government's approval of the construction project in promoting Shanghai to speed up the development of modern service industry and advanced manufacturing industry, and the building as international financial center and international shipping center (two centers) puts forwards higher requirements for the development of Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region, also bringing about new and greater opportunities for development.

The GACC's decision to experiment first in Shanghai and other regions provides strong support for the building of "two centers" in Shanghai.

Payment of Customs duties and fees is an important part of the Customs clearance, and the duties and fees are also an important part of the central finance, always accounting for about one third of State revenue.

Therefore, the Customs operation reform shall give consideration to both the safety of duties and fees and the convenience of their payment.

The introduction of the Customs Electronic Payment System not only effectively guarantees the safety of Customs duties, but also facilitates entry and exit, reduces costs of taxpayers, and serves the economic development. Meanwhile, it brings opportunities for the banking industry to expand its services. Thus, so to speak, the System is able to realize a triple-win among the Customs, banks, and taxpayers.

In accordance with the unified arrangement of the GACC, the System will first be experimented in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Ningbo Customs Districts in the Yangtze River Delta region, and then will be generalized across the country after it gets matured.