HANOI: A bank employee counts Vietnamese dong banknotes at a bank in Vinh Yen city, Vietnam, on Aug 19, 2015.
Vietnam has connected its customs clearance system to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia after launching its single window operational centre.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngyuen Tan Dung activated the single window system on Tuesday. It will cut short the time for clearance procedures and be linked to the Asean Single Window, the Toui Tre News reported on Wednesday.
The system will speed up procedures for businesses by accepting documents online, shortening the time needed from three weeks to four or five days, it added.
Vietnam is the fourth country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to join the system after Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, according to the Asean Secretariat. Singapore will soon connect its system to the bloc, it said.
The Asean Single Window is aimed at integrating the customs systems of all 10 Asean members for business and trade facilitation to prepare for closer business connections after the grouping launches the Asean Economic Community at the end of December.
