Joint Circular No. 4/TTLB-NgT-TCBĐ stipulates procedures for issuing, managing, and using receipt books for households with relatives residing in countries outside the socialist system.

CIRCULAR

JOINT DECREE NO. 4/TTLB-NGT-TCBD OF THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN TRADE AND POSTAL SERVICES ON PROCEDURES FOR ISSUANCE, MANAGEMENT, AND USE OF RECEIPT BOOKS FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH RELATIVES SETTLING IN NON-SOCIALIST COUNTRIES

Pursuant to Decision No. 151/HĐBT dated August 31, 1982 of the Council of Ministers regarding households with relatives settled in non-socialist countries receiving money and goods sent by their relatives, the Ministries of Foreign Trade and Postal Services hereby prescribe procedures for issuance, management, and use of receipt books for households with relatives settling in non-socialist countries as follows:

This technical regulation sets out technical requirements, testing methods, sampling procedures; management requirements; responsibilities of organizations and individuals producing, trading, and importing cigarettes.

1. Receipt books for households with relatives residing in non-socialist countries at localities where customs offices are organized shall be issued by the customs office; at localities without customs offices, they shall be issued by the provincial postal authority.

2. The receipt book has validity for customs clearance and shipment/receipt of goods via sea, air, and postal services within the country.

3. The General Postal Corporation (Postal Services and Newspaper Distribution Department) shall receive receipt books printed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade (Customs Bureau) for distribution to post offices in provinces without customs offices.

II. PROCEDURES FOR ISSUANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF RECEIPT BOOKS

1. Households wishing to regularly receive goods from relatives settled in non-socialist countries must submit an application to the Provincial People's Committee (three copies) according to a unified form printed by the Provincial People's Committee and must declare in the application the list of family members as recorded in the household registration book (where no household registration book exists, this list must be certified by the People's Committee of the commune or village) and the name of the relative abroad who regularly sends goods.

2. Based on the list and applications of households permitted to receive goods transferred by the Provincial People's Committee (along with the permit to be handed over to the head of the household when collecting the receipt book), the customs office or provincial postal authority shall issue the receipt book and have the responsibility to notify the head of the household to collect the receipt book. The receipt book shall be signed by the customs chief or the director of the provincial postal authority.

When collecting the receipt book, the holder must bring along the household registration book and identity card.

3. In cases of irregular shipment or receipt of goods, each time the household must submit an application for permission to the Provincial People's Committee as stated in point 1. If granted permission, the applicant must present the application, household registration book, and identity card to the customs office or postal authority to process the shipment or receipt of goods.

4. Upon exhausting the receipt book, the holder must go to the customs office or provincial postal authority that issued the book to obtain a new one without needing to reapply. If there are changes in household population, only the receipt book and household registration book need to be brought to the customs office or postal authority that issued the book for adjustment.

5. Each time goods are received or a new receipt book is obtained, a fee prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade must be paid to the customs office or provincial postal authority for printing and issuance costs.

III. USE OF THE RECEIPT BOOK

1. The receipt book contains 32 pages, numbered from 1 to 32, and bears the stamp of the customs office or provincial postal authority that issued it.

2. In case of loss of the receipt book, immediate report must be made to the nearest police station and the issuing authority for investigation and consideration of issuing a replacement if appropriate.

3. When moving household registration to another province, a report must be made to the People's Committee of the destination province for entry into the migration record and certification on the last page of the book. The holder must register with the customs office or provincial postal authority (in areas without customs offices) to continue sending and receiving goods.

4. When going to the customs office or postal authority (in areas without customs offices) to send or receive goods, the receipt book must be carried.

5. The person sending or receiving goods must be an adult listed in the household's receipt book.

For the sending or receiving of postal items, in addition to the procedures stipulated in Circular No. 8-LB/BĐ/NgT dated June 17, 1981 of the Joint Ministries of the General Postal Corporation and Foreign Trade concerning responsibilities between the postal and foreign trade sectors in processing import/export procedures for postal items, the following additional procedures must be followed.

A. REGARDING THE SENDING OF POSTAL ITEMS

1. At foreign exchange post offices with customs offices.

The sender must fill out a customs declaration, present the goods, receipt book, or permit issued by the Provincial People's Committee for sending (in cases of irregular sending), and identity card to the customs office.

After completing the customs procedures, paying any applicable taxes (for cases exceeding the tax-exempt value), and fees, the customs officer will confirm in the receipt book or permit, and the postal service will accept the goods for dispatch.

The customs office at the foreign exchange post office is responsible for monitoring the number of shipments per year for each household.

2. At post offices without customs offices.

The sender must present the receipt book or permit issued by the Provincial People's Committee for sending (in cases of irregular sending) to the postal service.

-If the value of the goods being sent does not exceed the limit set by the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the sender must follow the procedures specified by the postal service, and after confirmation by the postmaster or deputy postmaster in the receipt book or permit, the postal item will be forwarded to the designated foreign exchange post office. There, postal staff will open the postal item in front of customs staff for inspection. If found to be in compliance (correct value, no prohibited items...), the postal service will repackage it, customs will stamp completion of customs procedures, retrieve the permit (in cases of irregular sending), and then the postal service will dispatch the item.

If the value exceeds the limit, the postal service will guide the sender to the foreign exchange post office with a customs office to complete export procedures. If the sender still insists on sending postal items exceeding the value limit, the postal service will still accept and forward them to the foreign exchange post office with a customs office. Here, the postal service and customs will process the items; if deemed unsuitable for dispatch, the postal item will be returned to the sender, who will bear the domestic shipping charges.

The sender must pay a fee equivalent to 1% (one percent) of the value of the consignment (as determined for tax purposes according to regulations issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Trade) to the postal authority for each time they process the shipment.

Local post offices are responsible for monitoring the number of times each household sends goods within a year; if it exceeds the specified number of times in a year (from the fourth time onwards), they will not accept it for transfer.

B. REGARDING THE RECEIPT OF LETTERS AND PARCELS.

1. At foreign post offices with customs officers.

The recipient must submit a customs declaration form, present the receipt book or a permit issued by the Provincial People's Committee to receive (in cases of irregular receipt) to the customs officer. After completing the customs procedures, paying taxes (if the value exceeds the specified limit) and fees, the customs officer will confirm on the receipt book or permit, and the post office will deliver the item to the recipient.

Customs officers are responsible for tracking the number of receipts made by each household.

2. At post offices without customs organizations.

- The recipient must present the receipt book or a permit issued by the Provincial People's Committee to receive (in cases of irregular receipt) or other relevant documents as stipulated by the postal service sector.

- If the documents are found to be valid, the head or deputy head of the post office will confirm on the receipt book or permit mentioned above and deliver the letter or parcel to the recipient after the sender has paid all service fees and taxes as indicated on the service fee payment notice and tax payment notice attached to the letter or parcel (if applicable).

In cases of irregular receipt, after delivering the item to the recipient, the post office will return the permit to the customs office at the foreign post office where the import procedures were completed. The postage for returning this permit will be charged to the customs office at the receiving post office.

- Local post offices are responsible for monitoring the number of receipts made by each household within a year. If a household has received three times as specified within a year and none of these receipts violated the prohibited import regulations and tax regimes, the local post office will allow the fourth receipt after the party pays all the required fees and taxes (if applicable). For this case, the head or deputy head of the post office needs to clearly record in the receipt book of the party for future monitoring and inspection. Upon inspection, if it is found that one or all three previous receipts violated the prohibited import regulations and tax regimes, the post office will temporarily hold the letter or parcel again to report to the customs office at the foreign post office where the import procedures were completed for handling. Within 45 days from the date of receipt of the notice from the sending post office, the customs authority must inform the sending post office of the handling result. Beyond this period, if there is no response from the customs authority, the sending post office may release the letter or parcel to the recipient.

3. Households wishing to receive production materials (machinery, equipment, raw materials) as required by domestic sectors and localities should contact the nearest customs authority to obtain necessary details.

Local post offices are entitled to a commission of 3% (three percent) of the total revenue collected from taxes and service fees.

This circular takes effect from April 1, 1983. The provisions above do not apply to the sending or receiving of goods by households whose members are Vietnamese officials, students, or workers sent abroad by the State.

The General Department of Posts and Telecommunications (Ministry of Foreign Trade) and the Postal Services and Press Distribution Department (General Post Office Administration) shall provide detailed guidance to customs and postal authorities on implementing this circular.

During the implementation of this circular, if customs and postal authorities encounter difficulties or have new suggestions, they should immediately report to the relevant ministries for timely research and resolution.