On 19 February, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (hereinafter referred to as the Cooperation Zone) held a press conference on the operation of customs closure for sub-line management. At the meeting, Fu Yongge, member of the Hengqin Working Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and deputy director of the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone, introduced the progress of the preparatory work for the closure operation and the next implementation plan.
Fu Yongge said that at present, the cooperation zone will take the sub-line management and customs closure operation as the top priority of the work, and reverse the construction period according to the 0:00 customs closure operation node on March 1, compact the responsibility, carry out pressure tests, scenario simulation, etc., and use the strength of the whole region to pay close attention to the implementation to ensure the smooth operation of the customs closure.
At the policy level, since the end of last year, especially on the eve of the Spring Festival, major policies and measures required for customs closure operations at the national level, such as the tax policy for the import and export of goods, the tax policy for personnel luggage and mailed goods, the "second-line" export tax rebate policy, the customs supervision measures, the measures for the management of duty-free goods, the 30% tariff-free policy for processing value-added, the simplified declaration regulations, and the entry of animal and plant products into the co-operation zone by eligible Macao residents. The Guangdong-Macao and Hengqin Co-operation Zones and the policy documents on the design of supporting policies and mechanisms at the customs level, including the identification of goods entering the mainland through the "second tier" of the Co-operation Zone and their tax payment, the Interim Measures for the Use of Credit Information, the management of mailed items, and the entry of animal and plant products into the Co-operation Zone by eligible Macao residents, have all been studied and deliberated, and officially released in batches, etc., which have laid a solid foundation for the implementation of the customs closure operation and created good conditions.
In terms of software and hardware construction, the six "second-line" passages of Hengqin Bridge, Hengqin Tunnel, Shenjing Passage, Hengqin Wharf, Hengqin Station of Guangzhou-Zhuhai Urban Rail Extension Line and Chimelong Station passed the national acceptance on December 29, 2023. The construction of the smart port public service platform and the repair of the electronic fence have been fully completed, and the smart port public service platform will be put into trial operation on February 1, 2024. On February 9, the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone and the Provincial ** Hengqin Office jointly issued a notice on the functional positioning of the "second line" channel, and on February 17, the management department of the cooperation zone announced the transportation mode of personnel and vehicles out of the island. The cooperation zone has completed the optimization and adjustment of the traffic organization flow line around the customs supervision facilities of the "second-line" channel, and is implementing the comprehensive stress test of the whole process and all elements of the "second-line" channel in an orderly manner, and simultaneously relying on the public service platform of the smart port to accelerate the construction of a supporting information system. On the whole, all software and hardware have basically met the operating conditions for branch line management and customs closure.
In terms of comprehensive anti-smuggling management, the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone and the Provincial Hengqin Office jointly issued a coordinated supervision plan for combating smuggling and comprehensive management. Establish a reward system for anti-smuggling reports in the cooperation zone. Complete the establishment of a joint anti-smuggling and legal popularization team, a joint inventory team in key venues, and so on. Carry out normalized control and clean-up around key places.
In the next step, in view of the individual unfinished matters before the closure and operation of the cooperation zone, the Executive Committee has strengthened leadership, made overall arrangements, mobilized the resources and strength of the whole region, and formed a "game of chess", paying special attention to strengthening coordination and linkage with the customs, resonating at the same frequency, sharing information, answering the same questions, and jointly implementing the "Implementation Plan for the Customs Closure and Operation of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin". We will continue to improve the collaborative management mechanism of the "second-line" channel and the convenient filing and passage mechanism for vehicles driven by passengers and visitors. Ensure the completion of all preparations for customs closure and operation before March 1, and ensure the smooth implementation of the sub-line management and customs closure operation in the cooperation zone.
Text, picture Guangzhou** New Flower City Reporter: Chen Zhijia, Xie Yingjun.
Guangzhou ** New Flower City Editor: Yang Hongquan.