The Ministry of Finance has developed a draft decree regulating the management mechanism, methods, processes and procedures for quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods.

Customs officials at Bac Giang Industrial Park Management Customs Branch
perform operations on the system.

The decree aims to improve the management function of ministries managing sectors and fields.

Enterprises will apply for inspection on the National Single Window

The decree serves as a basis for the realisation of the reform contents of the scheme, solving current shortcomings, radically reforming the specialised inspection to reduce the time and cost for firms and facilitate trade, contributing to promoting and increasing Vietnam’s national competitiveness.

It comprehensively reforms regulations on quality inspection, food safety inspection for import goods in the direction of promoting information technology application, applying risk management, simplifying and implementing automation of procedures for the inspections, reducing contact points between enterprises and agencies and organisations by allowing firms to apply for inspection on the National Single Window.

Agencies and conformity certification bodies will check the inspection results on the National Single Window for goods clearance.

State agencies inspect the law compliance of bodies participating in inspections including inspection agencies, customs and conformity certification bodies.

The goal of the reform is reduce the cost of administrative procedures, storage costs and customs clearance time for import goods.

Create the necessary environment and conditions for the socialisation of quality inspection and food safety inspection; protect domestic production, the environment and public interests and health.

Improve effectiveness and efficiency of the inspections to strictly control imported goods, contributing to ensuring national security and economic safety.

In addition, reorganise the operational model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods in a simple and effective manner, while assigning specific responsibilities among inspection bodies.

Specify the focal point role of the Customs

The decree will concretise seven reform contents of the scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for import goods, which is approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 38/QD-TTg.

It specifies the focal point role of the Customs in quality inspection and food safety inspections for import goods such as collecting and building database, checking e-documents on inspection and sharing information with agencies, building and operating the National Single Window and Customs IT system, meeting requirements under the new model.

Complying with provisions of laws of Customs, Product and Goods Quality, Food Safety, Standards and Technical Regulations, Animal Husbandry; Crop Production, Fisheries and Foreign Trade Management.

The decree will not change functions but improve the State management function of ministries managing sectors and fields prescribed by the Law on Product and Goods Quality, the Law on Food Safety, the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations and other specialised laws through strengthening the information connection and exchange between State management agencies, maximum application of information technology systems to simplify and modernise procedures, ensuring information transparency, effective application advanced inspection methods such as traceability, risk management, compliance management, keeping with international practices, international treaties/agreements signed or acceded to by Vietnam.

Cutting costs and customs clearance time, creating favourable conditions for businesses in importing goods while ensuring the effectiveness of management by ministries on quality of imported goods to protect domestic production, public health and interests, as well as environmental protection and national security.

The draft decree has been widely consulted by the Ministry of Finance with people, businesses and other units.