In the first six months of 2021, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has gathered human resources to finalize the draft Decree stipulating the management mechanism, methods, order and procedures for quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods.

Professional activities at Mong Cai Customs Branch – Quang Ninh Customs Department.
Photo: Quang Hùng 

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in the first half of 2021, the unit has actively coordinated with relevant ministries, sectors and units to implement the instructions related to the reform of specialized inspection, handle problems and inadequacies in regulations on specialized inspection of imported and exported goods.

As of June 15, 2021, ministries and sectors have amended and supplemented 28 of 38 documents (accounting for 74%), promulgated 48 of 60 lists of goods with HS codes and promulgated regulations and standards for all 22 commodity groups as required in Decision No. 1254/QD-TTg dated September 26, 2018, and Decision No. 1258/QD-TTg dated August 17, 2020.

In particular, as soon as the Scheme on "Reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods" was approved under Decision No. 38/QD-TTg dated January 12, 2021, of the Prime Minister, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has advised and submitted to the Ministry of Finance to issue the plan for implementing Decision No. 38/QD-TTg.

Following that, the Decisions on the establishment of the Drafting Board and the Editorial Team were issued; established a team to implement the Scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods; established a group to build an information sharing and connection system among ministries for import and export goods management.

Following the set plan, in the first six months of 2021, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has gathered human resources to complete the draft Decree stipulating the management mechanism, methods, order and procedures on quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods.

Leaders of the Ministry of Finance and General Department of Vietnam Customs chaired many meetings with relevant ministries, sectors and units to review the contents of the draft Decree.

On June 4, 2021, the Ministry of Finance issued Official Letter No. 5976/BTC-TCHQ to the Ministry of Justice for appraisal. While waiting for the comments, implementing the direction of the leaders of the Ministry, the General Department of Customs held a meeting with a number of business associations to continue to complete the draft Decree on June 11, 2021.

Currently, the General Department of Vietnam Customs is completing the information technology system to ensure the implementation of the requirements in the draft Decree.

Along with the efforts of the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, ministries and sectors have actively coordinated with Customs to review and evaluate the current inspection process and procedures and develop new processes and procedures to include in the draft Decree and submit to the Government in order to thoroughly solve the shortcomings and limitations.

For example, the system of legal documents related to specialized inspection activities has not been synchronized and unified; there were still many imported and exported goods subject to specialized inspection, which did not have sufficient standards and technical regulations for inspection; lack of processes and inspection agencies; risk management was not effective; mutual recognition has not been applied; traceability has not been applied in specialized inspection; the inspection order and procedures were still including many steps that were inconsistent, inefficient, and overlapping in specialized inspection.

The principle of drafting the Decree is to concretize seven reform contents of the Scheme on reforming the model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 38/QD-TTg; ensuring compliance with current laws.

Does not change or even enhance the role and function of state management of ministries managing sectors and fields through strengthening the connection and sharing of information between state management agencies, or utilize information technology systems.