The shipment is taken sample for verification. Photo: H.V

From this case, it shows that the current specialized inspection needs to be reformed to facilitate businesses and prevent goods congestion.

Quickly clearing goods to ensure quality

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC), after receiving the GDVC’s direction in Official Dispatch 5315 dated November 9, HCM City Customs Department worked with the local government on procedures for the shipment and transport of goods into storage to ensure quality while waiting for food safety inspection procedures for customs clearance.

On November 14, the Vietnam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health issued Official Letter 2178/ATTP-KN announcing the inspection results for the shipment conducted by the Institute of Hygiene and Public Health in HCM City that the shipment meets the current standards.

The City Fatherland Front registered the declaration for the shipment at 11am on November 15, 2021 and the shipment was cleared by the Customs in accordance with the provisions of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP at 3pm the same day.

The GDVC cited Article 13 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP as saying that there are nine cases exempt from food safety inspection. The aid shipment is not subject to be exempt from inspection, except for goods that are allowed by the Prime Minister for urgent requirements. Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Decree also provides that milk products for children aged 0 to 36 months must be registered product announcements. The importer must register at the state agency designated by the Provincial People's Committee, and submit the registration certificate of the product announcement issued by this agency to be exempt from the food safety inspection and implement customs clearance.

The registration of product announcements is required by each enterprise and is not applied to goods that have the same type, name, label, production facility, packaging materials previously imported by other enterprises, causing effects on the customs clearance time.

Reform aims to facilitate enterprises

Implementing Resolution 38/QD-TTg dated January 12, 2021, the Ministry of Finance has developed a Decree on management mechanisms, methods, processes and procedures for quality inspection and food safety inspection for imports.

The Decree aims to facilitate enterprises in specialized inspection, especially for quality inspection and food safety inspection.

According to the draft Decree, nutritional products and functional foods, especially milk for children aged under 36 months are required to be registered for product announcement and issue the registration number by the first importer.

For goods having the same type, name, label, production facility, packaging materials as goods that issued the product announcement registration number, subsequent importers are not required to re-implement the registration procedure and are allowed to use the registration number to be exempt from food safety inspection.

The registration number of the product announcement is published on the National Single Window Portal for businesses to look up and go through customs clearance procedures.

Although the Decree provides many reformed contents to facilitate enterprises. However, some ministries and government agencies have not yet agreed with the draft Decree. These contents have been reported and consulted on by the Government’s members.