The law does not keep up with reality

On the morning of March 3, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) coordinated with the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment to organize a workshop to provide comments on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality.

The Submission of the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality sent by the Ministry of Science and Technology to the Government clarified the necessity of promulgating the Law. Specifically, the Law on Product and Goods Quality was passed by the National Assembly in 2007 and took effect on July 1, 2008. This is an important legal document, regulating relationships related to product and goods quality.

The Law was promulgated in the context of Vietnam negotiating and joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), requiring Vietnam to complete the legal framework on quality standards, increase transparency in product and goods quality management in accordance with standards and technical regulations, and promote global trade facilitation.

However, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, after nearly 17 years of implementation, the provisions of the Law on Product and Goods Quality and guiding documents have increasingly improved the quality of products and goods. Products and goods are strictly controlled from the stage before being put on the market to the stage after being put on the market.

In the context of Vietnam opening its market and integrating deeply into the international community, leading to more in-depth and substantial economic activities, export enterprises are increasingly facing many strict regulations and requirements on standards and technical regulations in foreign markets.

In addition, with the Party and State's policies and guidelines to encourage enterprises to participate deeply in the global supply chain for products, goods and services; the need for innovation and access to the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the requirement to innovate the science and technology management model, develop national quality infrastructure, the role and influence of the quality of goods, products, and goods must comply with standards and technical regulations on socio-economic development.

Also talking about the need to amend and supplement a number of articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality, Mr. Pham Tan Cong - Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry - said: Controlling the quality of goods is an important task, protecting customers and society, while making transparent the production, import and business activities of enterprises. However, in the current context, the legal framework on the Law on Product and Goods Quality has revealed limitations, requiring supplementation and amendment to meet the needs in the new context.

Ensuring business operations

Speaking at the workshop, representatives of associations and industries all agreed with the view that amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality is necessary. However, the contents stated in the draft law need to be clear, transparent and create conditions for businesses to operate, not to let businesses incur additional costs in terms of time and money, because "businesses are very afraid of things that are unclear" - Mr. Truong Van Cam - Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) - commented.

Agreeing with the above view, Mr. Pham Tan Cong - Chairman of VCCI said that the Law on Product and Goods Quality plays an important role, not only enhancing the reputation of Vietnamese goods in the international market but also ensuring the reputation and brand of businesses.

Accordingly, in order for the Law to bring about positive effects, it is necessary to design it in harmony with the state management mechanism and promote business activities of enterprises, promote production, and bring products to the market.

"In particular, the Law needs to encourage the application of information technology in the inspection and supervision of goods quality. This not only improves the effectiveness of state management but also helps enterprises optimize operating costs" - Mr. Pham Tan Cong provided information.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Le Quang Huy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment - said: Vietnam has signed 17 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). In addition, General Secretary To Lam signed and issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology development, innovation and national digital transformation. The application of science and technology to the issue of standards and regulations on the quality of goods is very important in the process of drafting.

In contributing to the drafting, representatives of associations and industries also pointed out the shortcomings and inadequacies in the management of products and goods of groups 1 and 2. Are there shortcomings and inadequacies in the decentralization and delegation of authority to ministries and industries to develop group 2 goods and issue related technical regulations or is it appropriate to assign the Government to specify the list of products and goods of group 2 according to the draft law?

Regarding the comments of representatives of enterprises and associations, the drafting committee said that it will continue to study and absorb them in the process of completing the draft.

After 17 years of implementing the Law on Product and Goods Quality, it can be seen that, besides the achieved results, the Law on Product and Goods Quality 2007 has encountered some shortcomings and limitations, requiring amendments to suit the reality and promote socio-economic development.