Consulting enterprises on reforming quality inspection model

	Many customs procedures for specialised inspection
	Continue listening to ministries suggesting to the project of checking product qualities
	Enterprise takes responsibility with the use purpose of imported goods

Imports and exports at Hai Phong port. Photo: N.Linh

Building a new model

According to the draft, the Scheme aims to cut costs, time and facilitateenterprises, improve the competitiveness of the economy on the basis of substantive reform of specialized inspection towards Customs as the focal point for specialized inspection at the border gate (except for goods related to security, defense and quarantine), while the specialized management ministry performs post-inspection.

The scheme is built on the principle of complying with the provisions of the Laws: the Law on product and goods quality; the Law on food safety; Law on standards and technical regulations; the Law on energy saving and efficiency; the Law on environmental protection; the Law on breeding; the Law on cultivation; and the Law on fisheries.

Inheriting regulations deployed in Decrees: 15/2018 / ND-CP, 74/2018 / ND-CP, 85/2019 / ND-CP, 17/2020 / ND-CP, and uniformly applying them to goods subject to quality and food safety inspection.

Cutting down the time, procedures and costs for enterprises towards Customs as the focal point for quality inspection for imported goods at the border gate.

Abiding by the directions and orientations of the Government and the Prime Minister for many years on comprehensive reform of the management and specialized inspection for imported goods; substantially reforming specialized inspection to create favorable conditions for enterprises while ensuring the effectiveness of state management of ministries and agencies on the quality of imported goods, protecting people's lives and health, environment, economic security and national security.

Improving the efficiency of state management of ministries, agencies and sectors through strengthening information connectivity and sharing among state agencies; further socializing specialized inspection;and making the most of the existing information technology systems to simplify and modernize the inspection procedures and ensure information transparency.

Ensuring full and effective application of risk management principles, complying with international practices, international treaties and agreementsto whichVietnam has acceded.

To finalize the draft scheme, the drafting committee also studied many models of some other countries aroundthe world to draw experience and apply in Vietnam.

Focusing on addressing inadequacies

To make the draft Scheme, the drafting committee assessed the current situation of specialized inspection of imported goods. Besides the achieved results, the specialized inspection also faces many inadequacies such as: the number of imported goods subject to specialized inspection is significant, there is no standards andtechnical regulation for inspection, there is no designed inspection agency; the risk management principle has not been fully and substantially applied; specialized inspections are costly for enterprises and the State but they are inefficient; there are overlaps in specialized inspection; and though centralized specialized inspection sites have been established but they operate ineffectively; recognition of goods quality inspected by foreign agencies is still very limited.

According to the drafting committee, the specialized inspection for imported goods has been reformed and appreciated by the Government and the business community. However, it still has many shortcomings from legal regulations to implementation, wasting costs and time for enterprises and human resources for the State. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively reform specialized inspection procedures to facilitate enterprises while meeting the state management requirements on the quality of imported goods.

To comprehensively reform specialized inspection procedures, it is necessary to focus on addressing the existing inadequacies and shortcomings and drastically implementing undertakings and solutions in the spirit of Resolutions 19 / NQ-CP, Resolution No. 99 / NQ-CP and Resolution No. 02 / NQ-CP 2019, 2020.

In addition, inthe Resolutions, the Government has proposed another solution which is to assign the Ministry of Finance to preside over the formulation of a Scheme on specialized inspection reform in the direction that the Customs office is the focal point for specialized inspection at border gates, and specialized management ministries shall conduct post-inspection. According to the drafting committee, the synchronous implementation of the above-mentioned solutions has met the requirements of comprehensive reform, making the specialized inspection procedures for imported goods more convenient and efficient. That is also the common goal of this scheme.

Accordingly, the reform of the new model will focus on simplifying, standardizing, unifying processes and procedures for quality and food safety inspection.

Applying conversion of quality inspection methods (from tight inspection to normal inspection, and from normal inspection to reduced inspection).

Changing the approach from quality inspection ofgoods associated with goods owner to quality inspection of goods.

Improving the compliance of enterprises, ensuring the control role of state management agencies through the application of risk management principles in quality and food safety inspection for imported goods and conducting random inspection no more than 5% to assess compliance with the law.

Enterprise takes responsibility with the use purpose of imported goods VCN – This was the content in the guidance of General Department of Vietnam Customs sent to ...

Disclosing information on quality inspection of importers and state management agencies through upgrading and applying IT systems (National Single Window mechanism, information technology systems of ministries and agencies).