No overlapping specialized inspections for the same commodity

	Goods subject to specialized inspections in Hai Phong tends to decrease
	Specialized inspections have not been improved much
	Waiting for changes in specialized inspections

Specialized inspections account for 70% of the Customs clearance time.

Specifically, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue has assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, according to their assigned functions and tasks, to coordinate with relevant agencies to unify the list goods subject to specialized inspections towards non-overlapping for the same commodity which must be inspected by various agencies.

The Deputy Prime Minister also assigned the relevant specialized management ministries to expeditiously promulgate a list of exported and imported goods subject to specialized inspections at the stage of Customs clearance in accordance with Government’s Resolution No. 19/2017 / NQ-CP of 6^th February 2017.

Also, these ministries shall coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice to review and clarify the legal grounds and requirements of each type of specialized inspections. In the case where different name of types of records have similar contents, the amendment and adjustment shall be made towards unifying the use of records to create favourable conditions for enterprises.

The Deputy Prime Minister has asked relevant ministries and agencies to report to the Prime Minister on the results of the above activities in June 2017.

Earlier, in order to unify the appropriate specialized inspections towards reducing the types of papers and certificates, but still ensure strict control and adequate criteria and requirements on quality and safety, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue has assigned the Ministry of Finance to review imported and exported commodities subject to many procedures at the same time and many related inspection documents.

According to the Ministry of Finance, there are many legal documents on specialized inspections but there are overlaps in the management and specialized inspections.

A commodity is subject to many forms of management

The review has shown that many imported items must also be subject to many forms of management and inspections by many ministries. For example, yogurt and cheese products must be subject to the specialized management and inspections of two ministries, for quarantine and food safety. Or plant varieties, bricks, stones and glass which must be checked for quality and certificates of conformity for medical equipment, drugs, raw materials for medicine production ... have just applied for import license and quality inspection.

Even, fertilizer must be subject to 3 types of management / inspection, including automatic import license, quality control and technical certification.

In addition, there are cases where one item is subject to many forms of management of the same specialized management ministry. For example, silkworms are subject to quarantine, quality control and food safety by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The medicines and raw materials for the manufacture of medicines and medical equipment have just applied for import permits and have to check the quality of the Ministry of Health. Boilers are subject to test standards, import conditions, and quality / safety checks. This item is also subject to the same form of management / inspection of two specialized management ministries, in which the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs jointly inspect quality and the Ministry of Industry and Trade inspects energy efficiency.

The Ministry of Finance said that the application of many different regimes and management modes to an exported or imported item not only makes it difficult for enterprises to reduce competitiveness but it also loses business opportunities of the business; increases the administrative procedures, extends the clearance time, increases the payroll of the management agency, wastes the State budget, sometimes causing difficulties for the State management agencies in the Customs clearance process.

The management is inconsistent

The cause of the overlapping specialized inspections which was indicated by the Ministry of Finance was that relevant ministries did not agree on the management. The list of goods subject to specialized inspections is too wide, not specifying goods' names, without HS codes. Many documents have been promulgated for a long time, no longer fitting with reality but they have not been abolished.

The regime of management and inspections for imported and exported goods of relevant ministries are inconsistent (in terms of procedures, methods of implementation), leading to various types of documents issued by specialized management ministries. It is not clear which documents are permitted, certificate of conditions for imported and exported goods, automatic license, standard conformity certification and chemical declaration.

According to the Government's Resolution No. 19/2017 / NQ-CP, in the first quarter of 2017, the ministries must promulgate a list of imports and exports subject to specialized inspection at the stage of Customs clearance, simplifying procedures and shortening inspection time; reviewing and amending the regulations on the acceptance of technical regulation conformity for imported goods towards abolition or simplification of procedures. There is no cases of receiveing regulation conformity announcement for products and goods which do not have national standards.

Final review of the draft Circular amending and supplementing Circular 38/2015 / TT-BTC VCN- Within 3 days (from 24th May to 27th May), at the headquarters, the General Department of ...

However, the Ministry of Finance said that there had been no ministries issuing a list of goods towards shortening goods subject to specialized inspections at the stage of Customs clearance.