Specialized inspection site at Tan Thanh border gate: Should stop operation?

	Reduce 4,400 goods items which must be managed and taken for specialized inspection
	Strict control on enterprises violating specialized inspection
	Many positive changes in specialized inspections in HCMC

Specialized inspection station at Tan Thanh border gate (Lang Son province). Photo: Hong Nu.

Limitation in a long time

Statistics show that from 1 June 2017 to 31 March 2018, the total number of Customs declarations subject to specialized inspections at the Lang Son Customs Department was 45,486 declarations. In particular, the units located in the area of Tan Thanh border gate received and processed only 40,258 declarations (Lang Son International Medical Quarantine Center received and processed 20,655 declaration forms). At the customs offices which do have the stations for specialized inspections such as Chi Ma, Coc Na, Huu Nghi, there were 5,228 declarations subject to specialized inspections.

According to the Lang Son Customs Department, at Tan Thanh Customs Branch, businesses registered to open Customs declarations are importing mainly fruit, agricultural products and consumer goods. From the date the Tan Thanh border gate was put into operation, it has created favorable conditions, minimized the time for goods clearance, reduced travel expenses for enterprises. However, in recent times, these specialized inspection stations have been closed for many reasons.

According to the Department of Animal Quarantine of Lang Son, the location of specialized inspections is narrow, not enough for checking. Besides, most of the goods must be brought inland for quarantine by other agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Especially, the location of Tan Thanh border gate is far from the border, so it is not convenient for the enterprises to register and receive the results.

At the same time, the Center for International Health Quarantine, Lang Son Department of Health said that soon after the establishment of the center of specialized inspections at Tan Thanh border gate (6 January 2016), the medical quarantine technology at Tan Thanh border gate had many difficulties and no longer met the actual requirements.

According to Mr. Vy Cong Tuong, the Deputy Director of the Lang Son Customs Department, due to the low number of items, the units have not arranged staff to work regularly at the site of specialized inspections. Meanwhile, due to the location of industrial parks in Tan Thanh being distant to Chi Ma, Huu Nghi and Coc Nam border gates, it is not convenient for enterprises to register and receive results.

In addition, Circular 38/2015 / TT-BTC which is amended and supplemented in the Ministry of Finance's Circular No. 39/2018 / TT-BTC contained provisions allowing enterprises to deliver goods to storage facilities. Enterprises operating in the area ofindustrial products in terms of formaldehyde content, food hygiene in Hanoi can register, sample and receive the results at the Hanoi specialized inspection locations.

Particularly, from 26 November 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Circular No. 23/2016 / TT-BCT allowed textiles and garments not to be tested for formaldehyde, therefore, for the work of the Textile and Garment Institute no longer raised procedures at Tan Thanh border gate.

Specialized inspections should be terminated

According to the Plant Quarantine Department of Region VII, at Tan Thanh border gate, only 5-7 goods lots are subjected to food hygiene and safety inspection. At the same time, the main job at the Tan Thanh border gate only performs the registration and return of the technician's results, failing to meet the requirements of plant quarantine inspections and food safety inspections.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, the Head of the Plant Quarantine Branch of Region VII, the unit has 5 plant quarantine stations located at the border gates, equipped for technical quarantine inspection and food safety. All plant quarantine inspections shall be carried out at the technical offices of the plant quarantine stations at the border gates.

According to the Branch of Animal Quarantine of Lang Son, the authorities should study, survey, consider investing in new premises in a suitable place to create favourable conditions for businesses.

The representative of the National Institute for Food Hygiene and Safety, under the Ministry of Health said that according to statistics at the Tan Thanh border gate, the shipments registered for inspection of food safety and hygiene were mainly transferred through the Huu Nghi Border Gate. Therefore, in order to facilitate the registration of enterprises, the unit proposed relocation of specialized inspection stations to Huu Nghi border gate.

According to the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, it is not advisable to terminate the whole specialized inspection activities in Lang Son, but move stations from Tan Thanh border gate to Huu Nghi border gate because the number of registered safety checks for imported foods in Lang Son tends to increase. In addition, it will create favorable conditions for businesses to register inspections, shorten clearance time, reduce costs and time for businesses. Particularly, it will be advantageous for the inspections agencies to inspect the goods subject to strict inspection.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is committed to reforming specialized inspection procedures VCN- As one of the ministries strictly implementing the Government's request for reform of administrative procedures to ...

Speaking to the reporter, Mr. Vy Cong Tuong said, from the point of view of Lang Son Customs Department, the specialized inspection stations at Tan Thanh border gate is not working effectively and the work area has been abandoned. As a result, Lang Son Customs proposed to stop these operations at the Tan Thanh border gate.