Specialized inspections for imports and exports: What have the ministries and agencies been doing?

	Goods subject to specialized inspections in Hai Phong tends to decrease
	Specialized inspections have not been improved much
	The list of import and export goods subject to the specialized inspections late promulgated

Lao Bao International Border Gate Customs Branch Officers inspects exported goods. Photo: Huu Linh

According to Mr. Ngo Minh Hai, Deputy Director of Customs Management and Supervision Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs(GDVC) ), the specialized inspections have been caused big barriers that extend the Customs clearance time and increase costs for enterprises. This also prevents the improvement of trade transaction index through borders. In the recent times, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has actively proposed that the ministries and agencies should amend and supplement related policies on specialized management and inspections. Based on reports of the MOF on this matter, the Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has recently directed relevant ministries and agencies to review to unify the List of goods subject to specialized inspections toward not overlapping for the same goods that must be subject to specialized inspections of many agencies. Also, promptly promulgating the List of imported and exported goods subject to specialized inspections at the Customs clearance stage according to assigned tasks in Resolution 19-2017/NQ-CP.

To carry out the tasks with the aim of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of specialized inspections, the ministries and agencies have been deploying many measures. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) agrees with the indispensability of review of regulations on specialized inspections to reform administrative procedures and facilitate enterprises, but ensure to inspect and control closely and fully all criteria and necessary requirements on food quality and safety, quarantine and environment. Whereby, it is necessary to issue the implementation process publically and transparently towards facilitating enterprises and List of goods subject to specialized inspections with specific HS code to support the performance of management agencies and enterprises. According to the MOIT, in the recent times, with role as a host Ministry of deploying the Government’s Resolution 187/2013/ND-CP, the Ministry has been collaborating with other ministries and agencies to review the Lists of goods subject to specialized inspections and List of goods subject to inspections before Customs clearance to study and simplify procedures and reduce time and goods subject to inspections before Customs clearance in the spirit of the Government’s Resolution 19/NQ-CP.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is enhancing the issue electronic Licenses and Certificates for fields subject to State specialized management of the ministries and agencies through the NSW, ASW and trade facilitation. To reduce offices in charge of quarantine and food safety at the same ministry, the MARD has assigned the Department of Animal Health to quarantine and inspect the food safety for imported goods in the sections 1 and 2 of the appendix of Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT and Circular 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT. For fertilizer management, the MARD is urgently working with relevant agencies to review, amend and supplement Decree 202/2013 / ND-CP on fertilizers. For the implementation of innovative solutions for the specialized inspections, the MARD said that goods with the risk of disease spreads shall be inspected at border gates. Goods subject to inspection only are inspected on quality and food safety so that they should be inspected in the direction of risk management after Customs clearance.

About the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry is studying, reviewing and considering to amend, supplement and replace Circular 15/2014/TT-BXD on issuing the National Technical Regulation QCVN 16:2014/BXD on products and goods of building materials. This Circular shall replace Circulars No. 15/2015/TT-BXD, No. 14/2010/TT-BXD, and No. 14/2010/TT-BXD. List of products and goods of building materials shall be studied to reduce products and goods which are not necessary to be managed.

Encryption of specialized management and inspection policies: Measure to unify VNACCS and NSW portal VCN - The encryption of specialized inspection and management documents is an important requirement to fulfill the ...

The innovation solution of the Ministry of Transportation is enhancing the implementation of online public services, connecting the Customs NSW. Thereby, people can declare, submit dossiers, pay money and receive results and have not to directly visit management agencies, which shall save time, costs for enterprises and eliminate harassments and troubles.