The Ministry of Finance responds to HCM City on specialized inspections

	Specialized inspections: Many goods inspected, increasing time
	11 Ministries urged to amend documents on specialized inspections
	Customs clearance of automobiles after the results of specialized inspections

Customs officers of Song Than Industrial Zone check imports and exports. Photo: T.H.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance said that in order to reduce the time of Customs clearance, improve operational efficiency of specialized inspections for imports and exports and facilitate enterprises, the Ministry of Finance has advised the Prime Minister to issue Decision 2026/QD-TTg of 17th November 2015 approving the scheme "Solutions for improving effectiveness and operational efficiency of specialized inspections for imports and exports. The scheme specified inadequacies, problems in specialized inspections and specific measures.

In recent years, the Ministry of Finance has actively coordinated with the specialized inspection agencies to implement measures to remove obstacles of import and export enterprises. Specifically, the Ministry of Finance has collaborated with the specialized inspection agencies to review, develop and improve the mechanisms and management policies on the implementation of specialized inspections; actively worked with agencies in the field of specialized inspections to handle difficulties and problems arising in the implementation of specialized inspections; put 10 specialized inspection stations into operation; constructed the portal on specialized inspections in the National Single Window, set up a coordination mechanism among relevant agencies; and implemented quality and food safety inspections in line with functions of the Department of Examination on imports and exports under the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

For specific recommendations of the delegation of the National Assembly in HCM City, the Ministry of Finance has also had specific responses for each problem.

Regarding the feedback on the inconsistency of quality inspections for goods in Group 2 (on the list of potentially unsafe goods and products), the Ministry of Finance said, according to Clause 4, Article 34 and Article 35 of the Law on product and goods quality; all imported goods in Group 2 must be inspected quality when they are imported. Currently, there are a great number of goods in Group 2, while the procedures are not uniform, which has caused inconsistency in the implementation of risk management. Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance has proposed to the Government to revise Articles 33, 34 and 35 of the Law on Product and Goods Quality as follows: Specifying the types of goods to be inspected before Customs clearance (for goods with a high risk) and types of goods to be inspected after Customs clearance and before being put into circulation and consumption (for goods with a low risk) to meet the requirements of Government Resolution 19-2016/NQ-CP.

Regarding problems related to minimum energy efficiency, the Ministry of Finance has responded to the delegation of the National Assembly in HCM City that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued Circular 36/2016/TT-BCT regulating energy labeling for vehicles and energy equipment under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Accordingly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has regulated that energy labeling must be conducted before vehicles and energy equipment are put into use.

Regarding the examination of minimum energy efficiency, the Ministry of Finance said that this problem had significantly affected the clearance time of enterprises and costs of enterprises to conduct import procedures. In Resolution 19-2016/NQ-CP, the Government noted that the examination of energy efficiency would be conducted after Customs clearance of goods. Currently, the Ministry of Science and Technology is drafting amendments and supplements to the Decision 78/2013/QD-TTg.

Regarding the reflection related to Circular 37/2015/TT-BCT, the Ministry of Finance said that on 12th October 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Circular 23/2016/TT-BCT to abolish Circular 37/2015/TT-BCT. Therefore, there are no longer difficulties for this case.

Specialized inspections on food and food additives meets obstacles due to policy VCN- The General Department of Vietnam Customs proposed the Ministry of Health to remove obstacles in the ...

In addition, the Ministry of Finance said that a number of documents causing difficulties and problems which were reflected by the delegation of the National Assembly in HCM City such as the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Circular 23/2015/TT-BKHCN regulating the import of used machinery, equipment and professional wireless technology; Decision 4758/QD-BNN-TY issuing HS codes for the list of animals to be quarantined by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have been reported by the Ministry of Finance to relevant authorities to resolve.