Urgently complete scheme on unifying the focal point for goods quality inspection

	Many commodities overlap in specialised inspection
	Standardizing the quality inspection process of import and export goods
	15 types of goods are exempted from quality inspection when importing

Deputy Director General of Vietnam Customs Mai Xuan Thanh gave a statement the meeting.

The meeting was attended by representatives of units under the General Department of Vietnam Customs, local customs departments and experts of the USAID-funded trade facilitation project and the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM).

Deputy Director General of Vietnam Customs Mai Xuan Thanh said in the resolution of the Government's regular meeting of October 2019 (Resolution No. 99), the Government assigned the Ministry of Finance to develop a scheme to reform specialised inspection so customs shall be the focal point to conduct specialised inspection at border gates to submit to the Government in the first quarter of 2020.

Following the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Director General requested the development of the scheme needs to identify the goal of improving effectiveness and efficiency, reducing costs for goods quality inspection based on the separation of State management and performance.

Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh also proposed experts specify the general process on goods quality inspection in the draft with the requirement of showing its reform.

In addition, issues that need to be specified by experts in the draft scheme such as goods quality inspection must be conducted in customs clearance processes; goods classification is based on risk management; processes of sampling, sample rotation and quality inspection; process of analysing, inspecting and sending goods quality results; the inspection registration process for enterprises; process of handling violations; processes of handling complaints and notification of goods eligible for quality inspection and publicity on the National Single Window portal

During the three meeting days, the experts will discuss to develop the draft scheme in each field by reviewing and assessing the situation; reviewing legal framework; reviewing international models; reviewing new model impacts and reviewing the capacity of customs authorities.

Currently, to be permitted to clear import and export goods, enterprises must fulfill responsibilities and obligations on goods clearance stipulated in the Customs Law and specialised laws. Depending on each specific case, to clear goods, enterprises must submit or present to the Customs office a permit or document on inspection results (quarantine, quality, food safety, conformity and standards). The National Assembly and Government have issued a quite adequate legal system on specialised inspection, creating a necessary legal environment with the policy of ensuring safety, protecting people's lives and health and protecting the environment, economic security and national security.

However, the process of conducting specialised inspections for import and export goods still has shortcomings of increasing administrative procedures, costs, and extending the time for carrying out procedures of enterprises and causing waste of resources for society. This has reduced Vietnam's competitiveness in trade exchange and international economic integration.

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In recent times, thanks to the direction of the Government, the specialised inspection for import and export goods has achieved positive results but has not met requirements of reform and enhanced the national competitiveness in cross-border trade exchange.

To save time, costs and resources for businesses and society but still meet requirements of State management of goods quality, in Government Resolution 99/NQ-CP, the Ministry of Finance was assigned to chair the development of the scheme on reforming specialised inspection towards the direction where the customs authority is the focal point for performing specialised inspection at the border gate (except for goods related to security, defence or quarantine), specialised management ministries shall conduct post-inspection.

Following the Government's direction in Resolution 99/NQ-CP, the Ministry of Finance (the General Department of Vietnam Customs) must develop and implement the scheme on reforming the method of quality inspection for import and export goods to reform quality inspection for imported and exported goods based on applying risk management principles, in line with international practices to save costs, time and resources for society, but still strengthening goods quality inspection in accordance with the law, meeting the requirements of international integration,improving the competitiveness of domestic enterprises and boosting economic growth.