350 legal documents on management and specialized inspection

Customs officials of Danang International Airport Customs Branch checked imported goods. Photo: N.Linh

With the role as the focal point for coordinating with relevant ministries to implement Decision No. 2026 / QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of specialized inspection for import and export goods, from 2017 until now, the Ministry of Finance (the General Department of Vietnam Customs) has actively and proactively cooperated with ministries and sectors to promote the reform and renovation of management methods and specialized inspection.

Specifically, the Ministry of Finance has actively researched and reviewed the legal provisions on management and specialized inspection to timely detect problems and obstacles. Collected the problems and suggestions of local enterprises and customs, to synthesize, reflect and propose to the specialized units under the ministries and sectors to amend and supplement the regulations on management and specialized inspection; Participating and contributing ideas to the project on developing decrees and circulars related to the work of specialized inspection promulgated by ministries and sectors.

Chairing and coordinating with ministries’ and sectors’ specialized units (working together with customs authorities) in reviewing legal documents on specialized inspections, which still have obstacles and difficulties, and did not meet the requirements under the Government’s directives in Decision 2026/QD-TTg and Resolutions 19 in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

In 8/2018, the General Department of Vietnam Customs chaired and coordinated with a number of professional units under the ministries and sectors in order to organize centralized working for reviewing the legal documents which have obstacles and HS codes.

In 9/2018, the Ministry of Finance sent documents to 5 ministries: Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, Science and Technology, Information and Communication, and Natural Resources and Environment in order to promote the deployment of National Single Window and specialized inspection.

To chair for organizing and coordinating with ministries and sectors in reviewing and standardizing the list of import and export goods accompanied by HS codes in conformity with Vietnam's List of Import and Export Goods issued together with the Circular No. 65/2017/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance.

At the same time, after the review, indicated clearly the import and export goods’ items which are overlapping in management and inspection, while simultaneousy reporting to the Prime Minister and recommending and proposing some specific solutions under various forms of mangement and specialized inspection before implementing customs clearance.

Particularly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has recently been assigned by the Ministry of Finance to develop a draft Decree stipulating on the implementation of the National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window for Import and Export Goods. In particular, it specified the responsibilities of the specialized management ministries in the implementation of regulations on specialized inspection.

Moreover, the key issues are included in the draft Decree including: Applying the principles of risk management in industries, and issuing a list of goods subject to specialized inspection before implementing the customs clearance that must satisfy the following criteria: standards and technical regulations for inspection (in cases where the standards/technical regulations are not available, it must have inspection criteria), process, procedures, inspection agency, HS codes. The list only includes goods subject to specialized inspection before implementing customs clearance for high risk goods which affect human health, the environment, national security and defense; Regulations on unification of subjects entitled to exemption of specialized inspection ...

Also in 2018, the Ministry of Finance reported to the Prime Minister on the chairing of the conference, "Promoting National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window and Trade Facilitation". After the meeting, the Prime Minister issued Decision 1254/QD-TTg on approving the Action Plan to promote the National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window, reform of the specialized inspection for exported and exported goods, and facilitating trade in the period of 2018-2020. In the Decision, ministries and sectors were assigned to implement specific measures to improve the management and specialized inspection of import and export goods as well as trade facilitation.