Promoting reform of specialized inspection

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Reform of specialized inspection will facilitate import and export activities

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, Head of the National Steering Committee for National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window, and reform of specialized inspection for imports and exports and trade facilitation, praised the Standing Office of Steering Committee 1899 (General Department of Customs) for fully reporting on the performance of National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window, and reform of specialized inspection of imports and exports and trade facilitation in the last months of 2020 and early 2021 and the Ministry of Industry and Trade for reporting on logistics services in Vietnam.

Regarding the reform of specialized inspection of imports and exports, this task has achieved remarkable results that have been appreciated by the business community.

The inspection procedures for imports and exports have been reduced and simplified; the list of goods subject to specialized inspection has been cut.

Many ministries and agencies have changed the inspection method from pre-clearance inspection to post-clearance inspection such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Information and Communications and Ministry of Public Security.

Risk management principles have been applied to specialized inspection.

The model of quality and food safety inspection for imported goods has been reformed. The Customs agency will be the focal point in charge of specialised inspection.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that ministries have carried out assigned tasks in Decision 1254 dated September 26, 2018 and Decision 1258 dated August 17, 2020 of the Prime Minister amending and supplementing Decision 1254 on the action plan to promote the National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window, and reform of specialized inspection for imports and exports and trade facilitation for the 2018 -2020 period.

Besides achievements, there have been shortcomings, such as: legal documents on specialized inspection have not been consistent, risk management has been applied but is ineffective; mutual recognition has been conducted, traceability has not been applied; inspection procedures have been cumbersome and overlapping; the detection rate has not been commensurate with the inspection rate and the inspection fee is high.

To fulfil assigned plans, the official requested the Ministry of Finance to preside over and urge the ministries and sectors to urgently complete the assigned tasks at Decision 1254 and Decision 1258.

To work other ministries and sector to speed up the development of a Master Plan on building and developing an information technology system to deploy the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window towards centralized settlement to submit it to the Prime Minister in the first quarter of 2022.

To connect and integrate the National Single Window Portal with the National Public Service Portal under the guidance of the Government Office.

The Ministry of Finance is required to submit to the Government a proposal for promulgation of a Decree on management mechanism, methods, order and procedures for quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods and implementation; submit to the Prime Minister the funding to perform the tasks of the ministries; develop an Action Plan to carry out the National Single Window, promote the logistics industry and facilitate trade in the 2021-2025 period, and submit it to competent authorities for approval.

Connecting 35 administrative procedures to National Single Window Portal

The Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries by the first quarter of 2022 to successfully connect 35 administrative procedures to the National Single Window Portal under Decision 1254 and Decision 1258.

Ministries and sectors shall send technical officers to solve professional and technical problems for customs declarants and related organizations and individuals in the process of connecting administrative procedures to the portal.

Furthermore, the ministries and sectors are required to continue perfecting and issuing legal documents on specialized management, specialized inspection, the list of goods subject to specialized inspection together with the HS codes; urgently amend and add two legal documents on specialized inspection and four lists of goods subject to specialized inspection together with HS codes that have not been implemented according to the assigned tasks in Decision 1254 and Decision 1258.

To closely coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to effectively implement the Government's Decree on the management mechanism, methods, order and procedures for quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods under their management.

To cooperate with the Ministry of Finance to develop a master plan on developing an information technology system to implement the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window towards centralized settlement and submit it to the Government for approval by the first quarter of 2022 at the latest and to carry out relevant contents of the plan in 2022.

To review administrative procedures processed on the National Single Window, including new additional procedures, revised procedures, and procedures removed from the implementation list to send them to the Ministry of Finance to summarize and report to the Steering Committee for implementation plans in the future.

Ministries and sectors shall appoint an officer in charge of logistics to work with the focal agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to soon consolidate personnel to carry out the task of coordinating and developing national logistics.

Publishing reports every two years

The General Department of Customs works with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to develop and establish a mechanism to supervise the performance of tasks of ministries and sectors according to the Government's programs and plans through publishing reports on time measurement for administrative process and customs clearance; assessment of the enterprise’s satisfaction level in the process of performing public services through the National Single Window. The publication of reports is done every two years, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

VCCI, associations and research associations provide specific comments and solutions related to the reform of specialized inspection activities of ministries and sectors, said the official.