Nine associations petition about bottleneck of conformity announcement

Nine associations petition about bottleneck of conformity announcement

The key shortcomings lie in the approach to quality and safety management, which still leans heavily on pre-inspection, imposing excessive administrative procedures and business conditions.

Workers on a production line of Lâm Thao Fertilisers and Chemicals JSC. —Photo phutho.gov.vn

Nine industry associations have pointed out some shortcomings in the regulations on the conformity announcement and made recommendations to the Party General Secretary.

The associations include the Việt Nam Animal Husbandry Association, Veterinary Association, Animal Feed Association, Poultry Association, Large Cattle Breeding Association, Veterinary Pharmaceutical Association, Fertilizer Association, Dairy Association, and Food Safety Science and Technology Association.

According to their letter to General Secretary Tô Lâm, the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations and the Law on Product Quality have played a role in controlling product and goods quality and safety over nearly two decades of implementation. 

However, because of advancements in production capabilities and product development, many provisions in these two laws have become outdated. This has led to unnecessary production costs and missed opportunities for Vietnamese goods to compete in international markets.

The key shortcomings lie in their approach to quality and safety management, which still leans heavily on pre-inspection, imposing excessive administrative procedures and business conditions.

They place excessive emphasis on the role of the state while failing to promote the autonomy, creativity and accountability of manufacturers, businesses and industry associations in complying with legal regulations and ensuring product quality for consumers.

They are also inconsistent with current scientific and technological advancements as well as international best practices, which focus on systematic quality management and risk control. 

The business community and industry associations have proposed merging the two laws into a single, comprehensive law. These laws contain numerous overlapping and redundant provisions.

The associations also urge the removal of the requirement for conformity announcement. They argue that this requirement is the root cause of numerous difficulties and negative impacts on individuals and businesses. 

It adds unnecessary administrative procedures, business conditions, production costs and delays in getting goods into production and circulation.

The regulation also increases inspection costs and customs clearance time for imported goods.

The associations have submitted recommendations to the General Secretary about the regulations on export products. They propose that the state should not impose specific requirements but instead allow compliance with the regulations of the importer's country to facilitate exports. 

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