I. Objectives of the scheme
1. General objectives
To formulate and perfect mechanisms, policies and measures of the State management, processes and regulations in order to raise efficiency and effectiveness of specialized inspection for imported and exported goods to aim to shorten time for customs clearance, reducing costs for businesses, society, in line with international practices, creating favorable conditions to encourage export of Vietnamese goods and create technical barriers for imported goods, properly protecting domestic production, protecting environment, public interests and health; contributing to protection of economic safety and national security, enhancing competitiveness of products and goods of enterprises and the nation.

2. Specific Objectives                  
- To create favorable conditions for export and import of goods at border gates along direction of simplifying procedures, quickly and conveniently manner; reducing costs for enterprises and reduce costs for the State budget.

- To reduce time for customs clearance of exports and imports equaling to that of ASEAN-6 countries: (in 2016: less than 10 days for exports and less than 12 for import goods; in 2020, less than 05 days for exports and imports).
- To create favorable conditions to encourage export of goods of Vietnam; creating technical barriers for imported goods (especially those do not encourage imports); properly protecting domestic production, protecting environment, public interests and public health.

- To raise efficiency and effects of specialized inspection activities in order to ensure strict management and in compliance with law provisions and international practices on import and export goods, contributing to ensure national security, economic security; enhancing national competitiveness.

II. Viewpoint of the project
1. To determine fields and goods which are subject for specialized inspection, being carried out by competent State management agencies, which are detrimental to public health, polluting environment or harming enterprises and national security (goods which are subject to animal and plant, quarantine, health, toxic chemicals, pesticides, waste, weapons, radioactive substances...). These items must be checked and strictly controlled at border gates and at places under management of the competent State agencies.

2. Socialization of specialized inspection activities: The competent State management agencies shall determine fields and goods which are subject to specialized inspection of socialization; Promulgating standards, regulations and conditions for socialization; providing inspection, examination and handling violations of specialized inspection activities.
3. To carry out synchronously measures to raise efficiency and effectiveness of specialized inspection activities for export and import goods at border gates in order to contribute to improve business environment and raising national competitiveness.

4. Specialized inspection activities must be in line with international practices and international conventions and / or agreements which have been already signed and participated in by Vietnam; applying risk management methods in specialized inspection; to recognize results of specialized inspection by the exporting, importing countries, applying information technology and exchange of electronic data on results of specialized inspection among concerned inspection and management agencies.
III. Specific tasks
1. Building and perfecting system of legal bases for specialized inspection activities:
- To review, build and perfect system of legal documents which are related to specialized management and specialized inspection of import and export goods; eliminating inadequacies, inappropriate regulations according to above-mentioned objectives and viewpoints.
- To review, formulate and promulgate fully list of goods which are subjects to specialized inspection in direction of narrowing specialized inspection scope (goods which are subject to quarantine, food safety inspection, quality control, technical regulations); identifying key items to be checked at border, need to check before clearance; products which are subject to specialized inspection after customs clearance (before putting into circulation).

- Ministries and ministerial-level agencies in charge of specialized management shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to review annually list of goods which are subjects to specialized inspection in order to promptly adjust and supplement goods which have changes and emission in reality to meet management requirements of the State. Lists of goods which are subjects to specialized inspection must be promulgated together with HS code and the Vietnam's list of import and export goods and current import and export tariff promulgated by Ministry of Finance.

To promulgate national standards and technical regulations which are applicable to goods under subjects for specialized inspection as a basis for product and goods quality examination; Specifying the State inspection agency for product and goods quality; To promulgate regulations on recognition of goods quality conformity, certification organizations which conform to technical regulations and announced standards; promulgating documents on guiding contents, order and procedures for examining and handling results of the State inspection on quality of imported products and goods under the State management responsibility of ministries which manage sectors, fields.
To study and propose mechanisms to encourage conformity assessment organizations to participate in specialized inspection of export and import goods along direction of socialization in order to supplement inspection establishments to meet requirements of strong development of export and import activities and saving of the State investment resources.

2. To renovate specialized inspection method in direction of facilitating export and import activities, reducing costs and shortening time for goods clearance:
- To study application of risk management methods in specialized inspection such as probability inspection or post-clearance inspection of low-risk goods, goods originating from industrialized countries, goods of enterprises which comply well laws.
- To carry out specialized inspection before customs clearance with a focus on high-risk import goods which are related to epidemics, infectious diseases, affecting people's health, social security and environment.
- To give priority and create favorable conditions for specialized inspection of goods which the State encourages export and imported goods for production but which are not produced domestically.

- To conduct mutual recognition of goods inspection results or minimizing quality inspection of imported goods from countries or regions with high technical standards such as EU, US, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and manufacturers of well-known brands which have been internationally recognized to reduce burden on inspectors.
- To develop system of warehouses and warehouses for preservation of goods at border gates so as to meet requirements of management of export and import goods which are subject to specialized inspection at border gates, subject to enhancement of specialized inspection at border gates. To adopt socialization policies to encourage enterprises to invest in construction of warehouse and yard lease services in order to save the State investment resources.

- To step up application of information technology and exchange of electronic data on specialized examination results; establishing mechanisms for coordination and exchange of information between specialized inspection agencies and customs; to promptly notify specialized inspection results to customs offices for quick customs clearance; to manage and inspect goods at inland preservation places; to handle violations in course of observance of customs legislation and specialized management legislation.

3. Investment in material foundations, resources, raising quality and efficiency of specialized inspection activities:
- Increasing investment in equipment, facilities, modern machinery, working conditions to serve specialized inspection; To train and arrange human resources which are corresponding to tasks of the  State management over import and export goods which are subject to specialized management for specialized inspection organizations, agencies and units at border gate which have huge volume of imported and exported goods in order to raise productivity and quality, shorten time for specialized inspection; To focus on inspection of commodities at risk of epidemics, infectious diseases, affecting human health, social security and the environment (such as goods on list of animal and plant quarantine food, food safety, toxic chemicals, pesticides...).

- To prioritize investment in machinery, means and human resources at international air ports (Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang); international sea port in area of ​​Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang; international border gates and main border gates in Lao Cai, Lang Son and Quang Ninh provinces to carry out specialized inspection of imported goods, which may pose epidemics and diseases and affect human health, social security and environment (such as goods on list of animal and plant quarantine, medical, food safety, toxic chemicals, insecticides ...).
4. Enhancing capacity of communication, training and capacity building of specialized inspection activities for import and export enterprises, units and organizations involved in specialized inspection activities. Imported and exported goods:
- To propagate interests, responsibilities and obligations for enterprises engaged in import and export of goods which are subject to specialized inspection.

- Regularly organize training courses, disseminate regulations on specialized inspection to subjects which are related to specialized inspection of import and export goods.

- To build a column on public information, regularly update information on mass media on goods which are subject to specialized inspection when being exported or imported (list of goods and inspection places, inspection agencies, inspection time, contact address...).
IV. Organizing implementation of the Scheme
1. Ministry of Finance shall:
- Function as the main implementer and in collaboration with ministries, branches and provincial / municipal People's Committees in urging and supervising implementation of tasks which were assigned by the Prime Minister in the Scheme. Annually reviewing situation and report to the Prime Minister; to preliminarily review, sum up and evaluate results and efficiency of the Scheme's implementation; functioning as the main implementer, in collaboration with concerned agencies in proposing and submitting to the Prime Minister for decision adjustments of objectives and tasks in case of necessity.

- To function as the main implementer for setting up inter-branch working teams headed by the Finance Ministry's leaders and representatives of the concerned ministries and branches as their members to monitor and urge concerned ministries, agencies and organizations to implement their tasks which have been mentioned in Article 1 of this Decision.
- To study and modify customs procedures for export and import goods which are subject to specialized inspection in direction of reducing administrative procedures, simplifying customs management measures, reduce costs and time for goods clearance, contributing to improving business environment and enhancing national competitiveness.

To direct customs sector to invest in machinery, means and human resources for border-gate Customs sub-departments to inspect and supervise export and import goods which are subject to specialized inspection; To increase investment in modern equipment and human resources for the Center for analysis and classification of imports and exports under General Department of Customs so as to ensure implementation of assigned functions and tasks, including conducting specialized inspection of a number of export or import goods which may affect public health and a number of export and import goods, of which, the State needs to manage on basis of quality standards and technical regulations which shall be prescribed by ministries and branches and authorized by ministries or ministerial-level agencies.
- To function as the main implementer, in collaboration with ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial / municipal People's Committees in balancing and allocating annual investment capital according to provisions of the State budget law for implementation of tasks which have been mentioned in the Scheme.

2. Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology shall, according to their assigned functions and tasks, function as the main implementer, in collaboration with ministries, ministerial-level agencies and the People's Committees of involved centrally run provinces and cities invest in material foundations, means, machinery and human resources to carry out specialized inspection activities for high-risk items which affect human health, environment, security and society ... at the border gates of huge cargoes in cities of Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Da Nang and provinces of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and the People's Committees of centrally run provinces and cities shall, according to their respective functions, tasks and powers, objectives and tasks in the Decision and list of legal documents on specialized inspection which need to be amended and / or supplemented in the appendix of this Decision shall have to elaborate detailed plans and organize implementation.

4. Funds for implementation of the Scheme shall be allocated from the State budget sources and other lawful funding sources according to provisions of law. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall, basing on objectives and tasks stated in the Decisions, elaborate schemes and specific funding estimates for actual implementation.
To step up mobilization of financial resources from ODA programs, projects, organizations and individuals as well as domestic and foreign enterprises participating in specialized inspection activities according to provisions of law.

Long Giang
Source: moj.gov.vn