Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Prime Minister,the Government and enterprises want ministries and agencies to carry outpractical reforms, particularly those removing unnecessary administrativeprocedures, to create a better business climate in agriculture, a Governmentofficial said.

Minister-Chairman of the Government Office MaiTien Dung, who is also head of the Prime Minister’s working group, made thestatement on April 1 at a meeting with ministries to address issues inagricultural production and trade.

According to the Vietnam Association of SeafoodExporters and Producers (VASEP), under Circular 21 issued last year by theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development, only 47 fishing ports across Vietnamare qualified to certify the origin of aquatic products out of a total 83fishing ports in the country.

As dozens of fishing ports are unable to grantcertificates of origin, about 5,400 tonnes of aquatic products are stuck at theports, unable to reach the market, according to VASEP.

Another circular issued last year by theMinistry – Circular 36 – requires aquatic products from transit ports to Vietnamto be certified by authorities of the countries where the transit ports arebased. The importers must show a copy of the certificate to Vietnamese authorities,which, according to VASEP, is unnecessary and slows the movement of importedaquaculture goods.

At the meeting, enterprises also complained thatthey had to wait between six months and two years for their applications toregister new veterinary medicines as the Animal Health Department still usepaper-based procedures.

Responding to the issues, the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development said it would consider removing Circular 36and, this month, would continue examinations and announce more fishing portsthat can certify the origin of aquaculture products.

At the meeting, the health ministry wascriticised for being too slow in amending a regulation in Government Decree09/2016/ND-CP which requires the use of iodised salt in food processing.

According to enterprises, the use of iodisedsalt should be optional instead of compulsory. 

The issue of iodised salt in food processing wasdiscussed in 2016 but, until now, the health ministry has not solved the issue,Dung said, adding that the ministry was too slow.

Tax issues were also raised that the Ministry ofFinance was asked to address. For example, fertiliser enterprises are not happywith regulations in which fertiliser is not subject to value added tax (VAT),thus the enterprises don’t have input costs with VAT abatement.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resource andEnvironment was asked to speed up its environmental impact assessment which nowtakes up to 45 days as the assessment must be approved by a council.

Enterprises also recommended the Ministry ofScience and Technology issue instructions on labelling for special aquaculturegoods which are specialties of a certain area or locality.

“Ministries must concentrate on addressingpolicy problems, speeding up administrative reforms in order to remove barriersfor business and help them reduce production costs,” Dung said.

He also asked ministries to report to theNational Assembly and Government about amendments and tell businesses aboutpolicy changes.

Since August 2016, the Prime Minister’s workinggroup has been responsible for supervising ministries, agencies and localitiesin implementing the Prime Minister’s orders, especially reforms to create abetter business climate.-VNS/VNA