HCM City (VNS/VNA) - TheVietnam Food Association (VFA) has petitioned authorities to prioritise customsclearance of consignments of rice exports stuck at ports.
It has also urged them tocancel the customs declarations of exporters who submitted declaration formswith high volumes but could not prove they had them ready for export wheninspected.
The Government recentlyapproved resumption of rice exports, but capped them at around 400,000 tonnesfor April with an eye on national food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 12 the GeneralDepartment of Customs began accepting online customs declarations from riceexporters, but many were left disappointed since the quota of 400,000 tonneswas reached within just three hours.
Many firms with riceconsignments stuck at ports were unable to submit declarations.
The business group said some300,000 tonnes of rice are now stuck at ports, and authorities should createconditions for enterprises to complete customs clearance as soon as possible.
It also suggested that thecustoms department should consider classifying consignments at portsinto those that would go through a green channel, meaning exemptionfrom inspection, and yellow channel, meaning partial inspection, for quickclearance.
The Government should scrap alllimits on exports of sticky and organic rice since they do not affect domesticfood security, it said.
Checking the actual ricevolume, number of containers and seal numbers is imperative to ensure theinformation is exactly as enterprises declared in customs declaration forms,and if authorities detect false declarations, they should cancel and sanctionthe firms, it said.
Nguyen Ngoc Nam, chairman ofthe VFA, said with their rice stuck at exit points, enterprises have to bearhuge costs.
Besides, businesses that do notdeliver on time have to compensate their foreign buyers, he said.
So if the above consignmentsare not cleared and exported, businesses would suffer losses of billions of VND,threatening their very survival, he said.
The VFA said: “Some enterpriseswill not have revenues to pay loans in time if they cannot get customsclearance and export their rice in April and May. "This will ...threaten their survival.”/.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said that in the current situation, rice exports should be controlled to ensure food security in line with the Government’s Decree No.107.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has asked the Government to resume rice exports. However, the export volume would be limited at 800,000 tonnes for April and May.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the resumption of rice export provided that food security must be guaranteed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, drought and saltwater intrusion.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has signed on decision announcing the rice export quota for April after the Prime Minister gave the green light to resume exporting the product.
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A rice field in the Mekong Delta. (Photo:VNA) 
