On Jan 25th, 2018, Vietnam’s Department of Chemicals under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) held an internal conference to summarize the work in 2017 and set goals for 2018. Top priority was placed on the management of chemicals and the administrative reforms.
In 2017 The Department of Chemicals carried out a series of reforms, aiming to simplify the administrative procedures for the industry. 18 administrative procedures were abolished under the management of the Department and there are only 25 procedures remaining. The National Single Window was established and importers were required to create accounts and declare the imported chemicals.
Another major event in Vietnam’s chemical management in 2017 was the preparation of the National Chemicals Inventory (for more information, please click here, here, and here).
Also, the Department has actively cooperated with other countries and international organizations such as Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), etc. Through the cooperation, the Department tried to align with the better management measures of chemicals that have been adopted internationally, including the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Minamata Convention, and the Rotterdam Convention, etc.
When talking about the expectations and goals of 2018, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, the Director of Department of Chemical said that the Department will continue with administrative reforms and cut more unnecessary red tape, develop regulations on the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention, and improve the permit system of chemicals. “Especially, the key points would be the further improvement of the National Single Window, and review of the implementation status of the Law on Chemicals in the past 10 years”, said Mr. Nguyen.
