Removing the regulation on conformity declaration will make it difficult for state management.

During the discussion at the conference hall on the morning of May 10, regarding the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Technical Standards and Regulations, delegates proposed to remove the regulation on conformity declaration to conform with international practices, avoiding wasting time and development opportunities for businesses.

Delegate Thach Phuoc Binh ( Tra Vinh ) acknowledged that the draft law shows a modern trend, consistent with international commitments, transparency, promoting the role of enterprises, and creating a foundation for integration.

However, delegate Thach Phuoc Binh also raised the issue of "loopholes" in the draft, which could cause serious consequences. Accordingly, the draft stipulates responsibility for false announcements of conformity and compliance. The draft does not have specific regulations and legal responsibility for acts of false or fraudulent announcements of conformity and compliance.

Delegate Thach Phuoc Binh. Photo: QUANG PHUC

In the current context, standards and regulations play an increasingly important role in product quality management. “The lack of sanctions for these acts is a serious loophole that can lead to consequences for public safety and health, affect social trust and cause damage to consumers,” the delegate raised the issue.

Commenting on the draft law, delegate Nguyen Thi Kim Be ( Kien Giang ) suggested that the drafting committee should first remove the regulation on conformity declaration. According to the delegate's analysis, this regulation is currently incompatible with international practices, causing difficulties for Vietnam in expanding the market. Along with that, if the regulation on "conformity declaration" remains, it will bring a cost burden to businesses. To declare conformity, businesses have to spend money on sample testing, not to mention waiting time, this wastes time, increases production costs, reduces competitiveness, and misses many opportunities for small and medium enterprises.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Kim Be. Photo: QUANG PHUC

“The declaration of conformity focuses on controlling individual products, through testing samples before they are put on the market, instead of controlling the entire production process. This leads to another consequence, businesses will take a really good sample for testing, then mass produce with raw materials and processes that are not strictly controlled; as a result, even though the product has been declared to be in conformity, its quality is still not guaranteed when it reaches consumers,” said delegate Kim Be.

Sharing the same view, delegate Tran Thi Van ( Bac Ninh ) said that the current regulations on conformity declaration are only formal and overlapping. According to the delegate, group 2 products (conditional production and business goods have been assessed and fully certified according to legal standards), which means that enterprises have been guaranteed the conditions of the quality inspection process.

Delegate Tran Thi Van. Photo: QUANG PHUC

Forcing businesses to repeat the entire process of testing, sampling and evaluating to declare conformity only serves to reconfirm what has already been confirmed and is wasteful. According to delegate Van, the continued application of conformity declaration may be a loophole for businesses to fraudulently release substandard goods to the market.

Representing the agency submitting the draft law, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that the delegates who gave their opinions were very responsible. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the draft law has attempted to update new policies of a reform and breakthrough nature; promote decentralization, decentralization, eliminate the mechanism of asking for and giving; cut down administrative procedures; and prioritize the output approach.

Regarding the delegates' proposals to abolish the regulation on conformity declaration, the Deputy Prime Minister said that this is a tool to manage the quality of goods before they are put on the market. "If we do not have standards for monitoring, including pre-inspection, not to mention post-inspection, it will affect people's health. All countries have these problems. Our problem is what types of goods to manage, to what extent and how before goods are put on the market without affecting people's health and the environment," said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung spoke to explain and clarify a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies on the morning of May 10. Photo: VIET CHUNG

The Deputy Prime Minister cited that about 30 years ago, when hormones were found in pho noodles, the handling was also confusing because there were no regulations. In Hanoi, each basket of pho noodles was stamped, but Ho Chi Minh City did not do that, only post-inspection. “Recently, we have also heard a lot about fake milk, candy, and low-quality cakes. If we do not apply standards and regulations and put them on the market, it will affect people's health. Therefore, I think that standards are still needed. If the regulation on conformity declaration is abolished, it will be very difficult for state management,” Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung affirmed.

DO TRUNG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bo-quy-dinh-cong-bo-hop-quy-se-kho-cho-quan-ly-nha-nuoc-post794615.html