The agriculture industry has made efforts to simplify administrative procedures and abolish tens of fees for the last many years but there are still too many kinds of formalities and charges burdening breeders and businesses.
Right after Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat prompted the administrative reform to reduce burdensome to farmers and businesses recently, the Plant Protection Department has cut 27 procedures. Of these, vegetable quarantine registration saw a reduction of eight types of papers to three. Time spent on this procedure has also lessened from 24 to four hours to roadway and airway.
In addition, the department has recommended the ministry to remove seven fees related to licensing and certification.
Chairman of the Vietnam Feed Association Le Ba Lich said that the huge number of regulations and procedures had caused businesses losses in the breeding industry.
It took 4-5 days for sampling and testing of import consignments, hiking container storage fee at ports averaging US$30 a day, affecting businesses’ production progress and surging costs, he said.
According to examination results by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the agriculture industry still has over 800 trading conditions after the Enterprise Law took effect July 1 this year.
Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung has agreed with a recently made proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to eliminate some fees. However there are still 1027 fees in agricultural industry including 568 types from veterinary field.
Head of the Finance Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development admitted there are too many kinds of animal quarantine rates although the Ministry of Finance had issued a circular to abolish 31 types in 2012.
That was caused by the state budget shortage to finance the quarantine activities, Mr. Hung explained.
He said that the agriculture industry had instructed relevant agencies to continue reviewing and editing out other unnecessary fees.
Minister Cao Duc Phat said that the abolishment of needless fees vital to reduce difficulties for breeders and businesses, create motivation to agricultural investment and improve competitiveness to cope with the stream of import farm produce and meat into local market.
He required related agencies to minimize time and speed up electronic handling to administrative procedures, including e-signature to prevent businesses and breeders from waiting long because leaders of some agencies go away on business or be on sick leave.
