Resolution No. 34/2009/NQ-QH12 on stepping up the implementation of policies and laws on food quality, hygiene and safety administration

Issue nos 06-07/July 2009 (Gong Baa nos 347·3481July 19, 2009) OFFICIAL GAZETTE 7 THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Resolution No. 34120091NQ-QH12 on stepping up the implementation of policies and lawsonfoodquality, hygiene and safety administration THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Pursuant to the 1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which wa,~ amended and supplemented under Resolution No. 51120011QHIO; Pursuant to the Lawon Supervisory Activities of the National Assembly; After considering the National Assembly Standing Committee's Report No. 225fBC UBTVQH12 of May 18, 2009, on supervision results and the Government's Report No. 45/BC CP oj April 7, 2009, on the implementation of policies and laws on administration offood quality, hygiene and safety, and opinions of National Assembly deputies; and the National Assembly Standing Committee's Explanation Report No. 25l!BC-UBTVQH12 oj June 18, 2009; RESOLVES: Article 1. Toapprove of theNational Assembly Standing Committee's report on results of supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on food quality, hygiene and safety administration. To unanimously assess that the work of food quality, hygiene and safetyadministration and assurance has recorded positive improvements butstillfails to meet requirements and remains a special concern of the whole society. Article 2. With a view to stepping up the implemen tation of policies and laws on food quality, hygiene and safety administration, to assignthe Government to perform the following tasks: 1.To early submit to the National Assembly for consideration and promulgation the Law on Food Safety; to amend, supplement and promulgate legal documents accordaig to its competence to comprehensively, uniformly and consistently governissuesrelated to feodquality. hygiene and safety administration. 2 To formulate a national strate~~ for food quality, hygiene and safetyassurance from2011· 2020 and to identify food quality, hygiene and safetyassurance as a national targetprogram. To work out a roadmap and necessary and strong measures to thoroughly solve problems in the food quality, hygiene and safety administration and assurance. such as grant of certificates of producers and traders meetingfood hygieneand safetyconditions; planning on cattleand poultry slaughter establishments and food wholesale markets; control of microorganism contamination and chemical residues in food, food poisoning: food-borne diseases; and strict management of high-risk food, functional food and imported food, especially food imported via non-commercial channels. 3. To strengthen the system of state management agencies in charge of food quality, © VIETNAM LAW & LEGAL FORUM 8 OFFICIAL GAZETTE Issue nos 06-07/July 2009 (Gong Baanos 347·34B1July 19, 2009) hygiene and safety from thecentral to district level. To use appropriately collaborators in the food quality, hygiene and safety administration at the commune level. To consolidate and strengthen in all aspects the food hygiene and safety advisory and assisting agency under the Ministry ofHealth to improve its operation capacity and effectiveness along with vigorously renewing its operation method to assist the Ministry of Health in effectively perfouniug its function (1:'; the focal point in .the state management of food quality. hygiene al'ld safety nationwide. 4. To intensify direction and administration work. close collaboration and clear division of state management responsibilities for food quality, hygiene and safety at the stages of production of raw materials, preliminary working, processing, import, export and supply of food; for kinds of food of which the production chain is not clearly divided, itis necessary to issue specific regulations on responsibilities of managing ministries for each kind offood. To strongly enhance decentralization to local administrations; to combine central. local and socia] resources to better meet the requirements of state management of food quality, hygiene and safety. 5. To strengthen the inspection system to properly perform the specialized inspection of food quality, hygiene and safety. To intensify examination, inspection and strict and prompt handling ot illegal acts related to food quality, hygiene and safety. 6. To allocate in annual Slatebudget estimates sufficient funds for food quality, hygiene and safety administration, which will be annually increased together with increased state budget revenues, especially funds for food quality, hygiene and safety administration in localities, particularly at the commune level. From 20ID, to increase investment in the national target program on food quality, hygiene and safety assurance. 7. To increase investment in the development of national standards and national and local technical regulations; personnel training. especially for employees specializing in food quality. hygiene and safety; building and upgrading some existing laboratories up to regional and international standards; testing activities to serve the state examination of food quality, hygiene and safety: scientific and technological research to serve the control and warning of food contamination risks and food borne diseases, and production and processing of safe food. 8. To implement the policy on development of consolidated agricultural, forestry and fishery production zones on a large scale, encouraging disease-free and environmentally friendly farm models to produce safe food in association with developing safe agricultural commodity markets: to adopt incentive policies for food producers and traders investing in technology renewal, production expansion, application of advanced quality control systems and development of safe food supply networks. 9, To regularly propagate and advocate the implementation of policies and laws on food quality, hygiene and safety control in diversified forms suitable to each locality; to raise the awareness of food consumers and business ethics and responsibilities of food producers and traders for the community health. To increase the publishing of information on food quality, hygiene © VIETNAM LAW & LEGAL FORUM Issuenos 06·07/July 2009 (Gong Baa nos 347·348/July 19, 2009) OFFICIAL GAZETTE and safety; to strictly manage food information and advertisement activities; to strictly handle organizartons and individuals publishing untruthful information and advertisements. 10. To further socialize technical services IO serve the control of food quality. hygiene and safety; to promote the role of businesses. social organizations and socio-professional organizations in ensuring food quality. hygiene and safety; to mobilize all social resources to diversify forms of training and expanding the scale of training of human resources in food quality. hygiene and safety control. 11. To step up international cooperation in food quality. hygiene and safety; to conclude bilateral and multilateral agreements on mutual recognition and accreditation of results of assessment of conformity with standards and technical regulations on food quality, facilitating the import and export of safe food. Article 3. The National Assembly Standing Committee, the Science. Technology and Environment Committee, the Ethnic Minorities Council, other committees of the National Assembly, National Assembly deputies' delegations. National Assembly deputies and People's Councils at all levels shall. within the ambit of their functions and tasks, oversee the implementation of this Resolution. This Resolution was passed on June 19, 2009, by the xi» National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at its fifth session. Chairman of the National Assembly NGUYEN PHU TRONG © VIETNAM LAW & LEGAL FORUM