Ho Chi Minh City is the first locality in the country to have a Department of Food Safety and it will officially come into operation from January 1, 2024.
On the morning of December 30, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee held a conference to announce the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety and presented the decision to appoint Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board, to the position of Director of the Department; Mr. Le Minh Hai, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board, to the position of Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety. Attending and congratulating were Ms. Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Social Committee and representatives of ministries and branches.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, on behalf of the city's leaders, believed and hoped that the leaders of the Department of Food Safety would continue to make efforts to promote the achieved results and unite together to complete the tasks assigned by the city.
According to Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc, on September 19, 2023, at the 11th session of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, term X, 2021-2026, a Resolution was unanimously passed on the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety. This is the first locality in the country to have a Department of Food Safety and officially came into operation from January 1, 2024. The predecessor of the Department of Food Safety was the Food Safety Management Board and through the pilot period, the board has performed well the assigned functions and tasks and has been the focal point responsible to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for food safety management in the area for nearly 7 years.
On June 24, 2023, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City, including approval for the city to establish a Department of Food Safety as a specialized agency to perform the function of advising and managing the state on food safety. This is both an opportunity and a challenge for the city, especially the issue of ensuring food safety in the new situation.
“The establishment of a Food Safety Department is urgent for a special urban area like Ho Chi Minh City. This model is a breakthrough in the process of sustainable development and ensuring social security, taking the goal of protecting people's health as a guideline for action; in line with the practical situation of the developing locality”, said Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc.
Assigning tasks to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety in the coming time, comrade Duong Anh Duc requested the leaders of the Department of Food Safety to coordinate with relevant departments and branches to urgently complete the organizational structure of the Department and immediately deploy tasks to ensure food safety, especially ensuring food safety for the upcoming Lunar New Year of Giap Thin in 2024. Continue to promote administrative reform, apply information technology to create favorable conditions and minimize the time and conditions for implementing administrative procedures for food production and trading enterprises.
In addition, promote information and communication on food safety; detect and commend advanced models, safe food production and processing models; publicize organizations and individuals violating food safety and handle them according to regulations. At the same time, closely cooperate with provinces, develop safe food production areas; promote the application of advanced quality management processes, chain food production models, and safe food distribution systems.
Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc also requested the Department of Food Safety to continue to effectively implement the Food Safety Cooperation Program with socio-political organizations and unions in the city. Strictly and fully implement the responsibility of food safety management; strengthen post-inspection, inspection, examination and strict handling, including criminal handling, of organizations and individuals who seriously violate food safety regulations, affecting the health of consumers according to the provisions of law; strictly handle organizations and individuals who are negligent and irresponsible in food safety management.
Also at the conference, Mr. Lam Hung Tan, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Home Affairs, announced the Prime Minister's decision to end the pilot program of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board.
Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan was born in 1970, from Khanh Hoa. She has the title of Associate Professor and Doctor of Medicine, was a lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health. She has been the Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board since the first days of the pilot program. At the same time, she is also the President of the Pharmacy Association, Vice President of the City Oriental Medicine Association and a National Assembly Delegate for the 13th, 14th and 15th terms.
Speaking upon receiving the assignment, Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan said that when the Board is upgraded to a Department, there will be a more solid legal basis. In the immediate future, in 2024, the Department of Food Safety will strive to perform well the tasks assigned by the city leaders. In addition, there will be no gaps in food safety inspection; strengthen linkages and management of departments - branches, provinces/cities to ensure clean food at the source...
THANH SON
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