The dispatch stated that, through monitoring and grasping the situation and feedback from relevant agencies, in recent days, the number of vehicles carrying agricultural products for export has increased dramatically at border gates in Lang Son province, while the time for customs clearance procedures is prolonged, and customs clearance capacity is limited, easily causing congestion at the border gates.

Currently, some fruits are in harvest season (durian, jackfruit, lychee, dragon fruit, etc.); it is forecasted that road vehicles carrying fruits and agricultural products for export from localities will continue to accumulate at border gates in Lang Son province and the northern border provinces, leading to a risk of congestion of agricultural products for export, increasing costs, causing damage to people and businesses, and affecting traffic safety, security, order, and environmental sanitation at some border gates in Lang Son.

Faced with the above situation, the Prime Minister requested the Ministers of Industry and Trade, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Information and Communications, National Defense, Public Security and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, and relevant agencies to proactively direct and organize the implementation of urgent solutions to reduce congestion and promote the export of agricultural products in season.

The number of vehicles carrying agricultural products for export has increased dramatically, causing a risk of congestion of agricultural products for export. Photo: Government Newspaper

* Immediate solution

Accordingly, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces: Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Dien Bien; the Ministers of the Ministries: Industry and Trade, Finance, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development, according to their assigned functions and tasks, direct the competent authorities to urgently review the regulations on the import and export of agricultural products between Vietnam and China; proactively organize corresponding diplomatic activities, closely coordinate with the competent authorities of the neighboring country to create favorable conditions, simplify procedures, increase customs clearance time and efficiency, and prevent the recurrence of the situation of agricultural products being congested at the border gate in hot and sunny conditions that are easily damaged.

The Chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces with border gates in the Northern border area shall proactively monitor, evaluate and forecast the situation of circulation and concentration of agricultural products in the area to organize and closely coordinate with relevant agencies to direct functional forces to promptly take measures to regulate and manage vehicles bringing goods to border gates, handle points of congestion of exported agricultural products, support and promptly resolve procedures to speed up customs clearance of goods; regularly and promptly inform localities, agencies and enterprises nationwide about the situation of circulation and export of agricultural products at border gates to proactively and promptly make adjustments to limit congestion of goods at border gates, minimize damage to enterprises and people; strictly handle acts of taking advantage of the situation for personal gain.

The Ministers of Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development coordinate with localities, enterprises, and distribution establishments to further promote the consumption of agricultural products in harvest season in the domestic market.

Ministers, Heads of relevant sectors and localities promptly rectify and handle negative behaviors related to export, import and customs clearance activities at border gates.

* Long term solutions

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministers of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Foreign Affairs, Transport and relevant agencies according to their assigned functions and tasks to implement measures to promote the export of agricultural products in the form of official channels, diversifying the means of transporting exported agricultural products (road, sea, rail, air, etc.).

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministers of Industry and Trade, Foreign Affairs, Chairmen of local People's Committees and relevant agencies to actively negotiate to promote market opening, especially the official market, and remove technical barriers in agricultural product exports. Focus on accelerating negotiations on quality management to increase the types of fruit officially exported to the Chinese market; continue to negotiate with the Chinese side to reduce the proportion of Vietnamese agricultural products that must be inspected when exported to China.

Guide and coordinate with localities to urgently build and develop concentrated agricultural commodity production areas with appropriate scale, ensuring compliance with regulations on product traceability, geographical indications, food safety, and meeting standards and regulations on product quality for export and domestic consumption.

Preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to develop and promulgate regulations and standards on agricultural production and products under management. Coordinate with the Minister of Science and Technology to organize the development and implementation of geographical indications on agriculture, forestry and fishery under management; effectively organize the implementation of solutions for trademark registration for key agricultural products of Vietnam, solutions for applying technology in tracing the origin of products protected by intellectual property; support businesses in registering trademark protection for agricultural products domestically and in the international market.

Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities shall proactively coordinate with the Ministers of Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development to provide information and advise people, agricultural cooperatives and enterprises to reorganize agricultural production in line with market demand, ensuring compliance with the processes, regulations and standards of the import market from production, harvesting, preliminary processing, packaging, transportation and traceability to promote official exports; build and complete logistics infrastructure to serve local agricultural production and business according to the plan.

The Chairmen of the People's Committees of the northern border localities shall prioritize the arrangement and mobilization of legal resources to invest in completing the synchronous border trade infrastructure system according to the planning, meeting the requirements for developing the circulation and import and export of goods across the border.

The Minister of Information and Communications, General Director of Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, and Vietnam News Agency continue to guide press agencies to report fully, objectively, and promptly to accurately reflect the nature of the situation so that people and businesses can clearly understand the situation, take timely response measures, and avoid damage.

Ministers and heads of relevant agencies shall proactively strengthen direction, coordination, guidance, inspection and support for localities to promote the development of production and consumption of agricultural products in the domestic and export markets.

Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities; Ministers of Industry and Trade, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Information and Communications, National Defense, Public Security and Heads of relevant agencies shall strictly implement the contents of this Official Dispatch.

The Minister and Head of the Government Office shall monitor, urge, grasp the situation and promptly report to the Prime Minister.

VNA