NA deputies suggest specific policies on foreign trade promotion

National Assembly deputies made a request for more specific regulations and policies to promote the development of foreign trade to be contained in the draft Law on Foreign Trade Management at the ongoing NA meeting on May 25.

Deputy Pham Van Tuan from Thai Binh province speaks at the meeting (photo: quochoi)

They also emphasised the necessity of decentralisation to local administrations and representative agencies abroad in an attempt to boost trade activities.

Deputy Dinh Cong Sy, from Son La province, stated that the regulations on the establishment of trade promotion organisations need to be supplemented to enhance the efficiency of these organisations but he disagreed with using only the State budget to maintain the operations of these organisations.

Meanwhile, Deputy Nguyen Thanh Thuy from Hau Giang suggested a stronger trade defence system to protect domestic businesses, while reasonable sanctioning mechanisms should be outlined to prevent foreign enterprises from harming the domestic economy.

In addition, the draft law should specify the list of goods prohibited from import and export in accordance with international commitments. The draft law should also foster the reform of administrative procedures in foreign trade activities to ensure the freedom of doing business as regulated in the 2013 Constitution.

Many deputies said that the draft law gives a lot of authority to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, adding that it is necessary to supplement the regulations to supervise the operations of the ministry to add transparency to decision making.

Deputies Le Thu Ha from Lao Cai and Pham Van Tuan from Thai Binh proposed a shift in the authority to make decisions to temporarily suspend the import and export of goods, from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to the Prime Minister, in order to tighten management over import and export of goods.

Ha said that the temporary suspension of the import and export of goods involves many different ministries and sectors, noting that the activity will take time and cause damage to enterprises if it is carried out solely by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Deputy Nguyen Thanh Thuy emphasised that foreign trade management related to many legal documents including Commercial Law, Taxation Law and Customs Law. Thus, the construction of the Law on Foreign Trade Management should be consistent with the current legal system and international treaties as well as international practices on foreign trade.

(Source: NDO)