Directive No. 31/2001/CT-TTg on Promoting and Enhancing the Effectiveness of Import and Export Activities for Goods in 2002

 DIRECTIVE
On Promoting and Enhancing the Effectiveness of Import and Export Activities in 2002
hàng hóa năm 2002

The import and export activities in 2001 took place in the context of the national economy continuing to have positive changes. Many policies and measures to promote exports and effectively manage imports were issued and implemented relatively synchronously, contributing to maintaining the growth of export turnover and ensuring the demand for imports for domestic production.

However, the import and export activities in 2001 and the upcoming 2002 will still face many difficulties due to the world economy not showing signs of recovery and being affected by the events of September 11 in the United States; the prices of many agricultural products and crude oil on the world market continue to decline, which is disadvantageous for our country.

To overcome the above situation, striving to complete and exceed the target of export growth rate of at least 10% in 2002 as set out in Resolution No. 12/2001/NQ-CP dated November 2, 2001 of the Government, and to implement control and direct imports towards serving the basic needs of the national economy, the Prime Minister instructs the heads of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and chairpersons of provincial people's committees (hereinafter referred to as ministries and provincial people's committees) to carry out the following tasks:

1. Strengthen investment to enhance production capacity for export goods and competitiveness of export goods:

a) The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries and sectors to submit to the Prime Minister in the first quarter of 2002 a proposal to strengthen measures to encourage domestic investment, aiming to enhance production capacity and competitiveness of export goods, particularly focusing on industries with stable growth potential, industries that heavily rely on domestic labor and materials; a proposal to supplement preferential policies to encourage investment in producing raw materials and components for export goods and goods replacing imported goods.

b) Ministries and provincial people's committees, when formulating development directions for industries and localities, as well as when reviewing and approving investment projects, must pay attention and create conditions to promote new investments and investments to enhance production capacity for export goods; prioritize quality standards of goods, aligning production with market requirements for product quality and design.

c) Ministries and provincial people's committees must proactively prepare necessary conditions suitable to the characteristics of industries and localities to implement in a synchronized manner the solutions stipulated in Resolution No. 09/2001/NQ-CP dated August 28, 2001 of the Government and Directive No. 19/2001/CT-TTg dated August 28, 2001 of the Prime Minister on enhancing attraction and further improving the effectiveness of foreign direct investment during the period 2001-2005.

2. Shift the structure of export goods, develop and diversify key export products:

a) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall closely guide the implementation of Resolution No. 09/2001/NQ-CP dated June 15, 2000 of the Government on shifting the agricultural structure in line with market requirements for each type of main product; particularly paying attention to agricultural products where the world has shown signs of overproduction, causing long-term adverse effects on prices.

b) The Ministry of Fisheries needs to cooperate and support provincial people's committees in the production of aquatic products to strive to maintain the growth rate of aquatic product exports in the coming years. Ensuring the quality of exported aquatic products must be a regular requirement in the organization and direction of production, requiring continuous monitoring to promptly develop appropriate solutions to enhance the reputation of Vietnamese aquatic products in the global market; focusing on investing in technology to ensure quality and measures to control water quality in breeding areas.

c) The Ministry of Industry shall coordinate with the Ministry of Trade to direct enterprises engaged in production and business to strengthen measures to improve product quality, reduce costs, maintain existing export markets and market share, focus on penetrating new markets, including the US market. Along with continuing to develop key industries such as textiles, footwear, electronic components..., it is necessary to take advantage of opportunities and advantages to produce and develop new export products, such as processed foods, vegetable oils, handicrafts, plastic products, mechanical products, software...

d) Sectors such as financial-banking, telecommunications, insurance, tourism, aviation, maritime... need to have specific plans to promote the export of services to gradually increase the contribution of the service sector to the income of the national economy.

3. Market work:

a) The Ministry of Trade shall take the lead and coordinate with production-related ministries and sectors to thoroughly analyze the situation and trade relations with each market, based on which to formulate strategies for each market; organize inter-ministerial delegations along with enterprises to survey, find opportunities to penetrate and expand markets for each product. The Office of the Government and the Inter-Governmental Cooperation Sub-Committee shall urge relevant ministries and sectors to implement and promote the execution of agreements reached during visits by Party and State leaders, creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese goods to be exported steadily with increasing quantities.

b) Implement the principle of diversifying and multilateralizing markets and partners; limit the export of a single product that depends on a few markets. In this direction, it is necessary to maintain and expand the export of Vietnamese goods to existing markets, while taking appropriate measures to penetrate new markets; pay attention to large-capacity markets such as the European Union, Japan, China, Russia, the United States, and at the same time seek ways to penetrate and increase the presence of Vietnamese goods in African and Latin American markets; expand cross-border trade forms between localities sharing borders; strengthen trade and barter forms; implement measures to balance exports and imports for each market.

c) The Ministry of Trade shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese to develop and promulgate or submit to competent authorities for promulgation additional policies to strongly encourage overseas Vietnamese communities to participate in trade activities and trade promotion, while expanding investment back home, introducing buyers for domestic enterprises, and participating in the distribution and consumption of Vietnamese goods in host countries.

d) The Government’s Organization and Cadre Management Board shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Trade and relevant ministries and sectors to study and rectify the operations of industry associations towards restructuring organizations, adjusting functions and tasks, and rearranging personnel, aiming to unify operations and enhance the role of associations in promoting trade, ensuring the interests of members and national benefits.

đ) State-owned corporations need to proactively establish trade centers to introduce and sell goods in major markets. The state budget will support part of the construction of these centers. Pilot the dispatch of economic counsellors specialized in specific industries alongside diplomatic missions and representative offices of Vietnam to strengthen trade promotion; costs for the activities of economic counsellors shall be borne by the dispatching agency. Assign the Government’s Organization and Cadre Management Board to lead, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, and production-related ministries and sectors, to study and supplement relevant regulations to implement this.

e) The Ministry of Trade shall closely monitor global market developments, promptly inform relevant ministries and sectors, and work with them to timely address complex situations arising; closely cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and production-related ministries and sectors in negotiating with international economic organizations and national organizations to eliminate unreasonable technical and non-tariff barriers imposed by these organizations and countries to restrict our exports.

4. Export Promotion and Support Policies:

a) The Ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment, Industry, Agriculture and Rural Development, Trade, General Department of Customs, and the State Bank of Vietnam shall review the implementation of mechanisms and policies encouraging export development issued by the Government and Prime Minister; specifically identify reasons for delays or obstacles in implementation to handle promptly, and propose supplements and amendments to existing mechanisms, policies, and regulations to further encourage export activities; continue administrative reforms to facilitate exports.

b) Direct support measures applied by the Government to export activities in 2001 shall continue in 2002. The Ministry of Finance shall coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to evaluate export support work in 2001, clearly stating strengths and weaknesses, and then propose to the Prime Minister export support policies for 2002 in the direction of supporting inputs, ensuring long-term effectiveness, prioritizing high-value-added products using many domestic raw materials; support procedures must be simple and not cause delays or inconvenience for businesses.

c) Continue implementing and expanding the reward system based on export value to all markets and for all traders from all economic sectors for the following products: rice, coffee, tea, peanut kernels, livestock meat, poultry meat, canned vegetables, fresh vegetables, dried vegetables and processed vegetables, pepper, cashew nuts, ceramics, fine woodwork, rattan and bamboo products (excluding goods exported under government agreements and export repayment).

Assign the Ministry of Finance to lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Government’s Price Board, and related ministries and sectors to determine specific reward levels for each product, publicly announce, and organize implementation starting January 1, 2002.

d) Traders from all economic sectors exporting encouraged export products to all markets shall be prioritized for short-term credit loans for export support according to Decision No. 133/2001/QĐ-TTg dated September 10, 2001 of the Prime Minister on the issuance of export support credit regulations: rice, coffee, tea, peanut kernels, livestock meat, poultry meat, canned vegetables, fresh vegetables, dried vegetables and processed vegetables, pepper, cashew nuts, seafood, ceramics, fine woodwork, rattan and bamboo products, textiles, footwear.

The Ministry of Finance shall provide detailed guidance for implementation starting January 1, 2002.

5. Import Management:

a) Prioritize the import of advanced materials, equipment, and technology serving industrialization and modernization; increase the use of domestically produced materials and equipment to save foreign currency and promote domestic production.

b) Promote the strong development of existing programs for producing substitute materials for imports, such as cotton, tobacco raw materials, corn, soybeans, milk, leather raw materials, and apply new tax tools to reduce the import volume of these items; minimize the import of consumer goods; strictly control the import of automobiles and two-wheeled motorbike parts to encourage domestic production of spare parts and components.

c) In the first quarter of 2002, the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Finance need to immediately implement certain import management measures approved by the Prime Minister through Decision No. 46/2001/QĐ-TTg dated April 4, 2001, such as applying tariff quotas, specific duties, anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, environmental fees... for certain imported goods, to reasonably protect domestic production, ensure fair trade, and protect the environment.

The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairmen of provincial people's committees under the direct jurisdiction of the central government, Chairmen of boards of directors, General Directors of the 91 state-owned corporations shall immediately organize the implementation of the contents of this Directive.