Meeting scene. Photo: VNA

On the afternoon of February 25, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh chaired an online meeting with relevant ministries and localities on the situation of handling congested goods at the northern border gates. .

Attending were leaders of a number of ministries, branches and provinces of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai and Cao Bang.

Lang Son will deploy the method of delivery of goods with limited contact

According to the report of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the situation of congestion occurred at the end of 2021. With the intervention of the Government, ministries and branches, near the Lunar New Year, the number of cars waiting for export has been cleared through customs. However, congestion tends to reappear after Tet.

The current congestion is mainly due to China's persistence in the "Zero Covid" policy, thereby applying unprecedented strong measures to prevent and control the epidemic.

In addition, at the time right before and after the Lunar New Year, the loading and unloading capacity of the Chinese side is also somewhat limited because the loading and unloading workers return to their hometown to celebrate Tet, the number of workers who have returned is still in the quarantine period.

Meanwhile, although ministries, branches and border provinces have repeatedly advised, the number of trucks carrying goods to border gates has continued to increase rapidly in recent days.

According to Ms. Doan Thu Ha, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Son province, the province has informed people and businesses not to continue to bring cars to the border gate, but every day, about 50-70 cars go to Lang Son.

Explaining the reason, Vice Chairman of Lang Son People's Committee said that China is currently in winter, the demand for fruits and agricultural products is very large, so traders still pour goods to the border gate. However, after the Lunar New Year, the epidemic situation increased in our country, so the Chinese side strengthened epidemic control at the border gate.

Regarding the immediate solution, Ms. Doan Thu Ha said, Lang Son has agreed with the Chinese side on a pilot method of delivery of goods with limited contact, from which Tan Thanh border gate can be raised to 150-200 vehicles. customs clearance/day and possibly higher (currently about 30-40 vehicles/day).

The new delivery method will be officially applied from February 26 at Tan Thanh border gate, from March 1 at Huu Nghi border gate.

Agricultural products waiting for customs clearance through the specialized road for transporting goods at Tan Thanh - Po Chai border gate. Photo: VNA

According to Cao Tuong Huy, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province, before and after the Lunar New Year, the Chinese side many times stopped customs clearance at the border gate with Covid-19 cases, so the traffic jam agricultural products and goods still take place.

In addition, a major obstacle is still the lack of agreement on regulations between the two countries on the recognition of SARS-CoV-2 test results and the disinfection of goods.

Regarding the solution, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh suggested that the People's Committees of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang and Lao Cai provinces could arrange parking lots near the border gate, and then cooperate with the Chinese side to disinfect goods and vehicles as well as take samples for testing for SARS-CoV-2 for drivers (in case of necessity) at these yards.

This forwarding cooperation process can significantly improve customs clearance activities at border gates, minimizing the risk of congestion. Because, if detecting vehicles and goods infected with SARS-CoV-2 on the Chinese side, according to regulations, China will have to stop customs clearance activities to disinfect the entire border gate area, sometimes it takes up to 1- 1 month. 2 days.

Meanwhile, if detecting vehicles, goods, or drivers infected with SARS-CoV-2 on Vietnamese soil, it is enough just not to let that vehicle go to the border gate.

Leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade suggested that localities, businesses, traders, and long-distance drivers apply measures to ensure that the production, packaging and transportation processes are absolutely safe. safely, in accordance with the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, thereby helping relevant parties to open and sustainably maintain the reopening of border gates.

"It is necessary to quickly and strongly shift the export of goods to the Chinese market in the official form," emphasized Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh.

Setting up a research group to study policies from small-scale export to official quota

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh noted and highly appreciated the ministries, branches and localities that have closely coordinated with relevant Chinese agencies to clear congestion at the border gate, not allowing backlog on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh spoke at the meeting. Photo: VNA

However, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, the policies that have been implemented in the past time are timely, but not really radical, have not solved the root of the problem, have not completely overcome the congestion of goods. Most of them are agricultural products, at border gate areas.

In the coming time, in addition to actively implementing existing solutions such as promoting information about congestion, proactively limiting vehicles gathering at the border gate, closely coordinating with agencies on your side to prevent traffic jams. speeding up customs clearance, the Deputy Prime Minister agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the ministries, branches and localities at the meeting; requested the People's Committees of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang and Lao Cai provinces to "urgently mobilize local forces and coordinate with relevant Chinese agencies to establish a common green zone model of the two countries." country."

Provinces "Arrange parking lots for vehicles near the border gate, then cooperate with the Chinese side to jointly disinfect goods and vehicles as well as take samples for testing for drivers," the Deputy Prime Minister said. more.

Vehicles and drivers that have been confirmed negative by both parties can go directly across the border to enter the loading dock, without having to undergo disinfection or a second test. This is a suitable solution that can be evaluated. significantly shorten the clearance time compared to the present.

In the long term, the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the ministries of Justice, National Defense, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development and localities in, to urgently set up policy research groups. within 15 days, submit to the Government and Prime Minister mechanisms and policies that clearly stipulate standards, regulations and quality of goods eligible for small-traffic export for unified implementation; at the same time, propose mechanisms and policies to encourage the conversion to official export for agricultural products currently mainly exported to China.

Theo TTXVN