Viet Nam : Trade Facilitation: Improved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Handling in Greater Mekong Subregion Trade Project

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agro-industry, marketing, and trade

Industry and trade / Trade and services

The project is in line with the GMS 10-year strategic framework, 2012'-2022 and supports the thrust to facilitate cross-border trade and investment. The project will contribute to pillar 4 (cooperation in regional public goods) of ADB's Regional Cooperation and Integration Strategy. The project is aligned with the targets of the National Strategic Development Plan Update, 2009-2013 of Cambodia and the National Socio Economic Development Plan VII, 2011-2015 of the Lao PDR. Improving SPS management is explicitly reflected in various Cambodia and Lao PDR sector strategies and plans, and in the GMS core agriculture support program.

Trade facilitation remains a challenging agenda in the GMS. Previous experience shows the need to adopt a phased approach to formulate well-targeted and sequenced projects to ensure implementation of bilateral and regional commitments on cooperation and harmonization. Inadequate capacities at the country level are major constraints for effective regional cooperation in SPS arrangements. Development partners, such as the United Nations agencies, the World Bank and bilateral agencies support various aspects of SPS capacity building in the GMS, but ongoing projects have not addressed SPS issues in a comprehensive manner. Preparatory work has been firmly anchored in the lessons of international experiences that stress the need for prevention rather than end-of-pipe controls, which have proven to be costly and frequently ineffective. Involvement of the private sector and civil society in SPS capacity building is necessary to ensure the right technical issues and challenges are addressed and for longer-term sustainability. During the project preparation phase, workshops to consult the private sector on SPS issues were held in Cambodia and the Lao PDR, which contributed to the overall project design. Likewise, coordination with the GMS working group on agriculture has been maintained.

Strengthened food safety surveillance, handling and inspection system designed and implemented

Improved regional cooperation and harmonization

Effective project management

- Two position/background papers were prepared and from these papers, a draft Surveillance Plan was developed. First consensus workshop was held to discuss about the draft plan of National Food safety surveillance system on 25 December 2015. Feedback from the consensus workshop comments from VFA followed by a series of meetings and discussions was incorporated into the draft Plan.

- In close consultation and coordination with sub-VFAs, a Surveillance Plan for 4 pilot provinces has been prepared.

- Developed the questionnaires for survey of natural toxin in pilot provinces (for the medical workers and the people)

- A draft of Action Plan for Food Safety Surveillance System in Pilot provinces was prepared enunciating 10 points program for implementation.

- 4 design and implementation of annual surveillance cycle training workshops in 4 pilot provinces

- 1 Annual report workshop

- 2 Public awareness raising workshops

- 4 Sampling training workshops on (1) Overall knowledge on food safety (2) Design/develop surveillance plan (3) guidance on inspection and (4) Sampling have been organized in three provinces.

- Document on import handling was developed and submitted to PMU/VFA,

- Document on risk base categorization was integrated into the import handling document

- Document on step wise introduction of risk-based inspection was prepared and submitted.

- Draft of First-time market access document was prepared and submitted.

- Draft of inspection manual was prepared.

- Research on harmonization of practices with other GMS countries was prepared and submitted.

- Document on risk-based import handling of food and risk analysis for Consensus workshop was integrated.

The new restaurant grading system was developed and implemented by Restaurant grading consultants.

Guidelines and Proposed Grading Scheme for R&C Establishments was prepared.

Consensus workshop on the Guidelines and Proposed Grading Scheme for R&C Establishments was organized to collect comments.

Lab equipment was provided to the Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, National Institute of Food Center, National Institute of Nutrition, Pasteur Institute and Quang Ninh Preventive Medicine Center.

VFA and Food and Drug management administration of Laos organized workshop in VN with "Single window custom" agreement signed.

In progress

VFA representatives participated in INFOSAN workshops in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Draft First Time Market Access document was prepared was submitted.

PMU was established, fully staffed and project management systems set up.