Notable documents of Vietnam in the previous week (from October 7 to October 13, 2024)

1. Vietnam’s regular implementation of necessary measures to prevent food poisoning 

On October 11, 2024, the Prime Minister of Vietnam promulgated Directive No. 38/CT-TTg 2024 on intensifying the prevention of food poisoning. 

According to the Directive, to continue to improve the efficiency of the prevention of food poisoning, the Prime Minister of Vietnam requests People’s Committees of provinces and centrally affiliated cities to focus on implementing tasks prescribed in Directive No. 38/CT-TTg as follows: 

- Sufficiently allocate funding, resources, and payroll targets and improve the capacity of personnel meeting the requirements for the state management of food safety in their areas. 

- Regularly assess risks that cause food poisoning and implement necessary measures to prevent food poisoning in their areas. 

- Intensify the inspection and irregular inspection of compliance with regulations on conditions for ensuring food safety applicable to small food manufacturing and trading establishments, street food stalls, providers of food services, local markets, collective canteens, and subjects under their management; strictly handle violations, drastically suspend the operations of facilities failing to ensure food safety, and recall and process food failing to ensure safety and food that can potentially cause poisoning. 

Organize training, update knowledge, and allocate resources and drills to respond to incidents and food poisoning that may occur in their areas. 

- Direct the increase of responsibilities of grassroots-level authorities in grasping the situations and inspecting and handling violations against regulations on food safety by organizations and individuals engaging in food manufacturing and trading, especially food services and street food; promptly handle and provide information on incidents, risks, and food poisoning cases in their areas. 

See more details in Directive No. 38/CT-TTg, promulgated on October 11, 2024. 

2. Vietnam to focus on promulgating Decrees elaborating Law on Land 2024 before October 15, 2024 

On October 10, 2024, the Prime Minister of Vietnam promulgated Official Telegram No. 105/CD-TTg 2024 focusing on directing and implementing the Law on Land 2024.

According to Directive No. 38/CT-TTg 2024, the Prime Minister of Vietnam requests the Presidents of People’s Councils and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally affiliated cities to: 

- Strictly implement Official Telegrams and Directives of the Prime Minister of Vietnam. Provinces that fall behind the schedule for the promulgation of documents under their jurisdiction shall assess the reasons and impacts on the results of the implementation of tasks of socio-economic development and national defense and security in their areas; organize self-reviews and clarify the responsibilities of organizations and individuals that allow the occurrence of the delayed promulgation and submit reports on the handling results to the Prime Minister of Vietnam before October 15, 2024. 

- Focus on directing the adequate promulgation of contents prescribed in the Law on Land 2024 and Decrees elaborating on the implementation of the Law on Land 2024 before October 15, 2024 and submit reports on the results to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam for summary and reports to the Prime Minister of Vietnam. Assume responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister of Vietnam in case of late promulgation of the mentioned documents. 

- Prepare the conditions for the effective local implementation of the Law on Land 2024, including the consolidation of the apparatuses of land bank development organizations and land registration offices; allocate personnel and funding and develop databases, and promulgate technical-economic norms and product unit prices, etc. 

- Continue to intensify training, dissemination, and universalization in a widespread, regular, and continuous manner to authorities at various levels, people, and enterprises to create consensus and consistency in awareness and implementation. 

- Proactively cooperate with relevant ministries and central authorities in resolving difficulties arising in the actual local situations; promptly submit reports to the Government and Prime Minister of Vietnam regarding issues exceeding their jurisdiction to prevent deficiencies impacting the socio-economic development and legitimate rights and benefits of the people and enterprises. Strictly implement cooperation among agencies and units in settling administrative procedures to ensure strictness, timeliness, and effectiveness, especially inter-connected administrative procedures and public services.   

- Intensify the inspection and handling of violations by state management authorities and land users, prioritizing the intensification of the inspection of local implementation of the Law on Land 2024.  

See more details in Official Telegram No. 105/CD-TTg, promulgated on October 10, 2024. 

3. Vietnam’s development principles and criteria for selection of herbal ingredients for inclusion in list of toxic medicinal ingredients

On August 26, 2024, the Minister of Health of Vietnam promulgated Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BYT on the list of toxic medicinal ingredients. 

According to Article 2 of Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BYT, the development principles and criteria for the selection of herbal ingredients for inclusion in the list of toxic medicinal ingredients are as follows: 

- Development principles of the list of toxic medicinal ingredients:

+ Conforming with the guidelines of other countries in the region and the world regarding the classification of toxic medicinal ingredients; 

+ Conforming with the world’s databases on toxic medicinal ingredients; 

+ Inheriting promulgated lists of toxic medicinal ingredients. 

- Criteria for the selection of herbal ingredients for inclusion in the list of toxic medicinal ingredients

Herbal ingredients shall be considered for selection and inclusion in the list of toxic medicinal ingredients when they meet one of the following criteria: 

+ Herbal ingredients included in specific treatises in Vietnam Pharmacopoeia or any global pharmacopeia, described as toxic or extremely toxic herbal ingredients (excluding cases where the description says “less toxic");

+ Extremely toxic herbal ingredients that affect the health and life of users; 

+ Herbal ingredients, when used, cause serious adverse reactions known or recommended by the World Health Organization, Vietnamese competent authorities, or foreign competent authorities.

See more details in Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BYT, effective as of October 10, 2024. 

4. Ministry of Construction of Vietnam’s announcement of 6 annulled administrative procedures concerning housing 

On October 9, 2024, the Minister of Construction of Vietnam promulgated Decision No. 915/QD-BXD on the announcement of the list of annulled administrative procedures concerning housing under the state management of the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam.

According to the Decision, the annulled administrative procedures concerning housing include: 

- Procedure for recognizing investors for housing construction projects under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam (in cases where there are many investors for commercial housing development projects with approved investment guidelines under the law on investment). 

- Procedure for recognizing investors for housing construction projects under the jurisdiction of provincial People’s Committees (in cases where there are many investors for commercial housing development projects with approved investment guidelines under the law on investment). 

- Procedure for settling transfers of rights to use land adjacent to old state-owned housing according to Clause 2 Article 71 of Decree No. 99/2015/ND-CP;

- Procedure for settling transfers of land use rights regarding housing constructed on empty land within the premises of old state-owned housing according to Clause 3 Article 71 of Decree No. 99/2015/ND-CP; 

- Procedure for recognizing/re-recognizing the classification of apartment buildings; 

- Procedure for recognizing adjustments to the classification of apartment buildings; 

See more details in Decision No. 915/QD-BXD, effective as of October 9, 2024. 

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