News

The Prime Minister orders suspension of licenses for waste imports

Summary

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, at a regular Government meeting on July 25, announced that the Government will no longer issue new licenses for waste imports amid backlogs of imported scrap at ports, according to the Government news website

Updated on : 04-09-2018

The prime minister asked the relevant ministries to enhance coordination to prevent illegal waste from flowing into Vietnam, turning it into the dumping ground of the world and affecting the lives of locals and the environment.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was asked to review the issuance of past licenses for waste imports and to punish violators. It should also clarify the negative impacts of each type of waste and make a list of eligible waste imports.

PM Phuc also demanded investigations into unclaimed waste containers that are now occupying a large space at seaports and called for strict penalties in illegal cases.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport will cooperate with the Ministry of Finance and the other relevant ministries and localities to destroy or remove abandoned waste containers from seaports.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was assigned to review the temporary import of second-hand products for export.

Hoang Van Thuc, deputy director of the Vietnam Environment Administration, had earlier reported that nearly 6,000 waste containers have been left at ports in HCMC and Haiphong as of June, with 20% of them containing paper and the rest containing plastics and other kinds of waste.

The backlog has raised widespread public concern. The abandoned containers have not only aggravated the congestion at ports but have also affected the operations of customs agencies.

Due to China’s suspension of scrap imports, many developed countries have started shipping their second-hand products to Vietnam.

Another reason for the backlog is that waste importers have yet to complete customs clearance procedures. In addition, some importers have falsified certificates of eligibility for environmental protection on scrap imports as production materials to import these second-hand products.

Source:  Saigontimes