NA calls for Law on export-import tariffs to be passed

National Assembly deputies on March 25 called for the draft Law on Export-Import Tariffs to be adopted as soon as possible during their ongoing session in Hanoi.

They said the law will lay a legal foundation to realise commitments regulated in the Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as other existing free trade agreements (FTAs).Vietnam has so far joined 10 FTAs and other deals to cut tariffs and make the market more open.

The imposition of trade remedies were also brought to the meeting’s attention.

Trade remedies are policy tools that allow governments to take action against imports that damage a domestic industry.

NA deputy Do Van Ve from Thai Binh province speaking at the working session.

A number of lawmakers called for the measure to be stipulated in the law to protect domestic manufacturing and consumers.

Deputy Nguyen Ngoc Bao from the northern province of Vinh Phuc emphasised the need to consider the market landscape when taking the measure.

Earlier the same day, NA deputies discussed the revised Pharmaceutical Law, focusing on the management of medicine prices and supplementary food.

Deputy Pham Khanh Phong Lan from HCM City said measures to control medicine prices should be added to the Law, noting that price difference in some kinds of medicine were due to exclusive rights to raise prices, multiple layers of intermediaries between importers and retailers, and misconducts in prescription.

Hospitals should set medicine prices based on the price frame negotiated with the Ministry of Health and medical insurance agency, she said.

While discussing management of supplementaries and cosmetics, deputy Do Van Ve from Thai Binh province, said supplementaries were over advertised and not strictly controlled by the laws. He asked for more regulations to control supplementary food.

They also discussed the issuance of pharmaceutical practice certificates for pharmacists, saying that it was necessary to issue permanent pharmaceutical practice certificates for pharmacists so they don’t have to get their certificates extended.

They stressed that it would help efforts to boost administrative reform towards transparency and simplifying administrative procedures.