In the light of inspection results of the Prime Minister’s Working Group presented to the Government in the Government’s regular meeting held in January 2019 and the appeal of the Minister and Chairman of the Government Office – the Leader of the Working Group, the Prime Minister directs:

1. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Finance, People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-affiliated cities, and other entities concerned, to perform the following tasks: 

Whilst waiting for a Decree amending and supplementing Decrees elaborating and providing guidance on implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection (in place of Article 60 in the Decree No. 38/2015/ND-CP) to be promulgated and take effect, in order to help promptly resolve difficulties inflicted on enterprises, the Government has agreed to change the method of carrying out the state inspection of the quality of waste used as raw materials for production purposes according to the following rules: Independent assessment bodies designated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment can undertake the assessment of the quality of imported waste and must take legal liability for all results of assessments and analyses of the quality of waste shipments imported for use as raw materials for production purposes during which customs authorities must be involved in inspection and sampling activities.     These independent assessment bodies are legally liable for all results of assessments and analyses of the quality of imported waste shipments. After considering inspection and assessment results gained from assessment bodies, customs authorities must decide to grant the customs clearance of imported waste shipments in accordance with laws. 

2. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to promulgate the Circular repealing any regulation leading to possible problems in the process of inspection of quality of waste imported as raw materials for production purposes in the Circular No. 08/2018/TT-BTNMT , and the Circular No. 09/2018/TT-BTNMT dated September 14, 2018 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, introducing the national technical regulation on environment for waste imported as raw materials used for production purposes, in order to solve difficulties and rule out problems for enterprises. This task must be completed by February 15, 2019. 

For your information and compliance./.