Each facility and type of food is subject to the management of only one agency.

On the morning of May 25, the Provincial Steering Committee for Food Safety held a meeting to listen to and give opinions on the Draft Decision regulating the assignment of responsibilities and coordination of state management of food safety in Nghe An province.

Comrades: Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Le Minh Thong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired the meeting.

The meeting was attended by members of the Nghe An Province Food Safety Steering Committee and representatives of localities in the province. Photo: Thanh Chung

The issuance of the Decision on the Regulation on the assignment of State management responsibilities for food safety in the province is a concrete step to implement Decree No. 15 dated February 2, 2018 of the Government, to replace Decision No. 61 dated October 12, 2016 of the Provincial People's Committee, which was built on the basis of Decree No. 38 dated April 25, 2012 of the Government which has expired; at the same time, implementing Resolution No. 43 dated June 21, 2017 of the National Assembly in the field of food safety.

Decree No. 15/2018 of the Government has many new points such as: Enterprises and establishments self-declare products; product declaration procedures; mandatory registration of product declaration for some products; requirements to ensure safety for foods containing ingredients from genetically modified organisms and products of genetically modified organisms...

The Draft Decision on Promulgating the Regulations on Assignment of Responsibility and Coordination of State Management on Food Safety in Nghe An Province has 4 chapters and 26 articles. It clearly stipulates the subjects of application, principles of assignment and coordination of management, especially the responsibility of State management on food safety for relevant units. In addition to the Provincial People's Committee performing general management of food safety in the whole province, 13 departments and branches, depending on their functions and tasks, are assigned specific tasks.

The Central Inter-sectoral Inspection Team inspected the Cold Storage in Cua Lo town and highly appreciated Nghe An's efforts to ensure food safety. Photo: Thanh Chung

Along with that, the regulation also clearly states the responsibilities of other relevant departments, branches, sectors, units as well as socio-political organizations, district and commune authorities as well as coordination in State management of food safety in accordance with local conditions.

At the meeting, delegates focused on discussing the responsibilities and specific tasks of each department along with the specialties of each unit, especially the roles of the health, agriculture and industry and trade sectors as well as decentralization of management to improve food safety work in the area.

Delegates highly appreciated the contents of the Draft Decision, such as: Switching from pre-inspection to post-inspection, creating favorable conditions for enterprises, food production and processing establishments; Each food production, processing and trading unit and each type of food is only responsible for one State management agency.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong requested that the Decision regulating the assignment of responsibilities must be issued by early June 2018 at the latest. Photo: Thanh Chung

Concluding the meeting, comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong highly appreciated the drafting of the draft by the drafting agency, Nghe An Department of Health. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Department of Health to fully absorb the comments, continue to complete and send it to the Department of Justice for consideration, before submitting it to the Provincial People's Committee for promulgation. By early June 2018 at the latest, the Decision on Promulgating the Regulations on Assignment of Responsibility and Coordination of State Management of Food Safety in Nghe An Province will be approved and implemented.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong stated: In recent times, the work of ensuring food safety in Nghe An province has had many strong changes. All levels and sectors have been proactive in implementing responsibilities and coordinating handling. However, this work has not yet met the people's requirements.

In the coming time, members of the steering committee need to uphold their roles and responsibilities; localities need to strengthen propaganda, carry out well the inspection and handling of violations... for the health of the people and the development of the homeland./.