Lao Cai province handles nearly 300 imported food dossiers on first day

Processing takes 10-15 minutes per dossier

As observed by a reporter from the VAN News on the morning of September 1, despite the public holiday, dossier reception activities continued uninterrupted at the Administrative Procedures Reception and Resolution Center at Kim Thanh Road International Border Gate No. II.

Officials inspected and received each enterprise's dossier in accordance with regulations. This marks the first day the Sub-Department of Quality and Rural Development (under the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment) directly executed the state inspection of imported food safety, following the decentralization by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Implementing Circular No. 22/2026/TT-BNNMT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Lao Cai officially took over this task from September 1, 2026. Inspecting imported food safety in the area is not a new task, but the novelty lies in the provincial specialized agency performing it directly under decentralization.

In the early morning alone, the Sub-Department of Quality and Rural Development received over 80 dossiers subject to standard inspection. For dossiers fully and properly declared by enterprises, processing took about 10-15 minutes. By the end of the morning, nearly 150 dossiers had been received, with an estimated 300 dossiers expected for the whole day.

Present at the processing area, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thuy from An Phat LC Import-Export Co., Ltd. shared that the enterprise imports various food items requiring safety inspections, such as bamboo shoots, dried strawberries, dried sweet potatoes, spices, confectionery, beer, soft drinks, and several other products.

"On the first day of implementation, I found it quite convenient. Our enterprise's dossier was fully prepared; officials inspected, received, and processed it to return the results to us", Ms. Thuy shared.

On the receiving end, specialized officials were also prepared in advance for the new workload. Mr. Do Van Chien, a specialist at the Sub-Department of Quality and Rural Development, said that before September 1, task-assigned officials received specific training and guidance on processes and procedures, which helped prevent confusion when starting the work.

"The main difficulty stems from the large volume of dossiers to be resolved, while the managed items are quite diverse. Each product group has its specific requirements, demanding receiving officials to carefully study the dossiers and cross-reference regulations for accurate processing", Mr. Chien noted.

Ready to process 500 dossiers on peak days

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huy, Head of the Sub-Department of Quality and Rural Development, the unit proactively prepared personnel, equipment, and necessary conditions before officially taking over the task. Right on the first day, the Sub-Department's leaders and assigned officials were fully present at the border gate, coordinating with specialized agencies to receive and resolve administrative procedures. The goal is to ensure a smooth task transition process and timely goods customs clearance without congestion or errors.

Therefore, alongside the need for strict control of imported food safety, fast and accurate dossier reception and processing directly affect the progress of goods clearance. A smooth first day of operation is the initial step for Lao Cai province to fulfill its decentralized mandate, simultaneously ensuring state management requirements and facilitating enterprises importing and exporting through the border gate.