Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien: If you don't understand the issue, you shouldn't attend a press conference.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien chaired a press conference on the morning of July 3 in Hanoi. Photo: PHUC HAU

One of the issues that has received much attention from the press is food safety, especially in relation to the case of unsafe pork and disease being introduced into the retail system. Although the investigation agency has issued a document concluding that there are not enough factors to prosecute, public opinion continues to question the effectiveness of slaughter management and disease control and food safety of specialized agencies.

At the press conference, Mr. Pham Kim Dang, Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, said that, implementing the direction of the ministry, specialized forces have regularly inspected the work of slaughter control, disease control and food safety and hygiene...

However, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien asked for clarification on the concept of “regular and continuous”. He said that a roundabout answer that did not go straight to the point was inappropriate.

Deputy Minister Tien frankly pointed out that the management of slaughter and food processing over the past many years has been very weak. Up to now, there have only been projects on paper, while actual implementation is almost unclear.

According to statistics, Vietnam currently has 484 centralized slaughterhouses and 24,640 small-scale slaughterhouses. Compared to the monitoring requirements stated in Resolution 13 of the National Assembly on food safety, the current situation shows signs of getting worse. Mr. Tien requested that representatives of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine clearly state a specific action plan in the coming time.

In response, Mr. Pham Kim Dang said that ensuring food safety depends largely on the role of local authorities and the grassroots veterinary system. According to him, localities that strictly implement regulations will have good control, and at the same time, it also needs the participation of consumers and related ministries and branches.

Mr. Dang added that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is currently coordinating with the Department of Police Investigation of Crimes of Corruption, Economy, and Smuggling (C05 - Ministry of Public Security ). According to him, only the investigation agency has the authority and tools strong enough to handle the case, while the veterinary industry has difficulty in inspecting and punishing.

However, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien refuted, saying that such an assessment was not accurate. He affirmed that the livestock and veterinary industry has full authority to handle violations such as revoking licenses, imposing administrative penalties, etc. and cannot shift responsibility to other agencies.

Continuing to request clarification of the upcoming plan, the Deputy Minister emphasized that the leaders of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine need to clearly define responsibilities and propose specific implementation solutions.

Accordingly, Mr. Dang said that the department will send a document to localities requesting increased supervision, and at the same time requesting provinces to review the quarantine team and assess the conditions of slaughterhouses. He also admitted that due to the recent organizational arrangements, some veterinary departments are currently lacking in human resources.

Specifically referring to the case of the Vietnamese Government, Mr. Dang informed that the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hau Giang province (before the merger) had sent a document to the department, in which it reported that it had disciplined official Nguyen Long Cuong and reviewed the responsibility of the Board of Directors of the Animal Husbandry, Veterinary - Aquatic Station of Phung Hiep district for lax management, allowing violations in slaughter control.

Concluding the press conference, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien requested that officials and industry leaders, if participating in the press conference, must have a firm grasp of the situation, be competent and responsible. "If you do not understand the problem, you should not attend the press conference," Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said. He affirmed that food safety is a very important issue, and cannot be handled in a formal way, with empty words or just relying on slogans like "synchronous solutions"...

At the press conference on the morning of July 3, the press mentioned that the US side had just announced the results of negotiations on reciprocal taxes on Vietnamese goods. Accordingly, if Vietnamese goods exported to the US can be proven to be of 100% Vietnamese origin, they will be subject to a 20% tax, while transit goods (from a third country) will be subject to a 40% tax, while US goods entering Vietnam will be subject to a 0% tax... However, officials representing sectors and fields such as agriculture, aquaculture, wood and forestry products... did not grasp specific information and did not answer to the main points.

PHUC VAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thu-truong-phung-duc-tien-khong-nam-duoc-van-de-thi-khong-nen-di-hop-bao-post802286.html