ADVOCACY UPDATE (NOV – DEC 2020)

I. EUROCHAM ACTIVITIES

Cross-Sector Highlights from November and December

On 5 November, EuroCham Chair Nicolas Audier met with Mr. Nobuhiro Watanabe, Consul General of Japan, to talk about potential collaboration in HCMC; and along with EuroCham Vice-Chairman Jean Jacques Bouflet also met with the Spanish Consul General in HCMC.
  
On 18 November in Hanoi, Mr. Nguyen Hai Minh and Mr. Jean Jacques Bouflet led the Pharma Group and IQMED SCs delegation to meet with OOG, ACAPR Vice-Chairman Mr. Ngo Hai Phan to support healthcare industry and raised their issues on MAs extension and removal of administrative procedures (CPP, etc.)
   
   
On 19 November, Board Member Ywert Visser helped FAABS to address their concerns and topics in the position paper to the Head of VBF Agriculture Working Group.
  
Meanwhile, Nguyen Hai Minh attended VBF Meetings with MOF to raise EuroCham members’ Tax and Customs issues.
    
       
Then, on 10 December, Vice-Chairmen Tomaso Andreatta and Jean Jacques Bouflet attended the VBF meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and raised EVFTA, Healthcare, PPP and Green Growth issues.
   

II. SECTOR COMMITTEE

FAABS
On 18 November, FAABS joined the Export Forum: “Global Supply Chain Movement and Sustainable Development of Material Sourcing Area” in Ho Chi Minh City. The Committee also spoke at a forum on “Global Market Potential of Halal Food” on 30 November to discuss the potential of the Halal food market.
  
On 7 December, FAABS elected a new board including Chairman Johan van den Ban from De Heus and Vice-Chairs Rick van der Linden and Trang Le. Two days later, on 9 December, the Committee met with the EU Delegation to Vietnam to discuss implementation of the EVFTA and potential future collaboration.

Green Growth Sector Committee
On 1 December, EuroCham and GGSC board members held a meeting with the EU Delegation to Vietnam to discuss Trade and Sustainable Development as well as potential opportunities for collaboration.

HR & Training Sector Committee
On 26 November, HR&T SC organized a Webinar entitled: "Getting Ready for the Implementation of the New Labour Code”. The speakers included Co-Chairman Mr. Trung Khuat and HR&T Sector Committee member Ms. Thao Do.

IPR Sector Committee 
On 7 December, the draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Intellectual Property Law was published for public comments. In the last month, IPR SC has held two meetings to discuss the draft law and the drafting of the IPR Chapter of the 2021 Whitebook.

IQMED
On 18 November, IQMED – Generic & Biosimilar and Pharma Group met with Ngo Hai Phan, Vice-Chairman of the Office of the Government (OOG) and the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform (ACAPR) to raise the issue of Marketing Authorization validity and issues in Circular 32 (CPP etc.)

Legal Sector Committee
On 19 November, Legal Sector Committee co-hosted a seminar entitled “Changes in the Legal Framework and Influences on the M&A Market in Vietnam” together with the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC), Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC) and Vietnam Business Lawyers Club (VBLC) at the Sai Gon Hotel

Legal Sector Committee also provided comments to the VBF on the draft decrees guiding the Investment Law and Enterprises Law.

Medical Devices & Diagnostics
On 13 November, MDDSC drafted two letters commenting on the VAT rate for imported medical devices and on the Draft Law on Drug Control & Prevention.

On 23 November, MDDSC elected a new board for 2020 – 2022 and met to vote for a new Chairman (Torben Minko), Vice-chairs (Pedro Vilaca, Qadeer Raza, Hugo Luik, Duong Hong Duc) and Treasurer (Paul Basson).

Mobility Sector Committee
On 17 November, Mobility Sector Committee contributed its input for the draft project on collection of fees for the use of the infrastructure, public services and public facilities in the seaport border gate of HCMC. On 26 November, the Committee also provided its input for the meeting with the Office of the Government (OOG) on customs issues.

Tourism & Hospitality SC
On 25 November, the Tourism & Hospitality Sector Committee met to discuss the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism.

Transportation and Logistics SC
On 17 November, TLSC contributed input for the draft project on the collection of fees for the use of infrastructure, public services and public facilities in the seaport border gate of Ho Chi Minh City. TLSC also shared its input for the meeting with the Office of the Government (OOG) on customs issues on 26 November. On 2 December, the Committee met to review their activities in 2020 and prepare for a new board election in 2021.

Wines and Spirits
On 25 November, MOF/GDC responded to the request for clarification on the conditions to benefit from tariff reductions under the EVFTA. MOF/GDC also provided their response to a letter from EuroCham requesting clarification on the documents required for the certification of goods’ origin under the EVFTA in a letter on 8 December.

Sector Committee Chairs meeting: 16 December.
Topics to be discussed include the EVFTA, Whitebook, VBF, and the EU-Vietnam Business Council (EVBC):

EVFTA implementation: works with partners and stakeholders

Whitebook 2021 preparations

EU-Vietnam Business Council

Vietnam Business Forum

EU Delegation’s two EVFTA roundtables planned to take place in December 2020 with invited EuroCham speakers:

16 December in Hanoi at the Pan Pacific Hotel: EVFTA: First Success and Future Opportunities

18 December at the Liberty Hotel in HCMC: EVFTA: Improving the Business Environment