On 18 June, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), together with the Agriculture and Environment Newspaper, organised a Dialogue Forum on Administrative Procedures and Business Conditions in the Agriculture and Environment sector. Hosting the dialogue was Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep.
The session welcomed representatives from the MAE, business associations, and businesses. Representing EuroCham Vietnam was Green Growth Sector Committee (GGSC)’s Vice-Chair and Head of Circular Economy Working group Nhi Le, together with CropLife Vietnam Sector Committee’s Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework (SPMF) Manager Le Pham. The dialogue fostered two-way discussions between businesses and the Ministry.
EuroCham’s contribution
At the dialogue, GGSC called for a more streamlined and risk-based approach to environmental permitting, with simplified procedures and shorter processing times, particularly for companies with strong compliance records and advanced, environmentally friendly technologies. Such reforms would help facilitate green investment and accelerate innovation.
In addition, GGSC reiterated the business community’s support for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the circular economy, while emphasising the need for transparent, practical, and predictable implementation to avoid unnecessary administrative burdens and provide businesses with long-term certainty.
CropLife Vietnam called for detailed implementation guidance to help businesses effectively apply recent administrative reforms. The association recommended clearer procedures for plant variety registration, including a public database of registered varieties, and sought further clarification on reduced state inspection requirements for imported fertilizers and crop protection products.
CropLife also highlighted the need for a risk-based regulatory approach for biological crop protection products to ensure quality control while avoiding unnecessary disruptions to product imports and market access.
Next steps
Reflecting on the discussion, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep assessed that there persisted a gap between policy and execution reality. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue putting citizens and businesses in the centre of administrative reforms and strengthening collaboration between governance bodies and the business community to build a transparent business environment for socio-economic growth.
The MAE will consolidate all inputs received in the dialogue and respond in paper. Responses will directly clarify the root causes, solution, and responsibility alignment to effectively resolve challenges raised.
What this means for businesses?
As the Vietnamese government continues pushing for regulation reforms and simplifying administrative procedures, dialogues between policy makers and the business community creates a constructive platform for businesses to share operational realities and suggestions. This two-way dialogue contributes to creating a transparent, stable, and competitive environment for investing and doing business in Vietnam.
