Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has requested relevant authorities to check the number of trash containers left at the country’s ports as a basis for requesting shipowners to return them, local media reported.An official of the Waste Management Department on October 7 said that concerned ministries and agencies are taking measures to prevent scrap from being imported into Vietnam, including the promulgation of national technical standards on environment for six categories of imported scrap.
Illustrative photo
|
Besides, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has asked relevant authorities to classify scrap containers which are left at the ports for over 90 days, determining their shipping lines and exporting countries.
Based on the review results, the related ministries and agencies will request the ship owners to ship containers with hazardous waste and discarded materials out of Vietnam’s territory.
Moreover, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment proposed the Vietnamese government review and provide a list of organizations and individuals that violated the regulations on scrap import, as a basis for legal handling.
After the classification results are available, the Vietnamese government may assign the General Department of Customs to auction the containers with scrap which can be recycled for production.
For containers with hazardous waste, the Ministry of Transport requested shipping lines to return them to the origin countries. Untill they do, they will not be authorized to dock at Vietnamese ports.
Vietnam tightens imported scrap
Since last year, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has launched investigation and handled violations in scrap import regulations to tighten the flow of waste entering the country, and enhance the control of scrap trading and processing.
Deputy General Director of Customs Mai Xuan Thanh said that it is necessary to strictly handle cases of committing frauds or importing discarded materials failing to meet the requirements on environmental protection.
Moreover, the local customs offices have implemented measures to tighten the import of garbage in accordance with the law on customs and the law on environmental protection, so that Vietnam will not become a dumping ground of the world.
