
Hanoi (VNA) - A new government circular took effect on February 10,allowing businesses to announce their level of energy efficiency and self-labeltheir goods.
They will also be able to use the results ofpilot testing for all locally-made and imported energy products with the samemodel and manufacturer.
The Ministry ofIndustry and Trade has recently issued Circular No 36/2016/TT-BCT to replaceCircular 07/2012/TT-BCT on energy labeling for vehicles and equipment. The newcircular aims to remove regulations and terms which caused difficulties tobusinesses.
Accordingly,businesses will take responsibilities for their announcements and energyself-labeling products’ quality.
The circularalso allows pilot testing for energy self-labeling by independent testingorganisations and laboratories of both domestic and foreign producers; notlimited to testing on energy labeling in independent testing organisations.
The move aims toabolish regulations stipulating pilot testing of energy self-labeling arerequired to be implemented at laboratories assigned by the ministry.
Companies askingfor energy self-labeling will be able to send their applications and documentsto prove that their chosen laboratories meet the ministry’s conditions.
Enterpriseswhich register energy self-labeling have the right to submit records online,with public services at the level 4 through the online service portal “online.moit.gov.vn” or to submit their records by mail..
The circularalso provides additional provisions on electronic energy labeling. Accordingly,enterprises have the right to choose electronic energy labels for vehicles andequipment in accordance with the purpose of the electronic energy label.
However, theministry said that State authorities should strengthen post-check-ups afterenterprises conduct energy self-labeling for market consumption.
The old circularwas said to cause difficulties and troubles for businesses. Enterprisescomplained that they had to test several times for the same product to meet therequirements for certification of energy self-labeling, because thelabeling validity only lasted six months. Besides, the infrastructure forenergy testing laboratories in Vietnam is still limited.
Nguyen Minh Thao,head of the Business Environment and Competitiveness Ability Division under theCentral Institute for Economic Management, said the new regulations changedthoughts and process of labeling.
Businesses hadto wait for more than 10 days with the old circular and wasted costs on traveland transport goods samples to apply for energy labeling.
Thảo said the longwaiting time caused warehouse costs to increase as the energy labeling was oneof the required documents for customs clearance.
Implementation of energylabeling for electronics products was an obsession for businesses. It was alsoone of the barriers on special check-ups in import-export activities.-VNA