Directive 29/CT-TTg 2023 prevention of the illegal import and transportation of animals

DIRECTIVE

On prevention of the illegal import and transportation of animals and animal products; proper control of animal diseases, sustainable development of livestock production and assurance of food supply sources^[1]

Over the recent time, the Prime Minister has issued not a few documents directing the prevention of the illegal import and transportation of poultry, pigs and animal products from abroad into Vietnam and intensifying the application of measures to prevent and control animal diseases. So far, positive improvements have been seen in the fight against illegal import of animals and animal products; animal diseases in general and African swine fever in particular have basically been controlled, making important contributions to maintaining the development of the livestock production, ensuring food supply sources for domestic consumption and boosting export.

However, the illegal import of animals (poultry, pigs and buffaloes/cows) remains complicated in several localities, posing disease infection and food safety risks. In addition, animal diseases, particularly African swine fever, continue to occur in some localities, greatly affecting livestock production development, increasing production costs and economic losses for breeders, posing food safety risks and reducing supply sources in the coming time.

In order to thoroughly stop and put an end to the illegal import and transportation of animals and animal products, properly control animal diseases, reduce production costs, lower livestock production costs, improve economic efficiency in livestock production and ensure product supply sources in the last months of 2023 and early months of 2024, especially during the 2024 Lunar New Year Festival, the Prime Minister requests:

1. Chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees:

a/ To direct the border guard, customs and public security forces and local Steering Committees for Combating Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods (local Steering Committees 389) to intensify inspection, supervision and control, especially at border gates, border crossings, seaports and river ways, etc., so as to promptly stop, detect and strictly handle cases of illegal trade and transportation of animals and animal products across borders into Vietnam;

b/ To direct and deploy forces to closely inspect and supervise cattle and poultry slaughtering establishments, particularly those in border areas; to intensify inspection and traceability for the transportation of animals and animal products for sale in their localities; to promptly detect and strictly handle violations;

c/ To organize public communication among the population, particularly those in border areas, about harms of illegal import and dangerous disease infection and food safety risks posed by the illegal transportation or import of animals and animal products from abroad into Vietnam;

d/ To guide breeders to intensify the application of livestock production measures toward commodity concentration, biosafety and epidemic safety for reducing production costs and raising economic efficiency in livestock production.

dd/ To focus on directing, and prioritize resources for drastically, synchronously and effectively organizing, the implementation of measures to prevent and control animal diseases, particularly African swine fever, in accordance with the law on animal health and directions of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, National Assembly, Government and Prime Minister (under national programs and plans approved by the Prime Minister and the issued Official Telegrams and Directives), and guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, attaching importance to vaccination against African swine fever for pig herds;

e/ Based on local reality, to proactively direct the market surveillance force and related units to coordinate with animal health, public security and traffic inspection forces in setting up checkpoints and itinerant control teams to detect and strictly handle cases of illegally trading and transporting animals and animal products of unknown origin or not yet undergoing quarantine;

g/ To urgently consolidate and strengthen the capacity of the animal health system at all levels in accordance with the 2015 Law on Animal Health, and relevant directions of the Political Bureau, Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, National Assembly, Government, and Prime Minister (Decision No. 414/QD-TTg of March 22, 2021, and Decision No. 889/QD-TTg of July 25, 2023) in order to provide sufficient resources for effective performance of the tasks of preventing and controlling animal diseases and stopping illegal import and transportation of animals and animal products;

h/ To direct functional agencies and People’s Committees at all levels to form inspection teams to evaluate the situation in order to proactively direct the application of appropriate measures, promptly and effectively stop and strictly handle violations of illegal trading and transportation of animals and animal products as well as in the prevention and control of animal diseases, particularly African swine fever, and organize vaccination.

2. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

a/ To closely monitor the situation, and proactively direct and organize the implementation of measures to ensure food supply sources before, during and after the 2024 Lunar New Year Festival.

b/ To direct animal health agencies to intensify quarantine of animals and animal products upon import into and transportation in the country in accordance with law and strictly handle violations;

c/ To coordinate with related localities, ministries and sectors in promptly detecting and strictly handling cases of illegal trading and transportation of animals and animal products across borders into Vietnam;

d/ To direct, guide, urge and examine the prevention and control of animal diseases, particularly African swine fever; to take the initiative in closely monitoring the situation of epidemics; to early detect, and give warnings and directions for thoroughly dealing with epidemics and preventing them from widely spreading; to direct and guide localities and enterprises to focus on successfully establishing epidemic-free zones and establishments to serve export.

3. Ministry of Industry and Trade:

a/ To direct the market surveillance force and related units in coordinating with animal health, public security and traffic inspection forces in handling cases of illegal trade and transportation of animals and animal products of unknown origin or not yet undergoing quarantine; and implement solutions to control and reduce intermediary costs and increase economic benefits for breeders;

b/ To intensify market inspection and control activities, thereby preventing acts of speculation, goods stockpiling and hoarding for illicit profits, commercial fraud, market manipulation and unreasonable price increase that cause damage to consumers and affect the domestic livestock development.

4. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall direct news and press agencies and grassroots radio stations to organize public communication about harms caused by illegal import of animals and animal products, dangerous disease infection and food safety risks posed by illegal import and transportation of animals and animal products from abroad into Vietnam; and adopt measures to prevent and control animal diseases; develop livestock production on the basis of ensuring biosafety and epidemic safety, and promote the consumption of domestically produced animal products, particularly pork products.

5. Related ministries and sectors shall, within the ambit of their assigned functions and tasks, take the initiative in directing specialized agencies to coordinate with one another in implementing measures to prevent and stop the illegal import and transportation of animals and animal products, while properly controlling animal diseases, lowering livestock production costs and promoting the consumption of domestically produced animal products.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees, and related agencies and organizations shall seriously and effectively organize the implementation of this Directive.-

Prime Minister
PHAM MINH CHINH