PM asks for procedures on consuming agricultural products of pandemic-hit localities

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 24 asked ministries to design procedures to quickly help farmers in pandemic-hit localities sell their agricultural products.

Chairing a Cabinet’s meeting with the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health to soon issue the procedures so that the consumption of agricultural products in pandemic-hit localities would meet requirements of COVID-19 prevention and control.

Chairmen of provincial People’s Committees, particularly pandemic-hit provinces, were asked to have detailed measures to control disease and speed production and trade.

The central Government, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Health allowed local governments to adopt specific measures which were most suitable to their situations, the PM said. 

Localities, especially those having seaports like Hai Phong City had to ensure smooth flows of goods, he said, adding that that strict disease preventive measures were needed but did not include traffic restrictions.

At the meeting, a representative from Hai Duong province said that positive signs were seen in the province’s virus-hit areas with a decline of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The province wanted to get supports from ministries, agencies and other localities in transporting goods, particularly the goods transportation to Hai Phong Port.

A representative from Quang Ninh province said that the province still received migrant workers from Hai Duong Province but the workers would have to stay under quarantine for 14 days and would be tested for SARS-CoV-2 as regulated.

During the past time, the province cracked down on more than 340 violations relating to disease prevention and control, collected total fines of about VND 1 billion.

Industries in Quang Ninh province like the coal industry or electricity industry were not hit hard by the pandemic but its tourism was heavily affected with only 700,000 visitors arriving in the province in the first quarter of this year while it targeted to receive 3.6 million visitors.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An said that the consumption slowdown of agricultural products in Hai Duong province would be a lesson learnt for other localities.

The ministry helped Hai Duong Province connect with major consumers and retailers, An said, adding that they had a demand for the products but faced difficulties in transporting the products.

Despite the Health Ministry had guidance on safe goods transportation during a pandemic but provinces translated the guidance into practical differently, An said, adding that the transportation problems so far was solved.

Ensuring goods circulations was a basic condition to realise the Government’s twin goals of controlling the pandemic and boosting economic development at the same time, An said.

Participants to the meeting agreed that strong drastic preventive measures were needed but the measures must not be extreme. Reasonable measures would help create favourable conditions for goods circulation and production. 

Also at the meeting, PM Phuc applauded Health Ministry’s efforts in speeding up COVID-19 vaccine import. Nearly 117,000 doses have arrived in Viet Nam.

The PM asked the Government’s Office and Health Ministry to soon submit a draft resolution on vaccinating prioritised groups.