Experts want to reduce number of export inspections Experts have suggested changing the number of and the time spent for inspections of export activities, including customs clearance, to help reduce costs for enterprises. Speaking at a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh on December 20, Tran Ngoc Liem, deputy director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) HCM City, said that overlapping inspection procedures were causing problems for enterprises. The General Department of Vietnam Customs said that procedures accounted for up to 50 percent of customs clearance time. Many shipments have been inspected, but still have not been cleared, it said. Even after three months, State agencies are still conducting inspection checks. Phan Duc Hieu, deputy head of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), said the proportion of imports and exports subject to specialised inspections at customs clearance was up to 30-35 percent and would be reduced to 15 percent under a … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 22/12