HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked the Ministry of Transport to direct localities to remove regulations impeding the circulation of goods during the Covid-19 pandemic by August 28.
In an urgent dispatch sent to local governments on August 26, the Ministry of Transport informed that the prime minister had held a meeting with the Party Committee and government of HCMC and the relevant ministries and agencies to thrash out the Covid-induced goods transport issue, Thanh Nien Online newspaper reported.
At the meeting, HCMC proposed the Ministry of Transport direct city and provincial authorities to reach a consensus on how to regulate trucks entering and exiting their virus-struck cities and provinces. Some provinces want truck drivers changed upon arrival or require truckers obtain Covid test results within 24-48 hours before entry, shorter than the 72 hours recommended by the Ministry of Health. Worse still, in certain provinces, truckers must be re-tested even though their test results remain valid.
Therefore, the Government leader asked cities and provinces to strictly comply with his Dispatch 1102/CD-TTg dated August 23 on enhancement of anti-virus measures nationwide.
The prime minister also assigned the Ministry of Transport to work with cities and provinces to reach a consensus on how to facilitate the transportation and circulation of goods, especially at a time when goods supplies are running short because of draconian travel restrictions.
The ministry later asked localities to immediately eliminate unreasonable restrictions and report the results to the ministry before 3 p.m. on August 28.
Earlier, the ministry had named eight cities and provinces — Can Tho, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, An Giang, Haiphong, Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong and Bac Lieu — that were imposing unreasonable restrictions, severely hindering the transport and circulation of goods.
Although the Government does not require vehicles with QR codes to be checked, many cities and provinces have issued their own requirements that are making life extremely difficult for enterprises which have already been hit hard by the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
