The decision was announced by Mr. Lam Hung Tan, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs at the conference to establish the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety on the morning of December 30. This department was established from the pilot model of the Food Safety Management Board operating for the past 7 years.

Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan is from Khanh Hoa, a former lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health. She has been the Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board since the first days of the pilot program. At the same time, she is also the President of the Pharmacy Association, Vice President of the City Oriental Medicine Association, and a National Assembly Delegate for the 13th, 14th, and 15th terms.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Ms. Lan said that when the Board is upgraded to a Department, it will have a more solid legal basis, the Ministry in charge will pay more attention, but at the same time, the community will have higher demands.

"We will make efforts to make sure that city residents feel secure when choosing food," she said, adding that in the immediate future, the city will develop a clean food chain and businesses operating in this field will be facilitated to operate. The industry aims for food in Ho Chi Minh City to meet the standards prescribed by law, ensuring that people have good resistance by eating standard food.

In addition to Ms. Lan, the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department also has a deputy, Mr. Le Minh Hai, who is the Deputy Director of the Food Safety Management Board. According to regulations, the department has a maximum of three deputy directors.

Ho Chi Minh City is the first locality in the country to have a Department of Food Safety. According to Resolution 98 issued by the National Assembly on June 24, the Department of Food Safety is a specialized agency under the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, with the function of advising and managing the state on food safety in the area.

In addition, this department also has a number of state management functions on food safety, inspection, examination, handling of administrative violations on food safety, and the issuance of quarantine certificates for animal products leaving the city. These are tasks that were previously assigned to the Departments of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Industry and Trade.

Mr. Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, said that with a population of more than 10 million people, the city is a hub for the circulation of a large amount of domestically produced and imported food. The establishment of a Food Safety Department is urgent for a special urban area like Ho Chi Minh City.

Previously, since December 2016, the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board was established with the combined forces of three departments including Health, Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development. According to the assessment, this unit still has many limitations in terms of functions and powers compared to the department, and many regulations have not been issued, hindering the operation of the board. According to the Ho Chi Minh City government, the transfer from the Board to the Department will help the unit overcome many difficulties and maximize the efficiency of its operations.

Along with the establishment of the department, the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board will cease operations from January 1, 2024, after a 7-year pilot period.

Le Tuyet