
VIETNAM Decision Regulating the Establishment of “Vietnam WTO/TBT Notification Authority and Enquiry Point” On 25th March 2003, the Minister of Science and Technology promulgated Decision No. 356/QD-BKHCN regulating the establishment of “Vietnam WTO/TBT Notification Authority and Enquiry Point” under Directorate for Standards and Quality (abbriviated as Vietnam TBT Office). The Vietnam TBT Office is the National Point for enquiry and notification of regulations on standards, metrology and quality relating to issues of the Technical Barriers to Trade. The Vietnam TBT Office is the governmental agency under STAMEQ with stamp and account in the State bank, treasury. APO Workshop on Green Productivity and Integrated Community Development Within the framework of cooperation program with Asian Productivity Organization (APO), the Workshop on Green Productivity and Integrated Community Development was held by Vietnam Productivity Center under Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) on March 17th 2003. Attending the workshop were Eng. Pham Ngoc Tran- STAMEQ’s Deputy Director General, Mr. Mandar Parasnis- Representative of APO Secretariat and Representatives from Units under STAMEQ. Over 22 Representatives from 15 member countries of APO had also attended the workshop. The workshop focused on clarifying the notion and method to practice productivity through experiences when implementing the program at member countries, especially experiences when successfully deploying in Vietnam. The workshop was conducted in 5 days (from 17- 21 March 2003). Training Course on Building TCVN- Net and Data- Associated Child Websites Implementing the guidance of Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ), with leadership and support from the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Project of the Republic of Germany, a training course on skills of building and administering TCVN- Net and Data- Associated Child Websites of Provincial Departments for Standards, Metrology and Quality was held by the Information Center for Standards, Metrology and Quality from 26 to 28 March 2003 in Da Nang city. Heads and officials from 16 Provincial Departments such as Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh, Hoa Binh, Thua Thien- Hue, Ha Nam, Vinh Long, Lai Chau, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Quang Ngai, Da Nang, Quang Binh, Binh Phuoc, Ca Mau, Hai Phong and Thai Binh attended the course. The Information Technology Section under the Information Center has successfully studied and built software to help Provincial Departments build, update and administer their website by themselves in order to link with TCVN- Net of STAMEQ, forming a system of websites associating with the Internet, exchanging, exploiting information and propagating Standards, Metrology and Quality activities to the locals. The training course ended in success and had met demands of the Provincial Departments. Legislation Dissemination of Decision No. 01/2003/QD-BKHCN on motorbike quality management On March 7th 2003, Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) held a meeting on disseminating Decision No. 01/2003/QD-BKHCN regulating quality management, industrial property, technology transfer to two-wheeled vehicles, engine and spare parts produced, assembled in the domestic country and imported. Attending the meeting were Dr. Ho Tat Thang- Deputy Director General of STAMEQ and Representatives from over 55 businesses assembling motorbike, management bodies and Provincial Department for Standards, Metrology and Quality. The Decision pointed out contents and procedures on the management of motorbike quality, engine and spare parts such as for motorbikes produced, assembled in the domestic country, businesses must promulgate standards and quality to motorbike; promulgate motorbike products conform to Vietnam standards on motorbike; register and control quality at register office according to regulations of Communications and Transport Ministry. These requirements are based on regulations issued by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (now as Ministry of Science and Technology) such as Decision No. 2424/2002/QD-BKHCNMT and Decision No. 2425/2002/QD-BKHCNMT. Besides that, the Decision regulated motorbike, engine and spare parts produced, assembled in the domestic country and imported to conform to legal regulations on industrial property. Businesses producing and assembling motorbike engine must have a technology transfer agreement from partners who studied to produce motorbike engine that are up to Vietnam Standards or foreign standards recognized by Vietnam Standards.