Vietnam, UK exchange experience on policy impact assessments

At the conference (Photo: Vietnam Ministry of Justice)

A workshop in Hanoi on July 21 discussed the UK’s experience in building an evaluation system for policy impact assessment reports and the feasibility of applying such a system in Vietnam.

The gathering was co-organised by the Ministry of Justice and the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

In his opening address, Nguyen Hong Tuyen, head of the ministry’s Department of General Affairs on Legislative Development, said policy impact assessment is an important activity that helps competent bodies select optimal and realistic policies, which is mandatory under the 2015 law on legal document issuance.

While such evaluations have improved the general quality of policies and legal documents in Vietnam, shortcomings, particularly the meagre and inadequate content of assessment reports, have been noted, according to Tuyen.

This is why measures to evaluate the quality of such reports are necessary, he affirmed.

Gareth Ward, UK Ambassador to Vietnam, said the UK is willing to share its experience in building its evaluation system in order to help the country ensure transparency and improve the quality of its legal documents.

Rachel Holloway, an expert on regulatory reform from the UK department, noted that independent evaluation leads to quality and evidence-based regulations and that an assessment agency needs support from authorities in order to be able to question relevant management agencies./.

VNA

1. Travel

Japan to resume cross-border travel with Vietnam

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced on July 22 Japan will introduce the ‘Residence Track’ to allow the resumption of travel for citizens from Vietnam and Thailand as early as late July.

https://image-english.vov.vn/w490/uploaded/kpfjorzoal4/2020_07_22/lining_up_for_check_in_TFXY.jpg

Passengers lining up for check-in service at an airport in Japan (Photo: Kyodonews)

However, it said Vietnamese and Thai citizens, upon entering Japan, will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period at home or another designated area.

For businesspeople who enter Japan for business activities in a limited areas during the 14 day quarantine, Japan will continue to coordinate with Vietnam and Thailand through diplomatic channels, to soon reach an agreement on the issue.

According to Japanese media, discussions are moving ahead to allow businesspeople from the two countries into Japan on the condition that they test negative for the novel coronavirus and agree to retain GPS data on their smartphones to aid in contact tracing.

Vietnam is one of the first four countries Japan wants to ease travel restrictions it has imposed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The other three countries are Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.

However, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 22 Japan will lift the restrictions on Vietnam and Thailand first as Australia and New Zealand are prioritizing the resumption of travel across the Tasman Sea.

At a press briefing on June 16, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan and Vietnam had agreed to ease travel restrictions “partially and gradually” and that it “won't take long” before travel between the two countries resumes.

Vietnam has brought COVID-19 under control for many days, and the lifting of the restrictions will help consolidate the comprehensive cooperation partnership between the two countries, the minister explained.

Japan has imposed travel bans on 11 countries and territories worldwide.

Vietnam has gone through nearly 100 days in a row without new locally transmitted coronavirus infections.

VOV