Ministry of Industry and Trade streamlines administrative procedures in eight sectors
A new circular from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) will decentralize authority to provincial People's Committees and abolish a series of cumbersome rules to reduce burdens on businesses.
MOIT’s new circular abolishes a series of cumbersome rules to reduce burdens on businesses.
the Ministry of Industry and Trade has just issued Circular No. 26/2026/TT-BCT dated 20/5/2026, amending and supplementing certain provisions on delegation, reduction and simplification of administrative procedures within its management scope.
The circular covers eight areas: industrial explosives and explosive precursors; minerals; tobacco production and trading; petroleum trading; e-commerce; import-export; chemicals; and transportation of dangerous goods.
In the petroleum sector, Articles 10 and 11 of the circular abolish point C, Clause 2, Article 6 of Circular No. 38/2014/TT-BCT and Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 18/2025/TT-BCT concerning petroleum trading.
Alongside decentralization, processing timelines have been significantly shortened. In the mining sector, the period for inspection, evaluation and approval of risk-management plans for mineral exploitation is reduced to 7 working days from receipt of a valid dossier. For issuing certificates for technical safety training in mineral exploitation, the timeline is set out in three steps: 3 working days for the provincial People's Committee to notify the inspection schedule; a further 3 working days for the inspection itself; and 3 days after results to issue the certificate. For reissuance, the period is shortened to just 2 working days.
On paperwork and forms reduction, the circular abolishes dozens of appendixes that are no longer appropriate in the tobacco sector and replaces them with streamlined forms. Several provisions on periodic reporting in e-commerce and clauses on petroleum trading have also been removed to ease administrative burdens on businesses.
Hai Phong News