The
battle of words between the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Ministry of Industry
and Trade (MoIT), at a seminar on the petrol control policy in Hanoi on
September 20, reveals the fact that the lack of mutual understanding between
government agencies is alarming, which needs the intervention of the
government.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen
Cam Tu, claimed that it was a mistake of the Finance Ministry to cut down
petrol price recently, Minister of Finance, Vuong Dinh Hue, said that he made
the decision in a responsible manner and he is willing to take personal
responsibility for that decision. The MoIT’s officials “taught” the Finance Ministry
to “manage petrol price by head, not by limbs”.
At the cabinet meeting in September, Chairman
of the Government Office – Vu Duc Dam – said that one of important tasks of the
new cabinet (13th tenure) is uniting, closely combining to well operate the country’s
economic-social missions.
However, recent developments show that the
combination between ministries is not very good.
The first case is the controversy between the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) about white-legged shrimp and Pacific
oysters.
The MoNRE, in its official documents, calls
white-legged shrimp and Pacific oysters as exotic animals, which can harm
crops. The MARD’s viewpoint is totally different, saying that the two species,
since they were imported into Vietnam, have commercially developed well in
Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
According to the MoNRE’s rules, creatures that
are listed as exotic animals are not allowed to be imported into Vietnam or be
restricted in breeding, with the MoNRE’s licence. The MARD said that if
white-legged shrimp and Pacific oysters are considered as exotic animals,
seafood production and the livelihood of many people would be affected.
The controversy lasted several months. On
September 9, they agreed to reject the two species from the list of exotic
animals.
The government will have to inspect and make
conclusion on the controversy between the MoF and MoIT over the recent decision
to cut down petrol price, and not let the two ministries to make
self-inspections and self-conclusions. The above seminar shows that it is
difficult to have agreement between the two ministries in managing the petrol
price policy.
The lack of combination and mutual-understanding
among ministries and government agencies in implementing economic-social
missions will cause awful consequences.
It is clear that in the case between the MoF
and MoIT, poor management of the petrol market can put the market in disorder
and affect users’ interest. The controversy between the MARD and the MoNRE, if
being prolonged, would have hit farmers.
The media sometimes report that ministries
sign cooperation agreements. However, the above cases make the public doubt of
the effectiveness of these agreements.
One of the things that cause disagreements
between ministries is their own interests. For example, the right to license,
for example sugar, salt, petrol imports, is closely connected to the ask-give
mechanics or interests. Ministries do not want to lose this right.
Clearly differentiating the duties and
authority of each ministry, restricting partial interests and exchange, mutual
understanding among ministries can help avoid such controversies between the
MoF and MoIT and MARD and MoNRE.
Manh Quan
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