Relations between gov’t agencies looked from petrol-related controversy

VietNamNet Bridge – The lack of combination and mutual-understanding among ministries and government agencies in implementing economic-social missions will cause awful consequences.

MOF vows to clarify petroleum cost prices
MOF, MOIT disagree on petrol price control

Finance Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (left) and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade
Nguyen Cam Tu.

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