Vietnam amends measurement rules

The National Committee for Standards, Metrology and Quality is gathering opinions for the draft amendments to several articles of the Law on Metrology, attracting the participation of management agencies, experts, businesses, and localities.

Nguyen Nam Hai, chairman of the committee, said that after more than 14 years of the law, the socioeconomic context had changed significantly, particularly under the strong impact of digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

New requirements for management, technical infrastructure, data connectivity and sharing, along with increasingly deep international integration, are creating a clear need to improve the legal framework for measurements.

Photo: MST

“The amendments aim not only to institutionalise major policies on the development of science, technology, and innovation, but also to overcome shortcomings in practice, ensure consistency and uniformity with related legal systems, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of state management in the field,” he said.

Based on a review of international best practices, the amendment is built around three main policy groups. Firstly, encouraging digital transformation in metrology, shifting from traditional management methods to data-driven and digital platforms.

Secondly, boosting socialisation and encouraging businesses to participate in developing the national metrology system.

Thirdly, strengthening decentralisation of authority coupled with accountability, while reforming administrative procedures.

According to the committee, the implementation of the Law on Metrology has achieved many positive results in recent years. The legal framework has been gradually improved; state management has been enhanced; and technical infrastructure and metrology standards system have strengthened.

The network of inspection, calibration, and testing has also developed, while inspection and supervision work has seen significant improvements, contributing to protecting consumer rights and international integration.

The country currently has 51 national measurement standards and over 8,000 working standards; more than 600 organisations registered to conduct verification, calibration, and testing; and over 4,000 inspectors performing verification of approximately 10 million measuring instruments annually. However, alongside the achievements, the law has also revealed a number of limitations.

Current regulations have not kept pace with the development of smart, automated, and remote measurement devices and data management in the digital environment. The metrology infrastructure lacks robust mechanisms to attract investment and develop.

Some procedures in inspection and calibration remain complex, failing to clearly distinguish between voluntary services and activities serving state management. Furthermore, the management mechanism for pre-packaged goods lacks flexibility and is not truly compatible with risk-based management methods. The assignment, coordination, and data sharing among agencies at some stages remain unclear, affecting the effectiveness of post-inspection.

The amendment aims to modernise the legal framework by aligning it with digital transformation, removing barriers to innovation, strengthening decentralisation, and shifting the focus from controlling instruments to ensuring the reliability of measurements.

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