HÀ NỘI — A new government circular took effect on Friday, allowing businesses to announce their level of energy efficiency and self-label their goods.

They will also be able to use the results of pilot testing for all locally-made and imported energy products with the same model and manufacturer.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently issued Circular No 36/2016/TT-BCT to replace Circular 07/2012/TT-BCT on energy labeling for vehicles and equipment. The new circular aims to remove regulations and terms which caused difficulties to businesses.

Accordingly, businesses will take responsibilities for their announcements and energy self-labeling products’ quality.

The circular also allows pilot testing for energy self-labeling by independent testing organisations and laboratories of both domestic and foreign producers; not limited to testing on energy labeling in independent testing organisations.

The move aims to abolish regulations stipulating pilot testing of energy self-labeling are required to be implemented at laboratories assigned by the ministry.

Companies asking for energy self-labeling will be able to send their applications and documents to prove that their chosen laboratories meet the ministry’s conditions.

Enterprises which register energy self-labeling have the right to submit records online, with public services at the level 4 through the online service portal “online.moit.gov.vn”  or to submit their records by mail..

The circular also provides additional provisions on electronic energy labeling. Accordingly, enterprises have the right to choose electronic energy labels for vehicles and equipment in accordance with the purpose of the electronic energy label.

However, the ministry said that State authorities should strengthen post-check-ups after enterprises conduct energy self-labeling for market consumption.

The old circular was said to cause difficulties and troubles for businesses. Enterprises complained that they had to test several times for the same product to meet the requirements for certification of energy self-labeling,  because the labeling validity only lasted six months. Besides, the infrastructure for energy testing laboratories in Việt Nam is still limited.

Nguyễn Minh Thảo, head of the Business Environment and Competitiveness Ability Division under the Central Institute for Economic Management, said the new regulations changed thoughts and process of labeling.

Businesses had to wait for more than 10 days with the old circular and wasted costs on travel and transport goods samples to apply for energy labeling.

Thảo said the long waiting time caused warehouse costs to increase as the energy labeling was one of the required documents for customs clearance.

Implementation of energy labeling for electronics products was an obsession for businesses. It was also one of the barriers on special check-ups in import-export activities. — VNS