This decentralization of authority is stipulated in Resolution 21/2026, recently issued by the government, which aims to reduce and simplify administrative procedures in the health sector. The resolution took effect on 29/4, with the decentralization of authority specifically applying from 1/7, marking a significant shift in food safety management mechanisms.

Accordingly, the entire authority for processing health supplement advertising registration procedures will transfer from the Ministry of Health to provincial People's Committee chairpersons starting 1/7. This procedure involves a substantial number of applications and is directly linked to the production and business activities of health supplements.

On the afternoon of 11/6, Doctor Chu Quoc Thinh, Director of the Food Safety Department, announced that 16 out of a total of 19 administrative procedures in the food safety sector, previously under the Ministry of Health's purview, have been transferred to local implementation. This transfer aims to enhance management effectiveness and create more favorable conditions for businesses.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health simplified two procedures related to the registration of declarations for imported and domestically produced health supplements. Under the new regulations, starting 1/7/2027, the requirement for separate management of compound food additives with new uses or those not yet on the approved list will be abolished. Additive management will transition to an approved list mechanism, updated periodically in line with international practices.

Regulatory agencies believe these changes will reduce costs, shorten processing times for applications, and foster a more conducive business environment for enterprises, while still ensuring effective State management of food safety.

Health supplement advertising content from 1/7 will be licensed by provincial People's Committee chairpersons. Photo: Hero Health

Beyond food safety, procedures for medical examination and treatment are also being decentralized and simplified. From 1/7, the authority to issue and manage medical practice licenses will also transfer from the Ministry of Health to provincial People's Committee chairpersons.

Consequently, provincial People's Committee chairpersons will handle all procedures related to practice licenses, including new issuance, re-issuance, renewal, adjustment, suspension, and revocation. This regulation also applies to practice certificates issued previously.

The Ministry of Health will retain certain powers, such as issuing new licenses for medical examination and treatment operations and adjusting the list of special techniques for private hospitals. The Ministry will also issue and adjust operating licenses for hospitals under its direct management, and review the addition of new techniques and methods nationwide.