Vietnam simplifies administrative procedures in science-technology sector
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh has signed Decision No. 1903/QD-TTg approving a plan to cut and streamline administrative procedures related to production and business activities under the management of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The plan covers seven areas, namely science and technology; quality standards; telecommunications and the Internet; information technology and electronics; radiation and nuclear safety; intellectual property; and radio frequency.
Under the decision, several procedures are abolished, including the transfer of the right to use the national domain name “.vn” and the change of its registrant to ensure an authorised post-check mechanism, in line with the policy of socialising services.
The time required for a number of procedures has also been reduced. For instance, the third-party request for substantive examination of a patent application will be shortened from 540 to 360 days; the withdrawal of an industrial property application from 60 to 30 days; and the request to terminate the use of a patent under a compulsory decision from 60 to 30 days.
Meanwhile, the processing time for granting a certificate of practice for industrial property representation services will be 20 days, down from the previous 30 days, while patent registration procedures will be cut from 630 to 360 days.