Conservative tax cuts

This has been the third extension of excise tax compliance due date for local cars since 2020, with an expected amount subject to a tax break of VND20 trillion ($US$863 million). The Government has further extended the excise tax payment deadline for domestically-produced cars until November 20. Car manufacturing at Vinfast's plant. Photo: Pham Hung The move was part of the Government’s decree No.32, according to which tax payment for domestic cars bought during the June-September period would be extended until November 20. This would be the third extension of the excise tax payment deadline for local cars since 2020, with the Ministry of Finance (MoF) expecting the amount subject to a tax break of VND20 trillion ($US$863 million). Once the extended deadline is expired, payment for an excise tax on domestic cars would be reverted to normal. The MoF previously put in place a 50% cut in the registration fee for local vehicles. Such support, along with this … [Read more...] about Gov’t extends excise tax payment deadline for domestic cars

The price of popular gasoline RON 95 and biofuel E5 RON 92 both rose 2.3 percent to VND30,650 and VND29,630, respectively. ($1 = VND23,165) But diesel, kerosene and mazut cost 3.1-4.7 percent less. This is the first time ever gasoline prices in Vietnam surpassed the VND30,000-mark. Monday's was the fifth hike since April 12 without a downward adjustment in between. Compared to the beginning of 2022, a liter of gasoline now costs 28 percent more, despite the government's environmental tax cut. The tax, a flat VND4,000 a liter, has been halved since April 1. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance, which are responsible for regulating gas prices, have attributed the increase in domestic prices to limited supply on the global market following Western embargoes on Russian oil and the U.S.' declining oil reserves. On the global market, oil prices surged by 0.4 percent to $110.28 a barrel Friday. At the time of writing, its prices are hovering above … [Read more...] about Gasoline prices surpass $1.3 for the first time

Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – It will be a challenge to keep Consumer Price Index ( CPI ) growth under 4 percent this year, according to an economist. Vietnam's CPI picked up 2.1 percent in the first four months of 2022 , much higher than the same period last year’s 0.89 percent but still lower than that of 2017 (4.8 percent) and 2020 (4.9 percent), commented Dr. Tran Toan Thang, head of the Department of Industrial and Business Forecast at the National Centre of Economic Forecast and Information. April CPI advanced 2.09 percent compared to December 2021 and 2.64 percent year-on-year as a result of an increase in prices of nine out of eleven commodities and services. Prices of transport services surged 16.59 percent last month, causing the overall CPI to gain 1.6 percentage points. As major economies like the EU, US, and UK are seeing inflation climbing to record highs in decades, it still looks okay for Vietnam, he said. However, he warned that … [Read more...] about Keeping CPI below 4 pct this year a challenge: Economist

Speakers at last week’s conference noted that dozens upon dozens of multinationals are interested in the healthcare PPP model in Vietnam. Photo: Chi Cuong At last week’s conference on the issue, hosted by VIR , Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said that Vietnam’s healthcare sector is facing a number of big issues, including rising infectious and non-communicable disease figures, hospital overload, and an ageing population. The pandemic has also revealed some weaknesses in the sector. “To further improve healthcare service quality and meet demand, mobilising financial resources for new development of infrastructure and medical equipment is a key requirement,” he noted. For the past five years, the government has looked to strengthen the implementation of a model for public-private partnerships (PPPs) for the public sector, including in healthcare services. However, according to VIR’s editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh, the picture of such investment in … [Read more...] about More favourable rule system urged for healthcare PPPs

The Government is committed to taking timely measures to ensure macroeconomic stability. The high inflationary pressure amid the recovery of domestic demand is putting Vietnam’s GDP growth target of 6-6.5% for this year at risk. Overview of the session. Source: quochoi.vn Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh gave the remarks at the third session of the 15 th National Assembly held today [May 23]. According to Thanh, the Vietnamese economy has been on a positive recovery track in the first months of 2022 under the new normal. Total budget revenue for the first four months grew by 15.4% year-on-year to VND657.4 trillion ($28.4 billion), while the consumer price index (CPI) expanded by 2.64%, the lowest four-month period growth in the past five years. As of mid-May, credit growth stood at 7.2% against late 2021 and up 17% year-on-year, which showcases the recovery of economic activities, along with greater efforts from the Government to restore discipline … [Read more...] about High inflationary pressure put GDP 6.5% growth target at risk: Gov’t

Easing weeks of punishing restrictions in the commercial hub would bring relief to China's battered economy, although there is growing concern that Beijing may yet take a similar course of action if it fails to get a nascent outbreak under control. Shanghai's deputy mayor, Wu Qing, said the city of 25 million aims to eliminate Covid outside of quarantined zones within the next week or so. After that, the city's lockdown will be "lifted in batches", with shops opened and traffic restictions eased, he said in the announcement which confirmed a Reuters story from Sunday. The vast majority of Shanghai's more than 2,000 new cases are in areas already under the tightest controls, while those found in the relatively freer communities are the ones most closely watched for clues as to where Shanghai's outbreak is heading. The number of such cases rose to four on May 12, up from two the previous day. Last week, some of Shanghai's residents were allowed outside their housing compounds … [Read more...] about Shanghai aims to defeat Covid over next week as Beijing hunkers down

As Vietnam reopens its borders to tourism, attracting, developing and retaining a quality workforce has become the top priority for this industry. With borders reopened and tourism promotion campaigns launched in Vietnam, hotels, tour operators and ancillary service providers across the country might be facing a major problem: shortage of qualified labor. Dr Nuno F. Ribeiro, RMIT University Vietnam During the worst period of the pandemic in 2020-2021, many tourism organizations had to reduce their (experienced) workforce. A report by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that tourism businesses cut staff by 70-80% in 2020. In 2021, the number of full-time tourism employees was down to 25%  of the 2020 level, and about 30% quit their jobs or had their contracts terminated. These workers have either returned to their original employment prior to tourism and hospitality or they have found employment elsewhere. Now a great number of them are … [Read more...] about Hunt for human talent for tourism – Vietnam’s new normal: RMIT University