Need new impetus for institutional reform, improving investment environment

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai:

Will receive the highest level of opinions from the subjects affected by management.

Implementing the Government's direction, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries and branches to review, amend and supplement Decree No. 95/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 83/2014/ND-CP on petroleum trading. Accordingly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has widely collected opinions from people, businesses and ministries, departments, branches and associations. During the process of reviewing and proposing amendments to Decree No. 95/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 83/2014/ND-CP, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has received many opinions and recommendations from petroleum retail enterprises, including the request to have regulations on minimum discount levels in petroleum trading activities, the cycle of adjusting petroleum prices, price calculation formula, rights and obligations of petroleum traders, etc.

Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is continuing to complete the draft decree, focusing on a number of key contents that are truly urgent and suitable to the practical situation. The recommendations of petroleum businesses and related subjects have been, are and will be carefully studied and considered by the decree drafting committee so that the draft decree is built on the basis of absorbing the highest level of comments from affected subjects, suitable to the practical situation, ensuring publicity, transparency, efficiency, and harmonizing the interests of the State, people and businesses in accordance with the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister .

Khanh An (written)

Dr. Vu Tien Loc, National Assembly delegate, member of the National Assembly's Economic Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center:

Need a strong enough mechanism to protect cadres who dare to break through for the common good

Institutional reform and improvement of the business investment environment can be considered one of the bright spots of policy in recent years in Vietnam. This has contributed significantly to strengthening the confidence of the business community and investors. However, it can be seen that recently, this process has shown signs of slowing down, lacking new ways to create breakthroughs. Currently, some officials and authorities are more sluggish and delayed in handling administrative procedures related to production and business activities of enterprises. This causes damage to enterprises and the economy.

Institutional reform and improvement of the business investment environment are important foundations for growth, as well as the top priority and breakthrough solution, creating strong momentum for the economy to develop sustainably. What businesses need most now is for the National Assembly, the Government, ministries, branches and localities to research and develop solutions on institutional reform to promptly support businesses to overcome difficult times. However, in order to have strong and breakthrough reforms, in addition to anti-corruption work, there must also be strong enough mechanisms and policies to protect officials and authorities who dare to think, dare to do, dare to make breakthroughs for the common good.

NAM TRUC (recorded)

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Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital:

Hospital difficulties are gradually being resolved.

Two documents issued by the Government in early March 2023, Decree No. 07/2023/ND-CP on the management of medical equipment and Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP on continuing to implement solutions to ensure medicine and medical equipment, have removed obstacles in health insurance payments, bidding, and procurement of medical equipment, consumables, and medicine not only for hospitals but also for people when going for medical examination and treatment. Up to now, medical examination and treatment at Bach Mai Hospital has gradually stabilized. Essential medicines, supplies, and medical equipment have been gradually fully supplied. Joint venture and joint venture machinery that had to stop operating has now partially resumed operation. For example, a device worth tens of billions of VND but only one component is broken, which was very difficult to replace before, but now Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP allows the purchase of replacement components so it can be repaired immediately. The hospital's modern 256-slice SOMATOM Definition Flash (Siemens) CT scanner system has been put back into operation after two years of being "shelved"...

With the new regulations of Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP, the Hospital will be able to purchase all necessary medical equipment and supplies. Along with speeding up the procurement process, the Hospital also focuses on reviewing all medical equipment and devices donated during the Covid-19 pandemic and joint venture and association projects that have not yet completed public ownership to promptly put them into operation and use for medical examination and treatment. In addition, the Hospital negotiates and discusses with investors about machines that have expired in joint ventures and associations and donated them back to the Hospital to serve medical examination and treatment.

However, the above policies are only temporary and urgent solutions to ensure medical equipment and supplies to serve patients. In the long term, it is necessary to complete the legal framework, amend relevant laws, develop decrees and circulars to guide hospitals to have a standard and strict legal framework, and at the same time facilitate the management and procurement of equipment and supplies to ensure medical examination, treatment and health care for people.

HA VU (written)

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Mr. Hoang Duc Thao, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Science and Technology Enterprises:

Simplify procedures for establishing science and technology enterprises

The field of science and technology (S&T) is currently facing many legal problems. For example, the State is currently encouraging enterprises to register as S&T enterprises to enjoy many incentives. However, right from the registration stage to become a S&T enterprise, there are complicated regulations that make it difficult for enterprises. Specifically, to be recognized as a S&T enterprise, enterprises must prove their ownership and legal use of S&T research results as well as explain the process of incubation and mastering S&T. Not all enterprises can do this and are willing to share technological secrets.

According to Decree No. 13/2019/ND-CP of the Government, science and technology enterprises are entitled to incentives such as exemption and reduction of corporate income tax; exemption and reduction of land and water surface rent; credit incentives; support for research activities, commercialization of science and technology results; support and encouragement for application and innovation of technology. However, in reality, science and technology enterprises are not yet fully enjoying the incentives as prescribed. For example, enterprises need land incentives but currently the land fund in industrial parks is limited, so in reality, it is difficult for enterprises to enjoy the regulations on exemption of land rent. Or it is quite difficult to receive tax incentives when enterprises have to ensure growth and revenue from science and technology. Regarding credit incentives, science and technology enterprises have intellectual property but cannot mortgage intellectual property to borrow capital. In particular, the issue of personal income tax is not fair, not encouraging the motivation for creativity. Because scientists who spend their own money, take risks to research, test and then commercialize science and technology products also pay taxes like those who research scientific projects funded by the State, and receive salaries from the State. Therefore, in my opinion, we need to simplify the procedures for establishing science and technology enterprises and create conditions for science and technology enterprises to fully enjoy the incentives according to regulations.

LA DUY (write)

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Mr. Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association:

Solving the problem of public land interspersed in projects

In my opinion, the current legal bottleneck is that the laws and sub-law documents are still inconsistent and encounter many difficulties when applied in practice. 70% of the problems of real estate projects in Ho Chi Minh City are due to legal issues. Personally, I and the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association highly appreciate the participation of the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Government, and the National Assembly in leading, directing, building, and amending laws to remove legal bottlenecks, especially to clear and revive resources for the real estate market.

Recently, the Government has issued documents directing the settlement of public land interspersed in projects. This is a completely correct, reasonable and timely direction to resolve projects that are stalled and deadlocked due to interspersed public land. However, provinces and cities have generally not issued documents to implement this direction. Only Hanoi among the five centrally-run cities has issued documents to implement this direction. This reality has led to the problem of public land interspersed in projects implemented by enterprises still being stuck, causing increasing losses for enterprises and customers. Recently, based on the proposal of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association, the Central Government, ministries, branches and Ho Chi Minh City authorities have focused on removing legal obstacles for projects in Ho Chi Minh City. The obvious effect is that in a short time, 5,400 apartments have been put on the market.

In my opinion, to resolve current legal problems, we need to focus on building laws that are consistent with reality, consistent, and unified. The provisions of the draft Land Law (amended) need to harmonize the interests of the relevant entities: the State, businesses, and people. Thus, when the law is applied in practice, there will be no problems or bottlenecks, creating a clear path for development.

TRUNG KIEN (recorded)

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