Hai Ha Petro's tax debt has exceeded 1,900 billion VND.

According to publicly available information on the website of the Thai Binh Provincial Tax Department (General Department of Taxation - Ministry of Finance), as of July 2024, Hai Ha Water and Land Transport Company Limited (also known as Hai Ha Petro, headquartered in Diem Dien town, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province) still owes 1,915,564,616,330 VND ( one trillion nine hundred fifteen billion five hundred sixty-four million six hundred sixteen thousand three hundred thirty-three dong ) in taxes.

On July 1st, the Thai Binh Provincial Tax Department simultaneously issued 83 enforcement decisions to collect taxes from Hai Ha Petro by deducting funds from State Treasury and credit institutions to be paid into the State budget. These decisions are effective from July 1st to July 30th.

Previously, on May 31st, the Thai Binh Provincial Tax Department also issued 73 similar decisions to recover the tax debt of Hai Ha Petro, effective from June 1st to June 30th. At that time, the total tax debt of this enterprise was 1,915,540,166,330 VND ( one trillion nine hundred fifteen billion five hundred forty million one hundred sixty-six thousand three hundred thirty-three dong ).

Thus, after one month, Hai Ha Petro's total tax debt not only did not decrease but actually increased by more than 24 million VND. This increase is understood to be a penalty for the period the company was late in paying taxes.

The Hai Ha Petro fuel depot in Thai Thuong commune (Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province) has been sealed off for investigation purposes. Photo: Nam Hong

Notably, after numerous enforcement decisions issued by the Thai Binh Provincial Tax Department, involving the deduction of funds from the State Treasury and credit institutions to be paid into the State budget, the total tax debt of Hai Ha Petro has steadily increased.

For example, as of the end of December 2023, Hai Ha Petro owed the State budget more than 1,775 billion VND in taxes and fees, of which nearly 1,180 billion VND was environmental protection tax.

Since then, after 7 months, the total tax debt of this once-dominant oil and gas giant has ballooned by approximately 140 billion VND, exceeding 1,900 billion VND.

Previously, as reported by Lao Dong newspaper, on January 23, 2024, the Investigation Police Agency – Ministry of Public Security issued a decision to initiate a criminal case for "Violation of regulations on the management and use of state assets causing loss and waste" and "Violation of accounting regulations causing serious consequences" occurring at Hai Ha Water and Land Transport Company Limited (Hai Ha Petro) and related units; simultaneously, it issued decisions and procedural orders against 3 defendants.

Accordingly, the court has initiated criminal proceedings and issued arrest warrants for temporary detention against Tran Tuyet Mai – Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Hai Ha Petro; and initiated criminal proceedings and imposed a travel ban against Le Thi Hue – Chief Accountant of Hai Ha Petro, for the crimes of "Violating regulations on the management and use of state assets causing loss and waste" and "Violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences," as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 219 and Clause 3, Article 221 of the Penal Code.

The court has initiated criminal proceedings and issued an arrest warrant for Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, Head of the General Affairs Department of Hai Ha Petro, on charges of "Violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences," as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 221 of the Penal Code; for violating accounting regulations and causing estimated losses to the State budget exceeding 15 billion VND.

According to the investigating agency, these decisions and procedural orders were issued after a period of investigation to clarify the illegal activities in Hai Ha Petro's petroleum business.

Prior to that, on January 9, 2024, the Department of Investigation of Crimes related to Corruption, Economics , and Smuggling (C03) – Ministry of Public Security simultaneously conducted urgent searches at five locations, including offices, fuel storage facilities, and residences of related individuals in Thai Binh province and Hanoi; seizing numerous documents, machinery, electronic equipment, fuel transport vehicles, along with 1,288,406 liters of diesel fuel, 101,416 liters of A95 gasoline, and 129,788 liters of A92 gasoline.

Source: https://laodong.vn/kinh-doanh/tien-no-thue-cua-hai-ha-petro-da-vuot-nguong-1900-ti-dong-1367743.ldo