Nine laws will come into force on July 1 after being passed by the
National Assembly, aiming to streamline Vietnam’s policies and offer
support to those who need it most in the wake of ongoing economic
difficulties.

Under new tax breaks, pensioners and social welfare beneficiaries are exempt from paying income tax (PIT).

There is also relief for low-income earners, with the threshold for
paying income tax rising to 9 million VND (428.5 USD) from the previous 4
million VND (190 USD), while the limit for their dependent jumps to 3.6
million VND (171 USD) from 1.6 million VND (76 USD).

The
amendment of the law is also a response to the nation’s programme of
administrative reforms to enable taxpayers to exercise their duty.

In the event that the consumer price index (CPI) exceeds 20 percent,
the government will ask the National Assembly Standing Committee to
adjust the sum given to the dependent to make it relevant to the
economic situation.

The other laws include:
– Capital Law
Under the law, which has 4 Chapters and 27 Articles, the Prime
Minister is given authority to ratify the city’s construction planning
and the spatial planning. The approved spatial planning will then serve
as the core for construction, development and management of the City.

In addition, the law also regulates a number of measures to
reduce inner-city population density in a bid to create a new image for
Vietnam’s capital.

Technical infrastructure development is one
of the top priorities for the city. As a result, Hanoi will enjoy
special treatment in terms of budget and other resources.

Khue
Van Cac (the Pavilion of the Constellation of Literature) – the ancient
gate at the Temperature of Literature is chosen as the city’s official
symbol.

The National Assembly will directly oversee implementation of the Capital Law.

– Admin punishment
With 12 Chapters and 142 Articles, the law’s main objective is to
ensure fairness, objectivity, transparency and accountability for any
individual or organisation.

Under the law, for violations
committed by an organisation and an individual, the former will have to
pay double the fine of the latter.

For a minor (aged under 14 years old) who violates the law, they will receive a reprimand instead of punishment.

However, for minors aged 14 to under 16, if they commit an
administrative violation intentionally, they will be treated as an
adult.

– Law on Energy
One of the
amendments to the law this time is the special treatment given to the
development of rural energy in relation to development levels of the
energy market.

The government will subsidise domestic
electricity tariffs for people living in rural areas, mountainous
regions, border areas and islands as well as social beneficiaries’
households.

The Prime Minister will be tasked with deciding the retail electricity tariff based on the market price proposed by EVN.

– Tax management law
The law has 120 Articles, aiming to address two key objectives of
overcoming bottlenecks in the previous law during implementation and
simplifying administrative procedures to make life easier for taxpayers.

Compared with the previous law, the new law contains
provisions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of tax
management.

Changes to the law focus on three main areas:
reform of administrative procedures; modernisation of the sector and
improvement of work efficiency to avoid losses on budget collection and
reduce tax debts.
 
– National reserves law
All changes in the new law aim to make it relevant to the country’s
current condition and meet the set objectives so the state can
proactively respond to emergency cases as they arise, including natural
disasters, national defence and security.

The law also specifies clearly what goods or items must be reserved and in what quantity.

– Law on lawyers
A highlight in the revised law aims to assist lawyers’ in the context
of ongoing administrative reforms, as well as judiciary reform and
international integration.

As from now, the training course
required to become a lawyer will extend to 12 months from the previous
six months. However, lawyers’ probation period will be reduced to 12
months from 18 months.

While practicing professionally, lawyers
will have to attend regularly refresher courses to improve their
knowledge and uphold ethics.

– Law on co-operatives
The law has nine Chapters and 64 Articles, which all emphasise that
co-operatives are economic collective entities. They are jointly owned
by all members. A co-operative must have at least seven members and they
all have equal rights.

The law stipulates that the
co-operative’s assets which derive from government support,
presents/gifts or accumulation during the co-operative operation will be
the common assets of all members.

– Law on publishing
The law has six Chapters and 54 Articles, reflecting the government’s
financial support in capital construction and the application of
technology in publishing activities, particularly for electronic
publications.

Construction of the electronic database is to
facilitate the ability to search, retrieve, manage and store electronic
publications.-VNA