The Government requires strengthening inspection and prevention of tax revenue losses

	Ho Chi Minh City: Focus on handling outstanding debts and preventing budget revenue losses
	The Tax sector must strive for 2018 tax debt to not exceed VND 69,000 billion
	HCM City seeks solutions to reduce revenue losses

Continuing to promote administrative procedure reforms, review and improve tax laws. Photo: Thuy Linh

Handling outstanding tax debts

At Resolution No. 01 / NQ-CP dated January 1, 2019 on the main tasks and solutions to implement the socio-economic development plan, and the State budget estimate for 2019, the Government has determined the year 2019 as a breakthrough year to complete the 5-year plan 2016-2020, with the overall goal of continuing to stabilize the macro economy, control inflation, improve productivity, quality, efficiency, autonomy and competitiveness of the economy, and strive for 2019 to be better than 2018 in all aspects.

In order to fulfill this goal, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue requested that in 2019 the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Taxation should focus on thorough and effective implemention of Resolution No. 01 / NQ-CP and Resolution No. 02 / NQ-CP of the Government, and the action programs of the financial sector to realize the two above Resolutions: Tax development strategy for the 2011-2020 period; Tax system reform plan for the 2016-2020 period with the motto "Discipline, integrity, action, creativity, breakthrough and efficiency".

Accordingly, continuing the reform and perfection of institutions, policies and laws on tax. In which it is necessary to listen, inquire and acquire comments for the draft law amending Tax Administration Law of National Assembly deputies, associations, scientists, and entities governed by the draft Law to overcome current shortcomings and problems towards tax administration on the basis of risk assessment and solving the relationship among the State competent authorities in tax management in accordance with the functions and duties of each agency in order to avoid overlapping, causing troubles and affecting legal rights and benefits of taxpayers, and dealing with current outstanding tax debts, contributing to improving efficiency and effectiveness of the tax sector in the direction of modernity and approaching international practices. Accordingly, actively coordinating with the National Assembly's agencies, and relevant agencies, for finalizing and submitting to the National Assembly for consideration and approval, the draft Law amending the Law on Tax Administration.

At the same time, reviewing and advising the Government in amending and finalizing the current laws on tax policies. Ensuring adherence to the Tax Sector Development Strategy for the 2011-2020 period, Tax System Reform Plan for the 2016-2020 period, in accordance with Resolution No. 07-NQ / TW dated November 18, 2016 of the Politburo on the guidelines and solutions to restructure the state budget and public debt management for ensuring safe and sustainable national finance, which is consistent with international practices and accurately reflects the nature of taxes.

The Deputy Prime Minister asked to report to the Prime Minister in the first quarter of 2019 on the status of attraction of foreign investment in Vietnam, which clearly states the financial situation, business results of FDI enterprises and current tax incentives that these businesses are enjoying.

Thereby, proposing solutions to handle different contents between the current laws on tax and investment, and inspecting and supervising the status of transfer pricing right from the investment licensing, ensuring equal treatment between domestic enterprises and FDI enterprises. This is for contributing to promoting and attracting selectively and effectively foreign investment capital in the new situation in the direction of prioritizing hi-tech projects, friendly environment projects and projects with potential to contribute and spread technology transfer, and link with domestic enterprises to join the global value chain.

Preventing erosion of State budget revenues

Regarding management, the Deputy Prime Minister required the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Taxation to review to assign the higher revenue targets to create pressure and motivation on ministries, sectors and localities, especially in some localities which have conditions to increase revenue; to develop and carry out a scheme on expansion of tax bases and prevention of erosion of the State budget revenues.

Actively deploying Government’s Decree No. 119/2018 / ND-CP dated 12 September 2018 on electronic invoices when selling goods and providing services, ensuring the completion of electronic invoice application in 2019 in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and big cities; studying, proposing and implementing solutions to develop invoice culture in private economic sectors such as business households, catering services and so on.

Along with that is strengthening the inspection, examination and anti-tax revenue losses on the basis of tax risk assessment of enterprises, minimizing the inspection and examination, avoiding troubles for businesses; reducing the scope and rate of tax administration by the presumption method; reviewing and redefining presumptive tax rates in consistence with actual situation.

Continuing to promote administrative procedure reforms, review and improve legal regulations, promote technology application, modernize tax management methods to further reduce the tax administrative processing time and create an equal and favorable environment for production and business, and support business development. Proactively reporting on the status of enterprises and proposing solutions to nurture revenues for the state budget; striving to increase tax payment rankings in the World Bank's Doing Business Report by 7-9 places in 2019 and 30-40 places in 2021, aiming to reduce tax payment time on par with OECD countries; coordinating with the General Department of Statistics, Ministry of Planning and Investment to publish White Books of Vietnamese enterprises.

Improving the quality of human resources in the tax sector, attaching importance to political and ideological education for tax officials and employees, ensuring strict compliance to the provisions of law and disciplines in public duty performance; strictly implementing the regulations on personnel organization in accordance with regulations and in a public and transparent manner.

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Strengthening and reorganizing the tax sector’s apparatus in the spirit of the Resolution of the sixth plenary session of the 12th party central committee; providing criteria for assessing tax officials and employees in performing assigned tasks at each level and each unit; promoting training and improving professional qualifications, foreign languages and informatics for tax officials; building and adjusting the Party in the whole tax sector according to the Resolution of the fourth plenary session. Fighting against negativity and corruption, especially in tax inspection and audit; strictly handling tax officials and employees who have committed corruption and negativity in their performance of public duties.