Tax, customs overhaul best way to increase production

Overhauling tax and customs policy is the best way to help businesses increase production through such a tough time, Deputy Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tuan said.

He was speaking at a meeting between business, customs, tax and financial officials yesterday and said that his ministry would listen to and collect ideas from them to make the necessary changes for better business.

The ministry urged them to fill out online customs application forms immediately to shorten the time for customs clearance and update information on tax payments.

Tuan advised tax and customs officials to take control so that they can suggest improvements to the ministry and other relevant offices. For instance, certain kinds of common goods have widely varied tax fees, which is confusing for officials and businesses.

According to Nguyen Minh Man, director of the State Administrative Organisation and Civil Service, the Government has already approved the establishment of a public administration reform board to run Project 30, named after the Government’s decision number 30 in 2007. Its objective is to enhance administrative reform from 2007 to 2010.

The board’s task by 2010 is to submit a standardised public administration regime and point out where the Government can eliminate unnecessary procedures.

All administrative procedures would be posted on the national database network by the end of 2010, he said.

Administrative reform

Minister of Home Affairs Tran Van Tuan lauded the progress of administrative reform recorded last year.

Tuan said that there would be more reform this year. Efforts would be concentrated on outlining and clarifying the functions, tasks and rights of ministries and departments. He said that reform had helped the ministries and departments to avoid overlapping with one another.

The minster also appreciated the introduction of IT in the workplace, resulting in online meetings among ministries and departments, as well as online discussions among the leaders of businesses. He praised these activities for saving time and money, as well as connecting people with their leaders.

The online work could help simplify complicated administrative procedures and introduce conveniences such as online passport application forms and vehicle registration applications.

The minister said that administrative procedure reform had made a major breakthrough and that his ministry would keep improving the work.

One-stop-shop is a good example for reform and was applied well in the cities of Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Phong and the provinces of Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Ninh Binh, Nghe An and Quang Binh.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has called for more one-stop-shop policies to be applied in the country. (VNS)