The Government had nominated five typesof goods for its proposed environmental protection tax, Finance MinisterVu Van Ninh told the National Assembly on May 31.
These were oil and gas, coal, hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons, or HCFCs,plastic bags and restricted pesticides.
The assembly's Finance and Budget Committee estimates yearly revenuefrom the tax at between 14.3 trillion VND (752 million USD) and 57trillion VND (3 billion USD).
Economic growth, industrialisation and urban development had adverselyeffected the environment, said the finance minister when explaining theneed for the new tax.
The assembly was assessing a Finance and Budget Committee report whichargues that all products and goods that adversely effect theenvironment should be taxed.
But an initial selection had been to ensure domestic goods remainedcompetitive.
While discussing the content of the draft law on the environmentprotection tax, most deputies said that the decision to tax only fivegroups of goods was insufficient.
Deputy Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong from Hanoi said that there weremany other goods that badly affected both the public and the environmentthat should be included on the list to ensure fairness.
Deputy Tran Dinh Long from Dak Lak province, Deputy Tran Ba Thieu fromHai Phong city and Deputy Vu Thi Thu Ha from Hung Yen province agreed,saying that the Government needed to further research and examine thelist of goods to be taxed in relevant domestic and international legaldocuments on environment protection.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen saidthat the Government and the NA had taken measures to tackle the problemof pollution such as increasing fines for violations, organisingcommunication campaigns and stricter supervision.
He added that the law was not designed to generate revenue but,instead, to deter environmental violations.
Deputy Tran Tien Dung from Ha Tinh province said that currentregulations were not strict enough to prevent acts of violation, addingthat high taxes should be applied to products that were harmful to theenvironment which would encourage the use of environmentally friendlyproducts.
Many deputies disagreed with the clause to exclude export productsfrom the list because they were not consumed in the country.
They said that this was irrational because the law also needed to takeinto account our responsibility to protect the environment not only inVietnam but also across the world.
Deputy Tran Ba Thieu from Hai Phong City emphasised that allkinds of goods must bear a tax if they caused pollution.
Deputy Nguyen Dinh Quyen from Hanoi said that more work needed tobe carried out to avoid the overlapping of environment fees and taxesstated in different legal documents.
Deputy Ngo Van Minh from Quang Nam was concerned about thetaxation of oil and gas products, saying these were ultimately necessarygoods and a tax would not stop people from using them.
Deputy Le Van Hung from Hung Yen province agreed, adding that thismight have an adverse impact on poor people.
Finance and Budget Committee Chairman Phung Ngoc Hien said the draftlaw included many new regulations that would govern activities thataffect the environment.
But the impact of the legislation on production and trade, togetherwith its relationship to other laws, would have to be assessed.
The assembly's Legal Committee reported that the draftsmen needed tore-define the legal status of the Government Inspectorate as well as itsfunctions, tasks and competence in proposed changes to the InspectionLaw.
The draft law proposes that the Government Inspectorate function as aconsultant to the Prime Minister.
But Legal Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Thuan said that aministerial-level agency, such as the Government Inspectorate, must beindependent and take responsibility for its work.
The Legal Committee also argued that the draft law should bere-written to ensure the Government Inspectorate did not duplicate thetasks of the Central Steering Committee for corruption Prevention andControl; city and provincial steering committees as well as the tasks ofthe Supreme People's Procuracy and the Supreme People's Court inaddressing complaints and fighting corruption.
The Inspectorate is a Government-affiliated agency that manages theinspection and settlement of complaints and denunciations.
It has authority to inspect and address complaints and denunciationsas well as to prevent and combat corruption.
An Economic Committee assessment of proposed changes to the MineralsLaw that included new and more detailed regulations did not stopdisagreements among the deputies.
Many suggested that the right to issue exploratory licences should bedevolved to provincial and district people's committees.
Many also argued that authority to issue licences for the exploitationand processing of natural resources, apart from construction materialsand cement, should be switched from the Natural Resources andEnvironment Ministry to the Trade and Industry Ministry.
Others said that only the Construction Ministry should have authorityto issue licences for the exploiting and processing of constructionmaterials and cement./.
These were oil and gas, coal, hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons, or HCFCs,plastic bags and restricted pesticides.
The assembly's Finance and Budget Committee estimates yearly revenuefrom the tax at between 14.3 trillion VND (752 million USD) and 57trillion VND (3 billion USD).
Economic growth, industrialisation and urban development had adverselyeffected the environment, said the finance minister when explaining theneed for the new tax.
The assembly was assessing a Finance and Budget Committee report whichargues that all products and goods that adversely effect theenvironment should be taxed.
But an initial selection had been to ensure domestic goods remainedcompetitive.
While discussing the content of the draft law on the environmentprotection tax, most deputies said that the decision to tax only fivegroups of goods was insufficient.
Deputy Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong from Hanoi said that there weremany other goods that badly affected both the public and the environmentthat should be included on the list to ensure fairness.
Deputy Tran Dinh Long from Dak Lak province, Deputy Tran Ba Thieu fromHai Phong city and Deputy Vu Thi Thu Ha from Hung Yen province agreed,saying that the Government needed to further research and examine thelist of goods to be taxed in relevant domestic and international legaldocuments on environment protection.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen saidthat the Government and the NA had taken measures to tackle the problemof pollution such as increasing fines for violations, organisingcommunication campaigns and stricter supervision.
He added that the law was not designed to generate revenue but,instead, to deter environmental violations.
Deputy Tran Tien Dung from Ha Tinh province said that currentregulations were not strict enough to prevent acts of violation, addingthat high taxes should be applied to products that were harmful to theenvironment which would encourage the use of environmentally friendlyproducts.
Many deputies disagreed with the clause to exclude export productsfrom the list because they were not consumed in the country.
They said that this was irrational because the law also needed to takeinto account our responsibility to protect the environment not only inVietnam but also across the world.
Deputy Tran Ba Thieu from Hai Phong City emphasised that allkinds of goods must bear a tax if they caused pollution.
Deputy Nguyen Dinh Quyen from Hanoi said that more work needed tobe carried out to avoid the overlapping of environment fees and taxesstated in different legal documents.
Deputy Ngo Van Minh from Quang Nam was concerned about thetaxation of oil and gas products, saying these were ultimately necessarygoods and a tax would not stop people from using them.
Deputy Le Van Hung from Hung Yen province agreed, adding that thismight have an adverse impact on poor people.
Finance and Budget Committee Chairman Phung Ngoc Hien said the draftlaw included many new regulations that would govern activities thataffect the environment.
But the impact of the legislation on production and trade, togetherwith its relationship to other laws, would have to be assessed.
The assembly's Legal Committee reported that the draftsmen needed tore-define the legal status of the Government Inspectorate as well as itsfunctions, tasks and competence in proposed changes to the InspectionLaw.
The draft law proposes that the Government Inspectorate function as aconsultant to the Prime Minister.
But Legal Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Thuan said that aministerial-level agency, such as the Government Inspectorate, must beindependent and take responsibility for its work.
The Legal Committee also argued that the draft law should bere-written to ensure the Government Inspectorate did not duplicate thetasks of the Central Steering Committee for corruption Prevention andControl; city and provincial steering committees as well as the tasks ofthe Supreme People's Procuracy and the Supreme People's Court inaddressing complaints and fighting corruption.
The Inspectorate is a Government-affiliated agency that manages theinspection and settlement of complaints and denunciations.
It has authority to inspect and address complaints and denunciationsas well as to prevent and combat corruption.
An Economic Committee assessment of proposed changes to the MineralsLaw that included new and more detailed regulations did not stopdisagreements among the deputies.
Many suggested that the right to issue exploratory licences should bedevolved to provincial and district people's committees.
Many also argued that authority to issue licences for the exploitationand processing of natural resources, apart from construction materialsand cement, should be switched from the Natural Resources andEnvironment Ministry to the Trade and Industry Ministry.
Others said that only the Construction Ministry should have authorityto issue licences for the exploiting and processing of constructionmaterials and cement./.
