Business community acknowledges progress in tax procedures reform

The business community acknowledged progress in the tax sector’s administrative reform but urged more efforts in improving law quality, simplifying procedures, applying IT and cutting informal costs, according to a report released at a workshop in Hanoi on March 7.

Photo for Illustration (Pho to: Thai Thien).

In opening the event, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc underlined the significance of the report on the satisfaction of enterprises with the taxation sector, the second of its kind, saying that it provided a channel for firms to express their assessment of the tax sector’s performance.

Nearly 3,500 enterprises across 63 provinces and cities participated in the survey for the report.

According to Dau Anh Tuan – head of the Legal Department of the VCCI, the 2016 report showed positive changes in the tax sector compared to the previous one in 2014. He cited as an example that 78 percent of surveyed enterprises said it was easy to access law documents on tax, compared to 51 percent in 2014.

The respondents also recognised the improvement in the attitude of tax officers, and more favourable conditions in carrying out tax procedures.

At the same time, the business community wanted better quality of tax-related legal documents and publicity work to support tax payers. They urged the sector to continue simplifying tax procedures and expanding the application of information technology.

More effective measures are needed to reduce unofficial fees while strengthening monitoring and supervision of tax payment and greater support should be provided for micro and small-sized enterprises in observing tax-related law, the surveyed businesses said.

Pham Sy Danh, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Certified Practicing Auditors (VACPA) underlined improvements in the tax procedures, noting that 32 procedures had been eliminated and 40 others simplified.

He, however, said that many tax regulations remain obscure and the sector should continue to improve them, including the system of tax forms.

The report on the satisfaction of enterprises with the taxation sector was unveiled by the VCCI, the Ministry of Finance’s General Department of Taxation, and the World Bank.-

(Source: VNA