Around 90 percent of businesses affected by recent riots in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces Binh Duong and Dong Nai have resumed operations.

The riots erupted last month during protests against China's illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam's waters. During the disruption, protesters destroyed property belonging to the State, businesses and individuals, including foreign firms, and clashed with law enforcement, disrupting social order and business activities.

Head of the association of Taiwanese businesses in Dong Nai province Chiang Chih Ming said the recent unrest had affected 131 Taiwanese businesses in the province, with 80 percent slightly affected and 10 percent seriously affected.

However, prompt assistance and support from local authorities had helped businesses recover and resume normal production, he said, noting that customs agencies had paid visits to affected businesses to complete procedures for tax-related support.

All 44 affected businesses in Binh Duong have also resumed normal production.

More than 2,100 out of 2,650 foreign experts have returned to their work in industrial zones in Binh Duong, according to Tran Van Lieu, head of the provincial management board of industrial zones (IZs) at a press briefing on the province's socio-economic development situation on June 4.

Lieu also said the board has granted work permits free-of-charge to foreign experts. Chairman of the business association of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority (Hepza) Nguyen Van Be said all foreign-directed businesses in the city had also resumed production.

Soon after interrupted operations caused by the riots, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung laid out a comprehensive plan to support affected businesses, including the provision of sufficient compensation, the reduction of import and export duty rates and the extension of the tax deadline. This was in addition to tax and budget payments arising before May 2014, the longest extension in two years.

Deputy Head of the Customs Department of Dong Nai province Huynh Thanh Binh said customs officials would continue to work with the affected businesses to guide them through tax-related procedures, particularly those who had their seals, software and relevant documents destroyed.

Customs officials were also assigned to work over the weekend to facilitate import and export activities, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to continue guiding localities to assist workers who were forced to stop working during the recent unrest.

Workers will receive wages for days off between May 12 and July 1.

The payment will be equivalent to the wages agreed between enterprises and labourers and will not be below the minimum level prescribed by the Government. The expense used to pay workers will be deducted from corporate income tax obligations.-VNA