Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Finance has proposed a rise of environmental protection tax on petrol to the ceiling level of 4,000 VND (17 US cent) per litre from the current 3,000 VND (13 US cent) per litre.
In a draft resolution on environmental protection tax list it has sent to the National Assembly Standing Committee, the ministry also suggested an increase of tax for oil products to another ceiling level of 2,000 VND (8 US cent) per litre.
With the raise, State budget collection from petrol and oil taxes will reach about over 55 trillion VND (2.42 billion USD), about 14.3 trillion VND higher than the current amount.
Apart from petrol, environment taxes for other products such as fossil coal, hydrocloflocacbon (HCFC), and plastic bags will also rise from 1,000 VND-10,000 VND.
Specifically, tax on fossil coal will be up by 5,000 VND-10,000 VND per tonne, resulting in tax revenue of about 2.38 trillion VND each year, an increase of 795 billion VND each year.
Meanwhile, tax on plastic bags will also rise by 10,000 VND each kilo, which means from 40,000 VND per kilo at present to 50,000 VND per kilo. Estimated tax revenue from the product will be about 67.5 billion VND.
According to the ministry, if the proposal is approved, total revenues from environmental protection taxes will be about 57.61 trillion VND per year, up about 15.18 trillion VND per year.
The ministry explained that the environmental tax for oil and petrol products have been applied since 2012, helping raise public responsibility and awareness of preserving the environment, while encouraging the production and use of green products as Vietnam is gradually cutting import taxes following its international commitments.
From 2012-2017, total collection from environmental protection taxes were about 150 trillion VND, or 25 trillion VND each year.
However, the ministry recognised the need to adjust the taxes to a more suitable level, as the retail prices of petrol in Vietnam is lower than that in neighbouring countries and some countries in the ASEAN and Asia.
Currently, Vietnam’s petrol retail price at 19,980 VND (0.87 USD) per litre is lower than that in 120 other countries.
At the same time, the ministry underlined that research showed that the use of goods that are subject to environmental protection tax harms the environment. Scientists’ calculation clarified that the tax must be much higher in order to fix the harms done by those goods.
A survey of the ministry on the proposed environmental tax raise on the online portals of the Government and the ministry has received 77 opinions of other sectors and ministries, localities, business associations and organisations, of which 47 opinions agreed on the necessity of the tax increase.-VNA
VNA
