Minister of Transport Nguyen VanThe said the ministry would propose the Ministry of Finance consider themaintenance fee exemption for transport enterprises affected by the COVID-19pandemic in the past three months.
The move was considered asupportive policy to help enterprises hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak toovercome financial difficulties and resume operations.
Those who were granted badgesand signs by the departments of transport would be eligible for thepolicy, he said.
The said he has asked theDirectorate for Roads of Vietnam and the Vietnam Automobile TransportAssociation to urgently work with localities and transport enterprises tosynthesise data and analyse and assess their losses during the pandemic.
Based on the estimated losses,the two units would propose a plan to reduce road use charges for the threemonths of March, April and May.
The task must be completed andreported to the ministry before May 15.
The ministry would consider theplan and propose it to the Ministry of Finance for approval, he said.
Last month, the VietnamAutomobile Transport Association sent a petition to the Government and theMinistry of Transport to ask for supportive measures to exempt road use feesfor enterprises forced to halt operations.
The association askedcommercial banks to support a 50 percent reduction of loan interest rates forApril, May and June, apply a preferential interest rate which did not exceed 6 percentper year for businesses, reschedule debts within 6-12 months for businesses,and continue to lend with preferential interest rates for enterprises toresume their operation.
It said enterprises andlabourers should be exempt from paying social and health insurance andunemployment insurance until June.
It also said the roadmaintenance fees should be exempted until this December. Other additionalparking fees at airports and bus stations should be free.
The association proposed toreduce 50 percent of registration fees for newly registered vehicles, whichshould be applied until the end of this year./.