The Business Dialogue of Ba Ria – Vung Tau

On September 25, the People’s Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province organized a meeting and dialogue with enterprises (DN) and investors in the area to listen to their opinions, proposals, and difficulties faced during their investment journey in the locality.

Numerous Proposals

During this conference, the province received approximately 32 proposals from businesses, investors, and associations related to various fields.

A representative from the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in the province shared that while new laws on land and housing have taken effect, the detailed guidelines for implementation have not been deployed promptly. Many businesses and investors are still unaware of the information, especially regarding the method of calculating land use prices applied to different fields.

Also related to the Land Law, Ms. Vo Thi Cao Ly from Novaland Group mentioned that due to the transitional period for some new regulations in the field of land and real estate business law, there are still some obstacles and difficulties that need to be considered and resolved.

In addition, the company proposed an earlier review and more specific guidance on the investment objectives of projects in the real estate business field under the Real Estate Business Law, which took effect on August 1, 2024, to align with the practical implementation situation and meet the requirements of the current new laws, as well as bring transparency to the real estate market.

Regarding tax matters, a representative of Davita Technical JSC, established in 2010, shared that the Vung Tau Tax Department has only inspected taxes up to 2014. This means that many files are overdue by more than 10 years, causing great difficulties for the company in storing and preserving documents and negatively impacting the company’s financial situation. Therefore, the company proposed that the Vung Tau Tax Department provide personnel support to inspect the files from 2015 to 2019 so that the company can fulfill its tax obligations as soon as possible.

A representative of Prime Asia Vietnam Co., Ltd. proposed a solution to the issue of insufficient water supply for production activities, despite full payment of water fees to the International Development Company (FIDC). However, FIDC has not reimbursed the water fees to Phumy Wasuco.

“The discontinuation of water supply has already interrupted and will continue to disrupt our company’s production and business activities, causing significant losses. Simultaneously, if the water shortage persists, our company will have to temporarily cease production, affecting the jobs, incomes, and livelihoods of nearly 2,000 employees,” the representative stated.

Additionally, there were several comments regarding the guidelines for the short-term tourism business (homestay), as well as challenges in areas such as paying for business premises, determining and paying corporate income tax, and more.

Creating a Conducive Investment Environment

At the conference, the leaders of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, along with representatives of departments and sectors, directly answered many of the businesses’ and investors’ proposals, focusing on issues related to the Land Law and the locality’s efforts to amend the land price framework to align with reality and apply the provisions of the Land Law 2024.

Additionally, representatives from the Department of Tourism, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Planning and Investment, People’s Committee of Vung Tau city, and other units frankly answered questions regarding the progress of the Thuy Van road beautification project, attracting overnight tourists, land forest-related issues, regulations and guidelines for the short-term tourism business (homestay), and more.

Regarding the proposal for supporting businesses in tax inspection, the Vung Tau-Con Dao Tax Department acknowledged the company’s feedback and shared that they would arrange personnel to conduct the inspection at the company’s headquarters in the near future.

Concerning the content of converting salt field land to aquaculture, a representative of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that, according to the Land Law 2024, those who use land for salt production are not allowed to combine it with multiple purposes, including aquaculture. Additionally, they requested the unit to provide relevant documents, information, and the location of the land lot in question to receive further guidance.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, shared that this dialogue conference contributes to creating a favorable, transparent, and open business environment, as well as addressing difficulties and obstacles for businesses. It also serves as an opportunity for businesses to propose solutions and advise the province’s leadership, direction, and administration, thereby promoting the local economic development.

“With a desire to always listen and share, we encourage businesses and investors to speak up and not hesitate to address any issues,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Tho.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, the conference, where provincial leaders dialogue with businesses and investors, is held annually as one of the solutions to strengthen state management and build a positive and conducive investment and business environment for enterprises. Ba Ria-Vung Tau province always aims to create a favorable, dynamic, and efficient investment environment for all domestic and foreign investors.

“The provincial leaders always acknowledge and appreciate the positive contributions of businesses to the local economic development and social security. The growth of the business community and the team of entrepreneurs affirms the consensus between the government and businesses in achieving the goals of integration and sustainable development of the province,” emphasized Mr. Nguyen Van Tho.