|
Government to stop energy subsidies next year
The government will gradually cut subsidies for coal, oil, and electricity users next year as part of its efforts to reform the price management mechanism, Finance Minister Vu Van Ninh has said.
He told a meeting in Hanoi Tuesday that the government would hold auctions for goods and services rather than set their prices, especially for essential commodities like energy.
Producers would sell coal at market prices to the three biggest consumers, namely the cement, fertilizer, and paper industries, from the first quarter.
They would also increase the price by 20 percent for thermal power plants, which would push up electricity prices by 5.7 percent.
However, power prices would remain the same for domestic users in rural areas and only increase slightly in urban areas.
Also in the first quarter, the government would increase diesel and kerosene prices and stop subsidizing fuel oil.
A five percent fuel import tax would be imposed at the beginning of the year, and hiked to ten percent by the middle of the year.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told the ministries and local administrations to focus on fighting corruption, especially related to land and budget administration and infrastructure.
Chief Inspector Tran Van Truyen said the government should strengthen inspection and audit, with focus on these three areas.
Thanhnien
|
