|
More private hospitals expected with new preferential tax
The Ministry of Health expects a boom in private and foreign-invested hospitals when a series of new preferential tax treatments are applied for healthcare-engaged businesses next year.
With the new law on corporate income tax, to take effect from 2009, the tax level for healthcare-involved businesses will be reduced to 10 percent from the current 28 percent.
In addition, new businesses in the field will be exempted from tax for a maximum of four years instead of the present two-year period and enjoy a 50 percent tax cut in the following nine years.
At present, private hospital developers are already given preferential treatments in land use tax, housing and land registration fees in line with a decree that encourages non-state service providers.
Certain projects to expand and build hospitals can get preferential loans that can account for up to 70 percent of their project capital.
According to the Ministry of Health’s Treatment Department Head Ly Ngoc Kinh, this year the ministry will categorise private hospitals to facilitate medical checks-up and treatment for patients with health insurance.
This will greatly help reduce the overload of demands on public hospitals at present and create a fair playing ground for public and private hospitals, Kinh said.
Over the years, the Government has adopted policies to encourage the private economic sector to invest in healthcare services, including the building of general and specialised hospitals and high-tech labs.
Kinh said foreign investors have since the beginning of the year registered to open 35 clinics and eight hospitals, bringing the total private hospitals in the country to 70 and the number of private-run clinics to 30,000.
VNA
|
