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Foreign exporters complain of customs, tax hassles
Foreign-invested exporters in Vietnam complained about the administration of the export tax regime and inefficiency of customs.
If they are not reformed, they warned at a meeting last week with government and central bank officials, exports could soon fall by half.
Foreign businesses account for more than 40 percent of Vietnam’s exports of nearly US$54 billion this year, official statistics show.
But some companies said at the meeting they were shocked at how suddenly export duties are changed.
Liao Chi Wei, deputy director of Vietnam Hong Jie Company based in Quang Nam Province, said it is hard to keep up with the frequent changes.
The export tax on his company’s products, including sand molds and lampshades, increased twice within four months this year without warning.
From 0 percent the rate has gone up to 12 percent, he said.
But the export prices were fixed last year, and when his company amended them to .
Custom hurdles
His company also has a hard time with the e-custom declaration the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Office is piloting, Thang said.
He claimed the computer software used by customs is not compatible with that of avoid the huge losses caused by the new tax, it lost all its Malaysian orders and half its Japanese orders.
The sudden levy of export tax last September on aluminum-steel products made using imported materials forced Hyundai Aluminum Vina to shut down its factory in Hung Yen Province, Nguyen Chien Thang, head of the company’s import – export department, saidbusinesses, resulting in his company being fined due to unmatched data.
Some companies based in export-processing zones also complained that cumbersome customs procedures make it “uncomfortable” for them to apply for value-added tax exemption on goods they buy locally.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien said exporters facing tax or customs trouble should inform his ministry in writing.
Minh Quang
thanhnien
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