Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Vu Tien Loc said that 15 per cent of over 1,500 enterprises surveyed about tax and customs policies raised concerns over procedures and ability to access updated regulations, as well as high tax rates.

However, few enterprises criticised the performance and attitude of tax and customs officials, Loc said.

Enterprises have limited capacity to access tax information, said a representative from the Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Association in the northern province of Phu Tho, Nguyen Xuan Hue.

Doan Trong Ly, director of the HCM City-based APROCIMEX Joint Stock Co, complained of cumbersome documentation requirements, offering an example of the city requiring documentation of previously-imported goods to document tax payments. Other time-consuming procedures included applications for exemption or reduction of land use fees and personal income tax refunds, the business representatives said.

Tran Quang Binh from the Animal Feed Joint Stock Co in the northern province of Yen Bai also asked for relief from high value-added taxes during the current economic downturn, noting that VAT rates had actually risen on some raw materials his company used, e.g., tapioca.

The deputy head of the General Department of Taxation, Cao Anh Tuan, said relevant bodies would study and work to simplify regulations. He noted increased use of electronic tax filings in recent years has helped to save time. There were about 1,500 users in 2009, 9,000 people in 2010, 80,000 people in 2011 and, through this month, the number had increased to over 153,000, he said.— VNS

Deputy Minister of Finance Hoang Anh Tuan said the Government had approved a 10-year tax reform strategy and a customs development strategy to help companies boost production, increase competitiveness and attract investment.