HANOI – The Government on September 9 issued Resolution 105 on providing support for enterprises, cooperatives and household businesses, with 12 solutions needed to be executed from this month to help local production recover and rebuild the supply chain disrupted over the past few months due to the impact of social distancing.
According to Pham Thi Ngoc Thuy, managing director of the Private Sector Development Research Board’s Office, the Government asked the Ministry of Health to allow companies and household businesses to carry out Covid testing and give them guidelines on certifying rapid Covid test results.
The Government tasked the Health Ministry with issuing guidelines for localities about requirements for employees at enterprises, cooperatives and household businesses so that they can return to the workplace soon.
The Ministry of Information and Technology was told to develop a digital platform integrating information about Covid prevention, vaccination, testing, health declaration, issuance of travel permits and the Covid green pass. Such a digital platform is aimed at ensuring the availability of concentrated, rapid, convenient and safe information for businesses in this month and avoiding confusion over too many health declarations and anti-Covid mobile apps.
The Transport Ministry was asked to guide localities with implementing “green lane” regulations for transport vehicles, asking them not to add more requirements that hinder the circulation of goods, especially essential items serving the daily lives of residents and production materials.
Next, the Ministry of Finance was told to direct the General Department of Customs to allow companies, cooperatives and household businesses to submit scanned copies with certified digital signatures of documents, aimed at removing hindrances in the customs clearance process of goods. Businesses and cooperatives will supplement the original versions or certified copies later for double checking.
The Government asked local authorities and enterprises nationwide to proactively study and work out measures to organize production activities that are safe and resilient to the Covid situation in their areas. Local authorities have to be responsible for their decisions to allow businesses to resume operations and have to limit the closure of entire plants.
This month, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will submit to the National Assembly through the Government a plan to issue social insurance policies to support laborers.
The Ministry of Finance was asked to implement policies on relaxing, reducing taxes, fees, surcharges and land rents.
Further, the State Bank of Vietnam was told to study adjusting and supplementing policies on the restructuring of debts, reduce lending rates to help customers affected by the pandemic.
The Government also required the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to consider exempting union members of businesses hit by the virus in 2021 and 2022 from union dues and to ask the National Assembly’s Standing Committee for permission to exempt virus-hit businesses from union dues.
In addition, the Government asked the local authorities to consider lowering fees for using infrastructure, services and public works at border gate zones and seaports for export-import firms depending on the Covid situation.
As for the final solution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to facilitate negotiations about Covid vaccine passports with other countries and regions to pave the way to reopen the local economy if conditions permit and report it to the Government this month.
