HCMC – The HCMC government has announced plans to review the tax calculations for the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens following concerns over a VND800 billion tax arrears claim.
Phan Van Mai, chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, said on December 11 that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE) would review the land allocation and lease terms for the zoo. Public-use areas may be exempt from land use and rental fees, while business-use sections would remain subject to fee and tax.
Mai emphasized that adjustments to land-use classifications would guide the tax department’s recalculations. He suggested that land used for public purposes could be managed under terms that do not incur fees.
The Saigon Zoo, established in 1865, spans over 158,000 square meters in District 1 and operates under a 50-year lease agreement signed in 2014. The lease requires annual rent payments.
According to Vu Thi Huong Giang, director of the Saigon Zoo, only 5,600 square meters are used for commercial purposes, while the zoo primarily operates as a non-profit. She highlighted that paying over VND163 billion annually in land tax is unsustainable.
The city has held a meeting to address the issue, but the zoo is awaiting a final decision on the matter.
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is the first zoological garden in Vietnam and is one of the 10 oldest zoos in the world, reported Thanh Nien news site thanhnien.vn.
The zoo now has more than 2,100 faunas of 128 species, and over 2,500 floras of 380 species. Imported animals like giraffes, hippos, zebras, lions and Bengal tigers are developing well in the zoo. It is reported that the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens welcomes over 1.8 million visitors per year.
