CAN THO – The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has proposed reducing many fees, including fees for using infrastructure facilities and public services at seaport terminals and industrial parks and the electricity prices, to help seafood enterprises overcome the current tough period.
VASEP General Secretary Truong Dinh Hoe has written to the Government Office and the Ministry of Planning And Investment commenting on a draft resolution on support policies for enterprises amid the pandemic.
According to VASEP, if the seafood sector does not recover by September, materials for the sector will be stagnant, seafood farmers will be put at a disadvantage and the sector will find it hard to recover. Therefore, enterprises in the sector should be supported to recover before September 15.
VASEP also proposed reducing the electricity prices by 30% for seafood producers in the second half of the year. These firms consume electricity in the processing, freezing and storage stages, even farming, while the draft resolution has policies to support them only in the storage stage.
As for the seaport fees, VASEP suggest HCMC and Haiphong stop collecting the fees from August 2021 until the end of June 2022 and cut other fees by at least 30%.
In addition, seaports should reduce service fees by at least half in the same period.
The association has also proposed cutting a minimum of 50% of the fees for using infrastructure facilities at industrial parks.
Further, VASEP has suggested the Vietnam Social Security pay the allowances for laborers who are under quarantine and have stopped working as required to fight the pandemic.
According to VASEP, enterprises have to face multiple difficulties while suspending or reducing their operations and they must pay the salaries of laborers who cannot work.
Moreover, the Vietnam Social Security’s balance is high. Specifically, as of 2020, the balance was nearly VND925.1 trillion.
By Trung Chanh
