Seeing that the presence of investors will help Quang Tri province improve socioeconomic growth, the tax sector of Quang Tri province has wholeheartedly served investors not only because they are responsible authorities, but also because they are beneficiaries from investment projects. Ahead of the Quang Tri Investment and Tourism Promotion Conference, Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr Nguyen Quoc Huong, Director of Quang Tri Department of Taxation. Le Sang reports.
Could you please tell us the remarkable results in State revenue collection since the start of this year?
In 10 months of this year, the collected tax revenue fulfilled 78 per cent of the full-year estimation. In the remaining two months, the tax department will focus on collecting overdue debts, review income sources and encourage businesses to pay taxes in arrears so as to complete the full-year tax revenue target of VND1,350 billion.
Would you be kind enough to talk about the progress and outcome of tax procedure reform in Quang Tri province in recent years?
Public administration reform is considered a regular and central task of the tax sector so as to create favourable conditions for taxpayers. One of a typical works is the application of electronic tax service and administration. Besides, the sector has adopted a roadmap to streamline tax administrative procedures and promote the transparency of administrative procedures and processes.
As of October 2015, all local businesses have declared and paid taxes electronically. Every year, the sector hosts 10 - 15 dialogues with local enterprises to identify and clear bottlenecks, streamline and combine declaration forms and payment processes to bring more utilities to taxpayers, and reduce the duration of tax examination to at most 3 days from current 5-7 days.
How has the tax customs sector of Quang Tri province carried out the Prime Minister’s Directive 24/CT-TTg dated August 5, 2014 on strengthening management and reform of tax and customs administrative procedures?
The Department of Taxation has actively built and implemented action plans and proposed solutions to administrative procedure reform in order to cut time and expenses for taxpayers. The comprehensive IT application and the timely settlement of problems for taxpayers are focused promoted. As a result, the sector changed from “administration” functions to “taxpayer service” and “guidance” functions.
With the motto "Taxpayer service defined as a central task," the tax sector of Quang Tri province has deployed good communication and support for taxpayers; organised direct dialogues and conferences; and opened websites to update tax information and laws for taxpayers.
Besides, the tax sector has actively advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a number of mechanisms and policies to remove difficulties and support organisations and individuals to develop production and business operations which will bring in greater incomes for State Budget as well as help improve the investment environment and raise the provincial competitiveness index (PCI).
On the occasion of the Quang Tri Investment and Tourism Promotion Conference, does the Department of Taxation have any new commitment to businesses and investors?
Currently, the tax sector is working with relevant departments to study and propose the Provincial People’s Committee to issue “Regulations on single-window mechanism to settle administrative procedures regarding approval of production and business investment projects in Quang Tri” to create truly favourable conditions for businesses. The tax sector will review procedures to shorten the time required for settling administrative procedures, get rid of inappropriate procedures, and step up communications on tax policies, tax exemptions and reductions.
In addition to strengthening personnel in both ethics and expertise, the sector will also pay attention to modernising the system to better support investors and businesses.
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