HCM CITY — The HCM City Tax Department on Wednesday officially launched a programme to support newly-established businesses and put into operation website https://www.hcmtax.gov.vn designed to support the businesses.

Trần Ngọc Tâm, director of the department, said this was one of the key tasks of the department in realising the Government’s Resolution No 35/NQ-CP, dated May 16, 2016, on support and development of enterprises.

The goal of the programme was to ensure newly-established businesses including startups did not face difficulties due to lack of tax information, he said.

The website is expected to serve as a channel to collect information related to tax problems that the enterprises experience, which will help improve the efficiency of State administration in taxation-related issues, Tâm added.

The programme will save time and costs for enterprises, save taxpayers a lot of trouble and minimise tax violations by providing information on tax policies, guidance on tax procedures and tax consultation on using e-invoices and online tax declaration and payment.

Ngô Tuấn Vũ, director of 247 Online Solutions Company, said if companies received detailed and clear guidance from tax authorities from the early days of their establishment, they would be certain of properly fulfilling their tax obligations, enabling them to focus resources on production and business.

The tax administration should continue to simplify administrative procedures, assisting firms from their start-up stage to contribute to overall economic development, Vũ said.

Sử Ngọc Anh, director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment, emphasised that non-State enterprises would be the main source of economic growth in the future.

The Department of Planning and Investment has committed to prioritising and simplifying business establising procedures as a "birth certificate" for individuals and is implementing a "green door" mechanism to realise the commitment.

In the time ahead, the department will coordinate more harmoniously with tax authorities and business associations through the exchange of electronic information to create favourable conditions for the enterprises.

Starting April 5, the newly-established business support programme officially kicked off at the HCM City Tax Office and five tax offices at districts 1, 3, Tân Bình, Tân Phú and Bình Chánh.

It is expected that from now until the end of April 2017, the programme will be implemented in tax offices at all districts and communes in the city, so that businesses can visit any office for advice, information and consultations on issues related to tax procedures for free. — VNS