NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI – Law makers yesterday discussed the Government’s proposal on further tax reduction and exemption for agricultural land use.

According to the proposal, tax reduction and exemption would be applied not only to farmers but also to other individuals or entities in order to encourage people and businesses to take part in large-scale agricultural production and rural development.

At present, the total tax reduction and exemption for agricultural land use is worth VNĐ7 trillion (US$318 million), the report said.

The lawmakers agreed that the tax exemption was a good policy because farmers’ incomes were unstable and low.

However, many deputies urged the Government to review agricultural land use, especially forestry farms, by State entities.

NA Vice Chairman Đỗ Bá Tỵ said many farms misused the forest land areas allocated to them, including cases of farm heads illegally transferring the land for personal gain.

“The Government should carefully check situation and consider whether to offer tax exemption to such farms,” said Tỵ.

NA Vice Chairwoman Tòng Thị Phóng and Chairman of the Economic Committee Vũ Hồng Thanh said sanctions should be applied in cases of agricultural land misuse.

Report on Formosa, East Sea

Việt Nam’s lawmakers also instructed the Government to report to them on the Formosa steel plant’s activities to remedy the shortcomings that resulted in a mass fish killing and environmental disaster in April.

The legislatures also asked that the reports, to be presented at the upcoming National Assembly session scheduled to open on October 20, address the Government policy in light of the recent decision by the Hague international tribunal on the East Sea.

NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân said the Government must prepare the reports well, as the lawmakers requested.

She said “We could not put it off any more. The NA must know all issues affecting to the country.”

Speaking at a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC), deputy Phan Xuân Dũng, chairman of the NA Science and Environment Committee that has been monitoring the Formosa disaster, said his committee had proposed to the Government and the NA that the company be allowed to resume operation once it complies with its commitments on the treatment of waste.

The chairman of Finance and Budget Committee, Nguyễn Đức Hải, said the report should discuss how to allocate Formosa’s compensation money to those affected and the progress of the firm’s environmental commitment implementation .

Deputy Hà Ngọc Chiến, chairman of the NA’s Ethnic Affairs Council, said the report was required because this issue was a big concern for voters.

Chiến also asked for a report on the East Sea situation after the ruling by the international arbitration on the Philippines’ petition against China.

“Many issues were considered sensitive but they were just reported briefly. I thought this would limit the role of the NA,” said Chiến.

“Both deputies and voters need to know important issues of the country,” he added.

- VNS