Taxation sector asked to prevent “stagnant virus”

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked the taxation sector to raise a high sense of responsibility in their performance to prevent “stagnant virus” at a conference held by the General Department of Taxation in Hanoi on January 5 to review its operation in 2020.

Permanent Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh speaking at the conference.
Permanent Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh speaking at the conference.

The Government official praised the achievements of nearly 40,000 taxation workers in the past year which also contributed to the overall national development.

Despite numerous difficulties in 2020, the taxation sector collected over VND1.2 quadrillion (US$52 billion), 1.7% higher than the estimate set by the National Assembly. As many as 55 out of 63 provinces and cities completed and exceeded their estimates on tax revenue while 40 out of 63 provinces and cities reported 2020 tax revenue higher than that of 2019.

In 2020, the taxation sector basically completed the strategy on tax reform in the 2011-2020 period with positive results in addition to effectively restructuring its apparatus and enhancing tax management.

However, the Deputy PM also requested the taxation sector to have solutions to its shortcomings to ensure the sustainable collection of tax aligned with ensuring equality and encouraging production and business activities.

The National Assembly assigned the taxation sector a tax estimate of over VND1.1 quadrillion in 2021, which is considered a difficult task amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale, the Deputy PM said.

Thus, the senior official required the taxation sector to continue to complete tax policies toward sustainable tax collection, prevent stagnancy, streamline its apparatus, and expand the tax base to fulfil its tasks in 2021.