License for importing used vessels for breaking
A decree regulating businesses and conditions to obtain a license for importing used vessels for breaking takes effect from January 15, 2015.
It determines that businesses entitled have registered the work in their business registration certificates, have divisions specializing in import deal, maritime laws and regulations, labor safety and environment protection, and have minimum legal capital of at least VND50 billion.
Regulations for high-speed boats in use
A new decree on waterway traffic safety that goes into effect from January 1, 2015 requires that all high-speed passenger vessels operate on inland waterways no more than 20 years.
The decree will also mandate that tourism boats which contain restaurants or overnight accommodations must be used within 35 years.
For all other passenger boats, the operational limit is 30 years for metal, fiber and concrete boats and 25 years for wooden boats.
Visa exemption for citizens in seven nations
The Government has issued a Resolution on visa exemption in a definite period for citizens from the Russian Federation, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The policy, valid within five years from January 1, 2015 till December 31, 2019, may be considered for extension based on Viet Nam’s regulations.
Tightening e-commerce
Circular No. 47/2014/TT-BCT stipulating the management of e-commerce websites comes into effect from January 20, 2015.
Traders, organizations, individuals are not allowed to use e-commerce websites to trade the commodities subject to trade restrictions as follow: shotgun and bullets of shotgun, sporting weapons, supporting tools; rare wild plants and animals, including both alive creatures and their parts which were processed; cigarettes, cigars and other finished tobacco products; kinds of alcohol; other commodities restricted to trading as regulated by legislation.
Regional minimum wage increases
The new Decree on monthly minimum wage for employees working for companies, enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups, farms, households, individuals and agencies, organizations employing laborers has been applied since January 1, 2015.
The minimum wage will be applied for four different regions in Viet Nam as follows Region I: VND 3.1 million (US$147); Region II: VND 2.75 million (US$130); Region III: VND 2.4million (US$114) and Region IV: VND 2.15 million (US$102).
Health insurance payment
Since January 1, 2015, workers with non-term and short-term labor contracts; staffs, and civil servants will spend 4.5% of their minimum salaries on health insurance.
Female employees entitled to paid maternity leaves from work as stipulated by the Law on Social Insurance have to make a monthly contribution rate equaling 4.5% of their monthly pay received before taking maternity leave.
For retired people, health insurance premium makes up 4.5% of their pension.
Employees entitled to paid sick leaves from work for the period of more than 14 days, they are exempt from health insurance contribution but still eligible to health insurance benefits.
Increasing wage for retired communal officials
The wages for retired communal officials are entitled to an 8% increase since January 1, 2015.
Policy for personnel cuts
The Decree on personnel reductions takes effect on January 10, 2015. The proposed personnel reductions will include civil servants, employees at State agencies with labor contracts of indefinite terms, officials of State-owned, one-member, limited-liability companies, and association staff at all levels.
Male under 58 and female under 53, who retire prior to the compulsory age and are ineligible to policy on retirement, will enjoy, after quitting job, a three-month-wage subsidy and a one-and-a-half-month wage subsidy for each working with social insurance to find new jobs.
Efficiency of farmer household-based animal husbandry enhanced
According to Decision No. 50/2014/QD-TTg on supporting policies to enhance the efficiency of farmer household-based livestock breeding in 2015 – 2020, farm husbandry practices will be supported to improve efficiency, enhance added value and minimize damage.
The Decision is effective from January 1, 2015.
Higher fines for delays in land certificate licensing
The Government's decree detailing fines for land administration offences specifies between VND500,000 ($23) to VND1 billion ($47,600) for authorised agencies' delays in granting on land certificates.
Increased fine for overloaded truck
According to a new Decree to modify some articles in Decree No.171/2013/NĐ-CP on penalties for road administrative traffic offences and rail transport offences, a VND5-7 million fine is applied for overloaded truck (over 60% of weight for truck under five tons and over 50% of weight for truck over five tons, including trailers and semi-trailers). With a 100%-weight overloaded truck, a VND7-8 million fine can be issued, higher than the current VND5-7 million.
New regulations on plant quarantine
The Decree on detailing some articles of the Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine prohibits exporting and importing articles from countries or territories that pose high risk of carrying quarantined subjects into Viet Nam, threat to domestic agricultural production, national food security without being subject to any controlling measures to have them eradicated, subject to the suspension of import without applying any remedial measures or have undergone the application of these measures but still not conform to regulations on imported plant quarantine in Viet Nam.
The Decree takes effect from January 18, 2015.
(VGP)
