HCMC suggested to create reliable legal consultation network for businesses

S 04/04/2022 11:05

Ho Chi Minh City is proposed in the near future to offer more legal consultation and support to needy businesses, while legal-related information should be timely updated and published for public reference. This is the conclusion drawn from April ‘Citizens Ask – Government Answer’ session, co-held yesterday by HCMC People’s Council, HCMC Television, and the HCMC Department of Information and Communications.

Participants in the ‘Citizens Ask – Government Answer’ session. (Photo: SGGP)

Director of Saigon Tax Consultation JSC. Nguyen Thai Son stated that his company needs to promptly update the latest changes and supplements in legal regulations. However, the official websites of the HCMC Justice Department, the Justice Ministry, the Finance Ministry, or the Planning and Investment Ministry rarely post this kind of information. Whenever there is a problem arisen, he does not know where to report except to visit the citizen reception office of these agencies.

Other businesses agreed with this point, saying that whenever there is a legal-related matter, they have to seek help from a lawyer. It is so hard to access reliable legal information on the Internet or to get in touch with thorough legal support.

Therefore, they hope that HCMC could provide a trustworthy legal media channel for small and medium enterprises.

Deputy Head of the Legal Department under HCMC People’s Council Nguyen Van Dat commented that the legal support teams for businesses working at state agencies are part-time ones. In addition, the cooperation between departments, state agencies, and representatives of local businesses for legal matters is still too loose. Therefore, the propaganda task for newly released legal documents to businesses is below standard.

Chairwoman of HCMC People’s Council Nguyen Thi Le is attending the ‘Citizens Ask – Government Answer’ session on April 3rd.

Director of the HCMC Department of Planning and Investment Le Thi Huynh Mai admitted that the HCMC official e-portal at https://hochiminhcity.gov.vn now has 30 webpages to post department-related information. Sadly, each of them has not yet satisfied the needs of local businesses.

She suggested that HCMC should urgently establish a unique information portal for enterprises to contact when needed.

Head of the Legal Department under HCMC People’s Council Pham Quynh Anh proposed that HCMC People’s Committee, the HCMC departments of Justice, Information & Communications, Planning & Investment, Tax pay more attention to legal consultation tasks via the use of e-portals. Information there should be regularly and timely updated and user-friendly, concise, understandable. There should also be summaries of regulations and explanations of legal problems or cases.

The training for legal officials must be taken care of so that they are more capable. Also, the collaboration between state agencies and legal support organizations should be close to create a reliable legal consultation network for needy enterprises.

By Khanh Chau – Translated by Thanh Tam