Containers at Cat Lai Port in HCMC (Photo: SGGP)
The Association of Food Transparency, the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, the Vietnam Leather Footwear and Handbag Industry, the Vietnam Dairy Association, the Vietnam Plastics Association, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporter and Producers and the Ho Chi Minh City Handicraft and Wood Industry Association said that the fee for the use of infrastructure works and public utility services in the border gate and seaport areas in the southern metropolis, which is expected to start from April 1, is still inappropriate.
Many businesses think that the new fee is not reasonable because businesses supposed the new seaport infrastructure fees to this will diminish enterprises’ competitiveness, while they are already facing difficulties due to Covid-19.
By the beginning of 2022, enterprises have just started to restore production, but they are under pressure on gasoline prices, leading to high sea freight and input material prices. Not to mention, the shortage of labor forces businesses to increase the cost of labor to attract laborers.
In addition, the applied fee is not fair between types of goods and businesses, creating more burden on administrative procedures, increasing the time to carry out administrative procedures, making it difficult for businesses.
Businesses also said that the current fee collection method is causing businesses to pay fees twice for export shipments including fees for import and fees for export. Therefore, the above-mentioned associations proposed city administrations consider the delay of the collection of the above fees until the end of December 31, 2022.
At the same time, these associations proposed the fee of VND 250,000 for a 20ft container and VND 500,000 for a 40ft container, and VND15,000 a ton for liquid cargo and bulk cargo which are not packed in a container for all import and export shipments, temporary import for re-export, goods stored in bonded warehouses, goods in transit, goods transshipped as well as the place of registration to open the declaration for the shipment.
