New policy takes effect from November 2023

30% reduction in land rent in 2023

According to Decision 25/2023/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on reducing land rent for 2023 effective from November 20, 2023, the land rent payable (revenue arising) for 2023 for land lessees as prescribed will be reduced by 30%; no reduction will be made on the outstanding land rent of years prior to 2023 and late payment fees (if any).

The above land rent reduction is calculated on the land rent payable (revenue) in 2023 according to the provisions of law. In case the land lessee is receiving a land rent reduction according to regulations or/and compensation and site clearance deductions according to the provisions of law on land rent, the 30% land rent reduction is calculated on the land rent payable (if any) after being reduced or/and deducted according to the provisions of law (except for the land rent reduced according to Decision No. 01/2023/QD-TTg dated January 31, 2023 of the Prime Minister).

New regulations on standards and norms for public vehicle use

From November 10, Decree No. 72/2023/ND-CP regulating standards and norms for automobile use takes effect.

Positions that are allowed to regularly use a car, even after retirement, without a specified price include: General Secretary, President, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the National Assembly.

Positions that are allowed to regularly use a car during their working time, without a specified price, include the Standing Member of the Secretariat, Politburo Member, Secretariat Member, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuracy, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly.

For positions that are allowed to regularly use an official car during work, Decree No. 72/2023/ND-CP is divided into three levels with three car purchase prices of 1.5 billion VND, 1.55 billion VND and 1.6 billion VND/car.

The positions that are allowed to use cars worth 1.55 billion VND include: Ministers and Heads of ministerial-level agencies; Head of the Office of the President; State Auditor General; Heads of central socio-political organizations whose operating costs are guaranteed by the State budget; Vice President - General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Secretaries of provincial and municipal Party Committees, Party Committees of Central-affiliated blocs; Deputy Heads of the Central Inspection Committee. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the positions of Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council, Chairman of the People's Committee are also allowed to use cars worth 1.55 billion VND.

New regulations on fees in the field of exit and entry

The Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 62/2023/TT-BTC dated October 3, 2023 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular No. 25/2021/TT-BTC regulating the collection rates, collection, payment, management and use of fees and charges in the fields of exit, entry, transit and residence in Vietnam. This Circular takes effect from November 18, 2023.

Accordingly, the fee collection organizations are the Immigration Department; Police, Border Guard Commands of provinces and centrally run cities; Police of districts, towns, and cities under provinces and centrally run cities; Police of communes, wards, and towns.

The fee collection organization is allowed to deduct 25% (instead of the 20% rate prescribed in Circular No. 25/2021/TT-BTC) of the collected fee amount to cover expenses for expenditure contents as prescribed in Article 5 of Decree No. 120/2016/ND-CP of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Fees and Charges.

Salary ranking for civil servant positions in statistics

Circular No. 08/2023/TT-BKHĐT of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, effective from November 15, 2023, stipulates codes, professional and technical standards and salary scales for civil servant ranks in the statistical sector.

Accordingly, civil servant positions in the statistics sector will be ranked in salary as follows:

- Senior Statistician (code 23.261): Salary coefficient 6.20 - 8.00, equivalent to 9.238 to 11.92 million VND/month.

- Chief Statistician (code 23.262): Salary coefficient 4.40 - 6.78, equivalent to 6.556 to 10.102 million VND/month.

- Statistician (code 23.263): Salary coefficient 2.34 - 4.98, equivalent to 3.486 - 7.420 million VND/month.

- Intermediate Statistician (code 23.264): Salary coefficient 2.10 - 4.89, equivalent to 3.129 to 7.286 million VND/month.

- Statistical staff (code 23.265): Salary coefficient 1.86 - 4.06, equivalent to 2.771 to 6.049 million VND/month.

New regulations on information provision of the Ministry of Public Security on the Internet

Circular 45/2023/TT-BCA of the Ministry of Public Security regulating the provision of information by the People's Public Security force in the online environment takes effect from November 15, 2023.

Accordingly, information provided by the police on the network environment is public, not included in the list of state secrets, professional secrets and internal secrets of the industry; in accordance with the functions, tasks and powers of the People's Public Security force.

Including information on the direction, management and activities of the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security; information provided to the press on issues related to public security work that the public is interested in; cases and incidents being investigated and verified by the police agency where the provision of information is deemed necessary.

In addition, this list also includes the Ministry of Public Security's response to voters' petitions; schedule of citizen reception by ministry leaders; Interpol news; information on wanted and sought subjects; information on organizations and individuals related to terrorism; crime warnings and denunciations; and online public services.

Guidance on some contents of urban development program

The Ministry of Construction issued Circular 06/2023/TT-BXD dated September 8, 2023, providing guidance on a number of contents of the urban development program. This Circular takes effect from November 10, 2023.

This Circular provides guidance on the content, records, organization of establishment, appraisal, approval, adjustment, publication and storage of urban development programs; applicable to State management agencies, organizations and individuals participating in activities related to urban development programs.

New regulations on fee levels in the field of registration of secured transactions

Circular No. 61/2023/TT-BTC issued by the Ministry of Finance on September 28, 2023, stipulating the collection rates, collection, payment, management and use of fees in the field of registration of secured transactions (registration of security measures) for movable properties (except for securities centrally registered at the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation, aircraft), ships, annual plants as prescribed in the Law on Cultivation, temporary works as prescribed in the Law on Construction, including:

a) Fee for registration of secured transactions.

b) Fee for providing information on secured transactions.

c) Fee for issuing codes for using the database on secured transactions.

The fee collection organization is the Transaction Registration Center, the assets are left 85% of the collected fees to cover the costs of providing services and collecting fees according to the provisions of Decree No. 120/2016/ND-CP of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Fees and Charges (including the costs for the National Registration Department of Secured Transactions to cover the management, operation and maintenance of the Online Registration System, the database on security measures under the Ministry of Justice); 15% of the collected fees are paid to the state budget.

The fee collection organization is a State agency: Pays all collected fees to the State budget. The source of expenses for service provision and fee collection is arranged by the State budget in the fee collection organization's budget according to the State budget expenditure regime and norms.

This Circular takes effect from November 15, 2023.

Amending regulations on notification of gold bar trading results

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued Circular 12/2023/TT-NHNN dated October 12, 2023 amending Circular 06/2013/TT-NHNN guiding the buying and selling of gold bars in the domestic market by the State Bank.

Circular amending and supplementing Article 14 regulating the notification of results of gold bar buying and selling transactions.

The State Foreign Exchange Reserve Management Department shall notify in writing the Foreign Exchange Management Department, the Finance-Accounting Department, the Transaction Office and the Issuance and Treasury Department of the results of gold bar purchase and sale transactions with each credit institution and enterprise after signing the transaction confirmation.

The above Circular takes effect from November 27, 2023.