Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard will open to traffic on June 30

On the afternoon of January 9, the Provincial People's Committee held a press conference on the socio-economic situation in 2019 and the plan for 2020. Comrades Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Ba Hao - Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications chaired the press conference. Attending the press conference were representatives of provincial departments, branches, sectors, the Provincial Journalists Association and press agencies in the area. Photo: Mai Hoa

Concerns about budget revenue targets

Based on the report on the socio-economic situation in 2019 and the plan for 2020 from the representative of the Department of Planning and Investment, at the press conference, the leaders of the Nghe An Provincial Journalists Association and a number of press agencies highly appreciated the efforts and innovations in leadership, direction and administration of the Provincial People's Committee and the Departments, branches, sectors and localities, creating many outstanding marks.

The Provincial People's Committee, Departments, branches and localities have also paid attention to promptly handling the shortcomings and problems arising in practice as well as the issues raised by the press.

Some journalists also said that, besides creating favorable conditions and environments for press agencies and journalists to work, there are still some times and places that have not implemented the Press Law well, making it difficult for reporters to access and update information.

Land use tax collection accounts for a high proportion in the revenue structure of many localities in the province. Photo: Mai Hoa

Besides the difficulty in meeting the congress's target, there is still a situation where businesses have tax debts that are lingering and prolonged, including 189 businesses with bad tax debts of VND875 billion.

Responding to press concerns, leaders of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Finance and the Nghe An Tax Department clarified a number of reasons, the main one being that some projects were forecast to increase revenue when put into operation but have only now begun to be implemented.

Chairman of the Journalists Association Tran Duy Ngoan hopes that the Provincial People's Committee, departments, branches and localities will continue to create conditions and an environment for the press to operate effectively. Photo: Mai Hoa

Regarding tax debts, the Tax sector has recently taken many measures to urge the collection of outstanding debts and enforce tax collection, such as monthly notification of tax debts and late payment penalties to units; enforcement by freezing assets and invoices if tax payment is overdue according to regulations; at the same time, coordinating with the Department of Planning and Investment, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to revoke investment licenses for a number of mineral exploitation enterprises with long-term debts; advising the Provincial People's Committee to limit bidding for new projects for enterprises with tax debts...

According to the report, tax debt up to this point is 1,024 billion VND, of which bad debt is 502 billion VND and collectible debt is 522 billion VND, accounting for 3.6% of total revenue (below the General Department of Taxation's allowable target of 5%).

Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment Nguyen Huu Mao answers questions about revoking slow-progressing projects. Photo: Mai Hoa

Committed to opening Vinh - Cua Lo route by June 30

Along with the tax debt issue, some press agencies also requested the Provincial People's Committee and departments and branches to provide information on the debt situation in new rural construction; the progress of handling some violations in some projects in the province; recovering slow-progressing projects; or the Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard project which has been implemented for a long time but is still progressing slowly.

Regarding the Vinh – Cua Lo Boulevard project, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport Nguyen Que Su said that the reason is due to the slow site clearance work and is currently stuck in the Vinh city area. According to the commitment of the Vinh City People's Committee, the entire project site will be handed over by March 30, 2020 and the Department of Transport committed to open the route by June 30, 2020.

Perspective of a subdivision on Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard.

Speaking at the press conference, comrade Bui Dinh Long - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the overall results of the province in 2019 had the intellectual and labor contributions of press agencies and journalists, especially in promoting emulation movements for socio-economic development, new rural construction as well as creating high consensus in the whole society on the policy of arranging and streamlining the organizational apparatus, especially arranging commune-level administrative units and merging blocks, hamlets, villages, etc.

Press agencies and journalists have also actively participated in reflecting on the shortcomings in the management and operation of state management agencies at all levels and hot issues for all levels and sectors to handle and rectify.

Emphasizing that 2020 is a year of many important events for the Party, the country and Nghe An in particular, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long hopes that press agencies and journalists will continue to accompany the leadership, direction and administration of the Provincial People's Committee, departments, branches, and localities to create a higher overall development of Nghe An in 2020 than in 2019.

Specifically, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee hopes that press agencies and journalists will promote the propaganda of Party congresses at all levels and major holidays; promote innovation and the image of Nghe An's homeland and people as well as the potential and strengths in attracting investment of Nghe An, creating a strong spread and promoting the overall development of the province.

Along with that, press agencies and journalists also need to accompany the province in inspection, examination and supervision activities as well as promptly detect and report potential violations of units that have not been detected by the authorities in time. On that basis, it is aimed at preventing negative manifestations when they first appear or preventing small violations from becoming major violations.

Regarding the issues raised by the press agencies, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Information and Communications to advise on responses, avoiding issues and incidents raised at this meeting from being raised again at the next meeting.