New points in 10 Laws effective from January 1, 2016

From January 1, 2016, 10 laws will come into effect, including: Law on Social Insurance; Law on Citizen Identification; Law on Civil Status; Law on Special Consumption Tax (amended); Law on Military Service; Law on Organization of Local Government; Law on Organization of Government; Law on Audit; Law on Vietnam Fatherland Front; Law on Organization of the National Assembly.

Illustration

When wife gives birth, husband gets at least 5 days off work

According toSocial Insurance LawMale employees whose wives give birth are entitled to 5 working days of maternity leave in case of normal delivery; 7 working days in case of cesarean section or under 32 weeks of age. In case of twins, the employee is entitled to 10 working days of leave; from triplets onwards, the employee is entitled to 3 additional working days of leave for each additional child; in case of twins or more which require cesarean section, the employee is entitled to 14 working days of leave.

The Law also stipulates that the conditions for enjoying maternity benefits for female employees who are pregnant and must take time off work to rest are only required to pay social insurance for at least 3 months within 12 months before giving birth instead of having to pay social insurance for at least 6 months within 12 months before giving birth as in the current Law on Social Insurance.

Citizens from 14 years old are issued Citizen Identification Cards.

Citizen Identification LawThe name of the citizen identification document is the Citizen Identification Card to replace the current name "Citizen Identity Card". Vietnamese citizens from 14 years old are issued a Citizen Identification Card to ensure the stability of citizen identity information as stipulated in the Law. The Citizen Identification Card must only be changed when the citizen is 25 years old, 40 years old and 60 years old.

The Citizen Identification Card is valid to prove the citizen identity of the cardholder to conduct transactions within the territory of Vietnam. This card is used instead of a passport in cases where Vietnam and a foreign country sign an international treaty or agreement allowing citizens of the signatory countries to use the Citizen Identification Card instead of a passport within each other's territory.

Individuals have the right to choose the civil registration agency.

Civil status lawThe law includes 7 chapters and 77 articles. It has provisions for strong reforms in the order and procedures for household registration, creating maximum convenience for people (such as: simplifying and cutting down on many unnecessary documents when registering household registration; improving the method of submitting documents for people to choose - submitting directly, sending by post or via the online household registration system when conditions permit; reducing the processing time for most household registration matters).

The Law on Civil Status also stipulates that individuals have the right to choose their own civil status registration agency without having to depend on their place of residence as before. Individuals can register their civil status at the civil status registration agency where they permanently reside, temporarily reside or are currently living. When registering their civil status, people are given a copy of their civil status. For some important civil status matters directly related to people's daily lives such as birth and marriage, the Law on Civil Status stipulates that after registration, people will still be given the original Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate.

Increase excise tax rates on tobacco, alcohol and beer.

According toLaw amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on special consumption taxFor cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products, the special consumption tax rate (SCT) increased from 65% to 70% from January 1, 2016 and 75% from January 1, 2019; for alcohol under 20 degrees, the SCT rate is 30% from January 1, 2016 and 35% from January 1, 2018.

For alcohol with alcohol content of 20 degrees or more and beer, the special consumption tax rate will also increase by 5% to 55% from January 1, 2016, 60% from January 1, 2017 and 65% from January 1, 2018.

The age for military service in peacetime is up to 27 years old.

Military Service LawThe Law consists of 9 chapters and 62 articles, of which the age for military service in peacetime is up to 27 years old (currently up to 25 years old) for citizens who have been temporarily deferred from military service to study university or college training programs.

To ensure that citizens proactively prepare to perform their military service obligations; at the same time, to create conditions for localities to develop and implement plans to call citizens to join the army every year, the Law on Military Service has specifically stipulated that the time to call citizens to join the army is February or March every year.

All administrative units organize People's Councils.

Law on organization of local governmentconsists of 8 chapters and 143 articles, including new points on the model of local government organization in administrative units; the organizational structure and operation of the People's Council and People's Committee.

According to the Law, all administrative units must organize People's Councils and People's Committees (local government level), and the pilot implementation of not organizing People's Councils at district, ward and commune levels will end from January 1, 2016.

Deputy Minister, Deputy Head of ministerial-level agency no more than 6

With 7 chapters, 50 articles,Law on Government OrganizationThe number of Deputy Ministers and Deputy Heads of ministerial-level agencies shall not exceed 5; the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall not exceed 6. In case of merger of ministries and ministerial-level agencies or the request for transfer or rotation of officials by competent agencies, the Prime Minister shall submit it to the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration and decision.

Supplementing the audited unit as the public service management agency

State Audit LawIn 2015, the audited units were added: Public use management agencies; for enterprises, audits were conducted for enterprises in which the State holds more than 50% of the charter capital. For enterprises in which the State holds 50% or less of the charter capital, when necessary, the State Auditor General decides to select appropriate audit objectives, criteria, contents and methods.

Clarifying the relationship between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and agencies

With 8 chapters, 41 articles,Law on Vietnam Fatherland Frontclarified the relationship between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and: the Party, the State, the People, and organizations that were previously scattered in other laws, in Party documents or the Charter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Regarding social criticism activities, the Law on the Vietnam Fatherland Front specifically stipulates the nature, purpose and principles of social criticism; objects, contents and scope of social criticism; forms of social criticism; rights and responsibilities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in social criticism activities; rights and responsibilities of agencies and organizations in charge of drafting documents to be criticized.

Specifically define the legal position of full-time National Assembly deputies

Law on the Organization of the National AssemblyThe 2014 Law consists of 7 chapters and 102 articles. It has added many provisions to ensure that National Assembly deputies play a central role in the organization and operation of the National Assembly; and added provisions to specifically define the legal position of full-time National Assembly deputies.

The 2014 Law on Organization of the National Assembly has established new regulations on the position of Secretary General. Accordingly, the Secretary General of the National Assembly is elected, dismissed, and removed by the National Assembly to advise and serve the activities of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee, and National Assembly deputies. The Secretary General is a National Assembly deputy and concurrently holds the role of Head of the National Assembly Office, responsible to the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee for the activities of the National Assembly Office.

According to Chinhphu.vn