Quarantine fee: Good for the budget and the service and hotel industry
Mr. Mai Tien Dung said that collecting quarantine fees in addition to helping reduce the burden on the budget can also increase income for the service and hotel industries.
From September 1, according to new regulations, all cases of quarantine must pay for their own expenses. Medical examination and treatment costs will still be covered by the budget according to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.
At the regular August Government press conference on the afternoon of September 4, Mr. Mai Tien Dung - Minister, Head of the Government Office said that the fee collection is appropriate to the current situation and also comes from the actual needs of many people who want better accommodation services in quarantine areas. Not to mention, organizing quarantine at accommodation facilities and hotels also helps tourism and hotel businesses create more jobs for workers.
Mr. Mai Tien Dung - Minister, Head of the Government Office. Photo: VGP.
According to the Ministry of Finance,budget revenueThe first 8 months of the year only reached 58.3% of the estimate, equivalent to nearly 882,000 billion VND, down 12.4% over the same period. Meanwhile, budget expenditure was about 975,600 billion VND, up 8.2% over the same period in 2019. The increased expenditures were mainly for epidemic prevention and control, natural disaster prevention, social security support, economic recovery support, etc.
Therefore, "the burden on the state budget has been reduced, and people working in the service and hotel sectors also have more income," Mr. Dung emphasized.
Minister Mai Tien Dung also cited data showing that the domestic tourism industry was once again "stuck" when the number of tourists canceling tours in August reached 95-100%..The average hotel room occupancy rate is only 10-20%.
"SituationCovid-19"It's complicated so up to now, restaurants, hotels, and large hotels are not open. Even if they are open, it's difficult to operate, revenue cannot cover expenses. The situation is very tense," said Mr. Dung.
Sharing more, Mr. Ta Anh Tuan - Deputy Minister of Finance said that the specific levels of quarantine payment are being considered and researched by the Ministry of Finance with the Ministry of Health to soon report to the Government. For example, if experts entering Vietnam want to quarantine at a hotel, they will have to pay a service fee according to the price agreed between the quarantined person and the service provider.
With this new regulation, the Prime Minister requires localities to arrange quarantine facilities to meet the requirements of entrants, regardless of whether they are foreigners or Vietnamese. The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Public Security, local authorities, especially the health sector, to closely monitor quarantine at accommodation facilities, ensuring requirements for disease prevention and control.
Outsidequarantine feeFor people entering Vietnam, the Government also announced that it will reopen some commercial flights from September 15, but there will be strict medical solutions to prevent the spread of the disease.