Plan to support legal matters for SMEs for 2024 issued by the Ministry of Finance in Vietnam

Plan to support legal matters for SMEs for 2024 issued by the Ministry of Finance in Vietnam (Internet image)

On January 18, 2024, the Ministry of Finance issued Decision 124/QD-BTC regarding the Plan to support legal matters for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for 2024 in Vietnam.

Plan to support legal matters for SMEs for 2024 issued by the Ministry of Finance in Vietnam

Forms and main contents of the Plan to support legal matters for SMEs for 2024 are as follows:

(1) Organizing communication, dissemination, and promotion of financial legal documents for SMEs through specific forms, including: (i) organizing conferences and legal knowledge training sessions; (ii) organizing discussions, dialogues, and financial knowledge enrichment for SMEs; (iii) developing and distributing publications, materials, leaflets, brochures, etc. to disseminate and introduce financial legal documents; (iv) creating media programs on financial legal documents for SMEs through articles, introductions in newspapers, magazines, and producing reports on radio and television; (v) disseminating through digital platforms (websites, Zalo, Facebook).

In 2024, the support for legal matters will include gathering feedback and improving draft documents for the following groups of legal documents:

(i) Decree 84/2023/ND-CP;

(ii) Decree amending Decree 26/2023/ND-CP;

(iii) Decree amending Decree 123/2020/ND-CP;

(iv) Decree amending Decree 132/2020/ND-CP;

(v) Decree on special import tax in Vietnam to implement the Vietnam-Cambodia bilateral trade promotion agreement for the period 2023-2023;

(vi) Decree on a special import tax to implement the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement;

(vii) Decree on special import tax to implement the Vietnam-United Arab Emirates Free Trade Agreement;

(viii) Draft Circular providing guidance on taxes.

The General Department of Taxation and the International Cooperation Department, in coordination with the Legal Affairs Department and relevant units, will determine the subjects, contents, forms, timing, and locations for providing legal support to businesses in accordance with documents drafted by the leading unit.

(2) Receiving recommendations, feedback, and addressing difficulties raised by businesses (including SMEs):

- The General Department of Customs, the General Department of Taxation, and the State Securities Commission, in coordination with the Legal Affairs Department, the Department of Tax, Fee, and Charge Policy Management, and relevant units, will receive recommendations and questions from businesses (including SMEs) related to tax, customs, and securities regulations. Based on that, they will organize dialogue conferences with businesses to resolve difficulties and provide direct answers on the electronic portal.

- Other units under the Ministry will receive obstacles and recommendations and provide legal answers to businesses through various forms, such as written answers, online solutions, direct or telephone consultations, and other forms as prescribed by law.

(3) Timely update of information on newly issued financial legal documents:

- The Legal Affairs Department, in coordination with units under the Ministry, will update and classify documents related to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based on the documents sent by the leading units for publication on the Ministry's Electronic Information Portal (under the section "Legal Support for SMEs").

- Units with electronic information pages/responsibilities are responsible for updating and publishing documents related to SMEs on their own pages/sections under the "Legal Support for SMEs" section.

- Units under the Ministry will enhance information dissemination to the business community through the media agencies of the industry.

(4) Tasks assigned in the implementation plan of the Scheme "Improving the quality and effectiveness of legal support for businesses in the period 2023–2030" under the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance, issued together with Decision 1949/QD-BTC on September 13, 2023.

(5) The media agencies of the industry will enhance information dissemination on financial laws to the community of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through writing articles, publications on the Ministry's Electronic Information Portal, newspapers, magazines within and outside the industry, and other mass media channels. This includes a focus on disseminating new policy proposals with significant social impacts according to Decision 407/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the Scheme "Organization of policy communication with significant social impacts in the process of drafting legal documents in the period 2022-2027"; reflecting the opinions and contributions of citizens and businesses during the drafting process.

More details can be found in Decision 124/QD-BTC taking effect on January 18, 2024.

Ho Quoc Tuan

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