April 16, 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Official Dispatch No. 2698/BCT-DTDL 2020 on reducing electricity prices for customers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Article table of contents
Illustrative photo
In Official Dispatch 2698/BCT-DTDL, it mentioned the subjects eligible for electricity price reduction and electricity bill reduction, such as customers who are tourism accommodation establishments. So, do these tourism accommodation establishments include unregistered motels and hotels?
Regarding this issue, the Editorial Board of THU KY LUAT explains as follows:
Regarding the support for reducing electricity prices and electricity bills for electricity customers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, regulations in Official Dispatch 2698/BCT-DTDL clearly state:
1. Reduction of electricity selling price:
- Customers who are tourism accommodation establishments (according to the provisions of the Law on Tourism 2017 and related legal documents): Reduce electricity price from the retail electricity price applicable to business to the retail electricity price applicable to production sectors after reduction.
In Clause 12, Article 3, and Clause 1, Article 49 of the Law on Tourism 2017, the regulations specify:
A tourism accommodation establishment is a place that provides services to meet the accommodation needs of tourists and the conditions for operating tourism accommodation services include:
a) Having a business registration according to the provisions of the law;
b) Meeting the requirements for security, order, fire and explosion prevention and control, environmental protection, and food safety according to the provisions of the law;
c) Meeting the minimum conditions for technical facilities and services for tourists.
The classification of tourism accommodation establishments is regulated in Article 50 of the Law on Tourism 2017. Specifically, “Organizations and individuals operating tourism accommodation services are encouraged to register voluntarily for the classification of tourism accommodation establishments with the competent state agency”.
Thus, based on the above regulations, motels, hotels, etc., only need to meet the conditions outlined in Article 49 of the Law on Tourism on operating tourism accommodation services. They do not need to have a classification of tourism accommodation establishments, as the classification is voluntary and not mandatory. Consequently, when eligible for operating tourism accommodation establishments, motels, hotels, etc., will receive a reduction in electricity prices according to Official Dispatch 2698/BCT-DTDL.
Le Hai
