Hanoi-Vietnam: Notable contents of 07 Laws effective from January 01, 2017 (Part 2)

4. Several fees converted to State-regulated service prices

Law on Fees and Charges 2015 adopted by the XIII National Assembly, 10th session on November 25, 2015, and effective from January 01, 2017, contains many important provisions such as:

- The new list of fees and charges includes 213 types of fees and 103 types of charges;

- 17 products and services are converted from fees to service prices regulated by the State;

- Exemptions and reductions in fees and charges for the following subjects:

 + Children;

+ Poor households;

+ Elderly people;

+ People with disabilities;

+ People with meritorious services to the revolution; Ethnic minorities in particularly difficult communes;

+ Some other special cases...

The Law on Fees and Charges 2015 replaces the Ordinance on Fees and Charges 38/2001/PL-UBTVQH10 and the Ordinance on Court Fees and Charges 10/2009/PL-UBTVQH12.

5. Investment in the fireworks business added to business lines banned from investment

One of the new points of Law No. 03/2016/QH14 amending and supplementing Article 6 and Annex 4 on the list of conditional business lines of the Investment Law is the addition of investment activities in the fireworks business to business lines banned from investment. At the same time:

- Addition of 02 business lines (effective from July 01, 2017) to the list of conditional business lines such as:

+ Trade equipment, software for disguise to record sound, images, positioning;

+ Manufacture, assembly, import of automobiles.

- Special issuance of a new list of conditional business lines including 243 business lines (current regulations are 268 business lines).

The detailed list of conditional business lines may be found in Law No. 03/2016/QH14 effective from January 01, 2017.

6. Recognition of citizens' freedom of the press and freedom of speech

Press Law 2016 consists of 6 chapters with 61 articles (increased by 25 articles), including 32 newly created articles and 29 amended and supplemented articles of the current Press Law. It specifically regulates citizens' freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the press:

- Citizens' freedom of the press is reflected through:

+ Creating journalistic works;

+ Providing information to the press;

+ Responding to information in the press;

+ Having access to press information;

+ Collaborating with press agencies to produce journalistic products;ư

+ Printing and distributing printed newspapers.

- Citizens' freedom of speech in the press is reflected through:-

+ Expressing opinions on the country's and world’s situation;

+ Participating in the development and implementation of the CPV’s lines, policies, and State laws;

+ Giving opinions, criticizing, recommending, complaining, and denouncing in the press against the CPV’s organizations, state agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations, and other organizations and individuals.

The Press Law 2016 is effective from January 01, 2017, replacing the Law on Amendments Press Law 1999 and the Press Law 1989.

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