Doubts over SME support plan

At the meeting, delegates agreed on the need to enact the law to support the country's SMEs. However, many delegates still doubted the feasibility of the business support schemes mentioned in the law.

Many delegates agreed with the opinion that the law was a good idea in principle but remained concerned that the mechanisms offering support were still too general. It will be difficult for businesses to determine what kind of support they can get and how they will get the support.

Deputy  Hoang Quang Ham from  Phu Tho Province said: “There hasn't been specific guidance on the level of support from the state budget for SMEs. In term of tax waiver, we have to wait for adjustment in the tax policies. Therefore, the mechanism is not ready to provide SMEs with support”.

Vo Dinh Tin from  Dak Nong Province, said: “The conditions and mechanism of assigned bodies on supporting SMEs is still unclear, so when the law is given, it will be difficult for SMEs determine the content and support they get. While the draft has provided a number of specific and practical measures for SMEs such as credit, land, tax and legal support measures, some delegates think the criteria and measures to implement support are still unclear”.

Also on Tuesday, the National Assembly Secretary General Nguyễn Hạnh Phúc proposed the National Assembly's 2018 Scrutiny Agenda in which next year, the National Assembly will focus on monitoring the sale of state-owned enterprises, management and use of government bonds, foreign loans, and the development of ethnic groups.