Vietnam proposes Japan consider exempting Vietnamese interns from residence and income taxes

On September 20, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung had a meeting in Hanoi with Nakatani Gen, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, to discuss issues of mutual concern between the two countries, including the technical intern training programme. In the near future, Vietnam and Japan will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between two countries.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung thanked Japanese agencies for coordinating with Vietnam to implement many effective programmes, in which the field of labour cooperation and human resource development achieved many good results.

The Minister shared that, in the past time, the MOLISA of Vietnam has made submittions to the Government and the National Assembly to amend many contents related to the activities of sending Vietnamese workers abroad.At the same time, Vietnam also strictly handle enterprises violating regulations and policies, especially violations on fee collection.

At the meeting, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung suggested that Japan consider continuing to improve its programmes for accepting trainees as well as the technical intern training programme, and create more favourable conditions for businesses and unions of both sides to coordinate in implementation.

The Minister also suggested that Japan consider expanding the occupations to receive Vietnamese interns in the fields of restaurant service, hotel, driver, service and maintenance in the urban railway and high-speed train industries, construction, construction of underground sewage treatment systems, and urban environment. These are industries and occupations that Vietnamese workers can quickly adapt to and improve their skills if they undergo basic training.

The Minister proposed the Japanese side consider the exemption of residence tax and income tax for Vietnamese interns and conduct the recruitment of special-skilled workers according to the provisions of an agreement signed between the two countries.

Nakatani Gen, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, acknowledged the opinions and suggestions of Minister Dao Ngoc Dung, affirming that he would make efforts to promote the implementation of the proposals.

In 2006, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and IM Japan signed an agreement on sending Vietnamese interns under the technical intern training programme. This agreement was re-signed in 2010 and 2016. To date, there are more than 370,000 interns out of the total of nearly 500,000 Vietnamese living and working in Japan. In June 2022, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Public Interest Foundation International Manpower Development Organisation (IM Japan) continued with the signing of the fourth agreement.