Many solutions to support the transport businesses during the epidemic

​Buses stop operating at Bien Hoa Station due to the epidemic

Risk of bankruptcy due to the low revenue

Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, owner of a transport enterprise in Nhon Trach District said that over the past time, the output and revenue of the enterprise have decreased by more than 60%, many workers have no jobs. Most vehicles had to stop working due to lack of goods, but the company still had to pay road maintenance fees. Meanwhile, many kinds of taxes, fees, bank interest, insurance fees are not reduced; Warehouse fee also increased from the beginning of the year.

“To help businesses overcome difficulties, the State's support policies should have specific regulations for the areas that are most heavily affected, should enjoy the higher level of support, the conditions also need to be simpler. In the recent time, a number of policies have been issued, but it is difficult for businesses to access the resources because the procedures are complicated," said Mr. Tai.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thien, Director of Thong Nhat Transport Service Cooperative (Trang Bom District) said that currently the number of vehicles of the cooperative is only 50% compared to the number before the Covid-19 epidemic. Some operating costs increased, the number of passengers allowed to carry was limited by less than 50%, so it significantly affected the production and business activities of the Cooperative.

According to Mr. Thien, since the beginning of June 2021, intercity buses from Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong Province have stopped operating. Vehicles of cooperative members must be "covered with mats", followed by a team of drivers and service staff who suffered from no income. If this situation continues, it will be difficult to maintain the business until the situation gets better.

Many timely solutions are expected

In the recent time, in addition to the complicated and unpredictable Covid-19 epidemic, the continuous increase in the fuel price has caused many businesses and cooperatives in the province worried about not ensuring production and business activities. Because the situation greatly impacts on the efficiency of the enterprises’ production and business, the risk transportation costs increase is absolutely possible.

Facing the above situation, the Prime Minister has just assigned the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with relevant agencies in considering and proposing policies and solutions to support the passenger transport enterprises facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 epidemic, supporting the enterprises to transport the agricultural products to border gates and between regions and areas in the domestic market. Specifically, the Ministry has proposed the Government to issue more support solutions for transport enterprises to restore production and business such as: reducing value-added tax to 0%, reducing corporate income tax by 50% for industries severely affected by the epidemic. In addition, the payment is extended for 6 months for the tax arrears until December 31, 2021 and there is no fee for stopping, parking and picking up passengers at the airport, train station, port and 50% off the service price via bus station for passenger buses; 50% reduction of registration fee for newly registered vehicles for transport business until the end of this year.

For the proposal of exemption from road maintenance fees, Circular No. 112/2020/TT-BTC dated December 29, 2020 stipulates the collection rates of some fees and charges in order to support and remove difficulties for business activities, ensuring social security in response to the Covid-19 epidemic, allowing to reduce the road use fee from January 1 to the end of June 30, 2021. Recently, the Ministry of Transport also proposed to the Government to direct the Ministry of Finance to continue to allow the extension of the reduction of road use fees until the end of this year.

Deputy Director of the Department of Transport Duong Manh Hung said that measures to support transport enterprises and transport business cooperatives in the province are also implemented in accordance with regulations set by the Ministry of Transport, such as exemptions and reductions of taxes for passenger transport companies, especially cooperatives, individual business households; The banks implement debt rescheduling, debt extension and exemption and reduction of vehicle investment interest rates, in order to step by step support and remove difficulties for transport enterprises.

Le Binh

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