NEW POLICIES TAKE EFFECT IN JANUARY

The minimum wage will be applied for four different regions in Viet Nam as follows Region I: VND 3.1 million (US$147); Region II: VND 2.75 million (US$130); Region III:

VND 2.4million (US$114) and Region IV: VND 2.15 million (US$102).
 
Health insurance payment
 
Since January 1, 2015, workers with non-term and short-term labor contracts; staffs, and civil servants will spend 4.5% of their minimum salaries on health insurance.
 
Female employees entitled to paid maternity leaves from work as stipulated by the Law on Social Insurance have to make  a monthly contribution rate equalling 4.5% of their monthly pay received before taking  maternity leave.
 
For retired people, health insurance premium makes up 4.5% of their pension.
 
Employees entitled to paid sick leaves from work for the period of more than 14 days, they are exempt from health insurance contribution but still eligible to health insurance benefits.
 
Increasing wage for retired communal officials
 
The wages for retired communal officials are entitled to an 8% increase since January 1, 2015.
 
Policy for personnel cuts
 
The Decree on personnel reductions takes effect on January 10, 2015. The proposed personnel reductions will include civil servants, employees at State agencies with labor contracts of indefinite terms, officials of State-owned, one-member, limited-liability companies, and association staff at all levels.
 
Male under 58 and female under 53, who retire prior to the compulsory age and are ineligible to policy on retirement, will enjoy, after quitting job, a three-month-wage subsidy and a one-and-a-half-month wage subsidy for each working with social insurance to find new jobs.

Efficiency of farmer household-based animal husbandry enhanced
 
According to Decision No. 50/2014/QD-TTg on supporting policies to enhance thr efficiency of farmer household-based livestock breeding in 2015 – 2020, farm husbandry practices will be supported to improve efficiency, enhance added value and minimize damage.
 
The Decision is effective from January 1, 2015.
 
Higher fines for delays in land certificate licensing
 
The Government's decree detailing fines for land administration offences specifies between VND500,000 ($23) to VND1 billion ($47,600) for authorised agencies' delays in granting on land certificates.
 
Increased fine for overloaded truck
 
According to a new Decree to modify some articles in Decree No.171/2013/NÐ-CP on penalties for road administrative traffic offences and rail transport offences, a VND5-7 million fine is applied for overloaded truck (over 60% of weight for truck under five tons and over 50% of weight for truck over five tons, including trailers and semi-trailers).
 
With a 100%-weight overloaded truck, a VND7-8 million fine can be issued, higher than the current VND5-7 million.
 
New regulations on plant quarantine
 
The Decree on detailing some articles of the Law on  Plant Protection and Quarantine prohibits exporting and importing articles from countries or territories that pose high risk of carrying quarantined subjects into Viet Nam, threat to domestic agricultural production, national food security without being subject to any controlling measures to have them eradicated, subject to the suspension of import without applying any remedial measures or have undergone the application of these measures but still not conform to regulations on imported plant quarantine in Viet Nam.
 
The Decree takes effect from January 18, 2015.

Source: VGP