Ha Noi (VNA) - Viet Nam’s commitments to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including those on tax reduction on imported goods and the liberation of the services market, are completely suitable for the country’s current development level.
This opinion was shared by almost all Viet Nam's trade partners as well as other foreign companies at a business seminar to look inside the country’s commitments package held in Ha Noi on Feb.28.
At the seminar, trade and legal experts discussed three key WTO issues: Viet Nam’s commitments in liberalising goods and services market, in addition to, protecting intellectual property rights.
Michael Growder, First Secretary in charge of economic and commercial policy of the Australian embassy in Ha Noi, said that Viet Nam had committed to gradually reducing 10,670 taxation lines for imported goods. The country would decrease the import tax levied on farming products from 25.2 percent to 21 percent. For non-farming products, the tax would go down from 16.1 percent to 12.6 percent.
Growder said he was satisfied with the commitments made by Viet Nam in March 2006. He considered that joining the WTO does not imply that Viet Nam has to immediately and massively or completely cut import tax; however; it should clearly carry out tax reduction according to a roadmap. He affirmed that these commitments were exactly “what Australia expects”.
Reports on the real situation of intellectual property protection in Viet Nam were presented at the seminar, touching upon Viet Nam’s efforts in building a legal framework, issuing the Law on Intellectual Property and 35 other laws, decrees and circulars relating to the topic.
Antonio Berenguer, Trade Counsellor, EC delegation to Viet Nam, expressed his confidence in the Vietnamese government’s determination to prevent and minimise the violation of intellectual property and affirmed the EU’s continued support for Viet Nam’s efforts in this area.
The seminar, jointly organised by Australia’s Chamber of Commerce (AusCham) and the EU’s Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham), was attended by India's Chamber of Commerce (InCham), Canada's Chamber of Commerce (CanCham), the Singapore Business Association of Viet Nam, the Ha Noi Young Business Association, and the Nordic Chambers of Commerce in Viet Nam. -Enditem |