National Assembly agrees to add 55,000 billion VND to increase basic salary

On the afternoon of November 30, in the closing session, the National Assembly passed the Resolution of the 8th Session with 100% of the delegates present in agreement, deciding on many urgent and important contents.

Supplemental budget to increase basic salary

In the resolution, the National Assembly agreed to supplement the 2024 State budget expenditure estimate for ministries, central agencies and localities to implement the basic salary of VND 2.34 million/month as prescribed in Decree 73/2024 of the Government.

Accordingly, 55,000 billion VND of the central budget's salary reform savings will be added to the 2024 State budget revenue estimate, and the corresponding amount will be added to the 2024 State budget expenditure estimate.

Within the source of 55,000 billion VND, the National Assembly agreed to allocate a portion to supplement the salary reform budget for the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security.

Regarding the remaining amount and VND 2,980 billion in the annual State budget balance, the National Assembly decided to assign the Government to decide on supplementing the 2024 salary reform expenditure estimate for ministries, central and local agencies.

"The Government is responsible for the proposed content to ensure compliance with legal regulations, the accuracy of information and reported data, the necessity, completeness, reasonableness, compliance with standards, norms, and spending regimes to ensure compliance with legal regulations," the resolution clearly stated, requesting the Government to promptly organize implementation, ensuring the right purpose and effectiveness of the State budget.

Continue to reduce VAT by 2% in the first 6 months of 2025

The Joint Resolution stipulates a continued reduction of 2% in value-added tax (VAT) rates for a number of groups of goods and services from January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025.

The 2% VAT reduction policy will not apply to groups of goods and services, including: telecommunications, information technology, financial activities, banking, securities, insurance, real estate business, metals, prefabricated metal products, mining products (excluding coal mining), coke, refined petroleum, chemical products, goods and services subject to special consumption tax.

The National Assembly assigned the Government to organize implementation and take responsibility for ensuring the collection task and the ability to balance the State budget in 2025 as decided by the National Assembly.

The Government is also requested to urgently issue a Decree on customs management of exported and imported goods traded via e-commerce channels, ensuring that import tax exemptions are not allowed for small-value goods, providing a basis for tax authorities to have a legal basis and sanctions to manage tax collection for foreign e-commerce platforms selling goods into Vietnam, and immediately ending the validity of Decision 78/2010 of the Prime Minister.

Implementing 3 important projects of the Central Party Office

The National Assembly agreed to allow the implementation of a number of urgent mechanisms and solutions necessary to implement three important projects of the Party Central Office as proposed by the Government in Submission No. 56 dated November 27.

The National Assembly assigned the Government to direct the organization and implementation of projects to ensure progress, quality, savings, efficiency, and to prevent negativity, loss, and waste of the state budget.

In the resolution, the National Assembly also assigned the Government to summarize and report at the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly (end of 2025) on the results of implementing national target programs; at the same time, propose a national target program for the 2026-2030 period.

The National Assembly allows to extend the implementation period and disbursement of capital for national target programs in 2024 (including capital in 2022 and 2023 transferred to 2024) until December 31, 2025.