Hanoi to ease socio-cultural sector concerns

The event was held to give investors the opportunity to give updates on their operations and propose solutions to ease difficulties for businesses in the socio-cultural sector.

Speaking at the event, Vu Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of Hanoi People's Committee, said, "Hanoi is developing its education and training, healthcare, culture and sports industries. This conference demonstrates the role of the city government in building the most favourable investment and business environment for businesses to develop."

Ha also pointed out that although Hanoi has made significant progress in encouraging investment and development of socio-cultural projects recently, businesses in this sector still face many challenges.

A representative from Dong Quang Group JSC enquired about Hanoi's incentives for the advertising industry.

Responding to this, Do Dinh Hong, director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, said, "The department has put forward specific policies in the process of advising on the development of the 2024 Capital Law. Specifically, there have been additional regulations related to the development of cultural industries, including new areas such as culinary culture and advertising."

The advertising sector has a 10-year land rent tax exemption and a 50 per cent reduction for the remaining period. Regarding corporate income tax, advertising businesses are exempt for four years and receive a reduction for the following nine years.

"We will report to Hanoi People's Committee and submit to Hanoi People's Council to apply for each sector," Hong added.

A representative from Vietnam Education Technology Development Co., Ltd. raised concerns about the difficulties in obtaining work permits for foreign teachers.

Similarly, a representative from Language Link Vietnam noted that the work permit process for foreign workers is complex. They noted that Hanoi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs enforces Article 72 of the Education Law, requiring teachers to have separate language proficiency certificates and teaching qualifications. However, many foreign workers have degrees combining both skills, rather than the separate certificates needed.

Hanoi People's Committee reported that the city's functional agencies received over 66 proposals from 57 businesses, organisations and individuals, summarised into six areas with 20 groups of issues.

The education sector has four groups of issues concerning the addition of educational levels, procedures for investing in non-public school construction, procedures for registering for socialisation incentive policies, and issuance of operating licences.

The vocational education sector has three groups of concerns on support policies for vocational training, licensing of training institutions and vocational training workers, and mechanisms for ordering vocational training.

The health sector would like to see the following addressed, support policies, investment environment, and linkage and cooperation.

The advertising sector put forward its concerns on the laws on land use, LED screen installation deployment, implementation of regulations on advertising activity management.

The arts and culture sector has requested reviews on laws concerning infrastructure investment, performance organisation activities; appraisal and licensing of artworks, and copying of artworks.

Meanwhile, representatives from the sports sector would like fresh rulings on the registration of training and competition facilities, management of training and practice for some new sports, and the licensing of training facilities and training personnel.

To conclude the conference, Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee directed departments, sectors and districts to focus on removing bottlenecks in investment and operation to promote the development of the capital's socio-cultural sector towards integration, development, and sustainability.

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