Vietnam to collect fees from sea-surface users

The Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of Vietnam have announced plans to start charging fees to sea-surface users.

According to VietNamNet Bridge, the Ministries are proposing a draft under which the Government would start collecting fees from five groups of sea-users in the amount between VND 3 mln and 7.5 mln (€ 127-316) per hectare per year.

The following groups will be charged with fees, according to VietnamNet Bridge:

• those who exploit wind, wave, tidal energy and ocean currents to build underground pipeline systems, or install telecommunication cables,
• those who build floating and underground works, artificial islands and civil engineering works on the sea,
• those who build seaports and use territorial waters for the activities of fishing ports, shipbuilding and sea tourism,
• those who carry out activities of exploring and exploiting minerals,
• those whose activities include exploiting water to cool factories.

Tourist organisations, as well as enterprises in other production fields have expressed their disapproval of the Ministries’ action.

Image: flickr/Jessica Nicole