VietNamNet Bridge – Authorities must make sure inspections, examinations and auditing of financial and tax issues are done only once a year at enterprises, the Government Office said on the Government website on Monday.

A man is at work at a domestic manufacturing enterprise in this file photo. Authorities must make sure inspections, examinations and auditing of financial and tax issues are done only once a year at enterprises – Photo: Hung Le

To improve the investment and business environment, the Prime Minister has told State agencies to work together and ensure consistency in their inspections, examinations and auditing. Those firms chosen for inspection must get prior notices, except for snap checks.

Inspections cannot be carried out without legal merit, says the Prime Minister.

Inspections, examinations and auditing should not be done into the same contents that are already concluded or handled, and inspectors must be responsible for their conclusions.

The Government Inspectorate will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to monitor and supervise the implementation.

Analysts said this is an effort of the Government and the Prime Minister to provide decent businesses and investors with a favorable and transparent environment in the context of deeper integration.

Many domestic enterprises said they would need no assistance from the State if authorities do not disturb or hinder their operations or cost them business opportunities. They have proposed scrapping unannounced inspections.

At recent meetings on business development support, enterprises based in HCMC’s industrial parks said some of them had to work with 20 inspection teams a year, not to mention those conducted by local authorities. The fact that any agency can send inspectors to look into issues such as tax, environment and fire prevention can distract enterprises from their production and business activities.

Some businesses even do not want to boost growth since the bigger they are, the more inspections they will have to deal with.

Earlier, the Legislation Department of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) found that a firm may have to meet 16-17 inspection teams a year. On the same issue, one inspection team may arrive right after another has left.

A survey of VCCI reveals Vietnamese businesses are suffering from overlapping inspections. Larger enterprises are checked more frequently, thus depriving them of their ambitions to grow big.

SGT