VietNamNet Bridge – Families of State employees presently occupying an average house area of more than 5sq.m per person will now be eligible to buy a low-income house, according to a draft plan covering the period from 2011 to 2020.
Previously, the Housing Law and Government Resolution 18 regulated that housing for those with no homes or those occupying an average area of under 5sq.m per person would qualify for low-income urban houses.


According to the new draft plan, State cadres, civil servants and members of the armed forces can qualify because, despite an increase in basic salaries, State employees are not able to buy houses at market prices which are very high.


Therefore, those classified as having an average house area of above 5sq.m per person should also have the right to buy low-income houses.


To encourage the involvement of other economic sectors in building social houses, the proposal also asked for preferential policies for investors, such as exemption from land-use and rental fees, and the highest level of refunds from Value-Added Tax.


Investors will also enjoy exemption from corporate income tax during the first four years and a 50 per cent discount in corporate income tax in the following five years. After this period, corporate income tax will be only 10 per cent.


From 2011 to 2015, Ha Noi plans to provide 10,000 flats (1.5 million square metres) for families with average accommodation area of between 5sq.m and 10sq.m per person.


According to the Ha Noi Construction Department, 580,000 State officials working in 72 ministerial and central agencies have demand for houses. Of the total, 126,000 people fall in the category of under 5sq. m per person of housing area.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News