Deputy Prime Minister: Do not take advantage of importing donated cars for personal gain

On June 22, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc met with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on import and temporary import of cars in the form of gifts and movable assets.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc noted that completing the policy needs to ensure fairness and transparency, and not to take advantage of gifts and giveaways to profit from the policy. The goal is to continue to improve policies and ensure state management requirements.

At the same time, he requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to identify and remove obstacles in the policy development process, not prohibiting or not allowing implementation because of difficulty in management.

Currently, cars are imported for non-commercial purposes mainly as gifts. Meanwhile, according to Decree 116, importing this type of vehicle does not apply to some excepted cases, including gifts and donations. Thus, businesses that do not meet the conditions under this decree can still import goods that need to be managed for business.

However, cars imported or temporarily imported for commercial purposes or not still need to be warranted and maintained according to the manufacturer’s standards at a domestic facility, meeting regulations on technical safety and environmental protection. Not to mention, the operator is also concerned about the case of organizations and individuals taking advantage of moving their work, study or work locations to Vietnam to bring assets with them for business purposes.

To avoid the above situation, in the draft Decision of the Prime Minister on this content, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes that imported cars, temporarily imported as gifts, gifts or movable assets must be consistent with the vehicle type, brand, manufacturer and fuel type recorded in the automobile import business license of the enterprise carrying out import procedures.

Import and temporary import activities in these forms can only be carried out through enterprises licensed to import cars under Decree 116/2017, except in cases where they enjoy special incentives and exemptions.

Regarding documents, organizations and individuals must meet the documents according to customs regulations. At the same time, they must add a document showing the purpose of import as a gift, gift or movable property, information about the donor – recipient or user and basic parameters of the vehicle.

The draft also stipulates the responsibilities of relevant agencies in managing this activity. In particular, the Ministry of Industry and Trade publicizes the list of businesses licensed to import cars and coordinates to build a shared database. The Ministry of Construction publishes a list of warranty and maintenance facilities that meet technical standards. The Ministry of Finance directs customs clearance, supervises the transfer and donation of temporarily imported vehicles and presides over the construction of a database to serve state management.

Car importers need to periodically report on the quantity, value, type, brand and fuel used of imported vehicles.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the new regulations aim to limit the import of used vehicles that do not meet requirements on technical safety, environmental protection and traffic safety. At the same time, imported vehicles will be warranted and maintained according to the manufacturer’s standards in Vietnam.

This agency also believes that implementation through licensed enterprises contributes to simplifying procedures and increasing transparency in import activities.