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"Our online petition has received nearly 1,200 signatures, and when the number reaches 5,000, we will send a print version to the government," Lam Minh Chanh, CEO of online business school BizUni, a representative of the 11 firms, told VnExpress Monday.
Chanh said SMEs are most vulnerable to pandemic impacts. While they account for 97.8 percent of all Vietnamese enterprises in official estimates, they are facing many difficulties, including heavy costs for the stay-at-work mode, rent, warehousing and social insurance.
The 11 firms want the government to assist SMEs in three key areas relating to employees, taxes and fees, and finance and banking, he said.
Regarding worker-related policies, the SMEs want to stop paying social insurance from now until least six months after the pandemic has been brought under control, and be exempt from fines if they are unable to pay it amid Covid-19 outbreaks.
The enterprises want their employees are allowed not to pay social insurance when they close down or curtail operations during social distancing campaigns and for the government to provide urgent assistance to the staff.
The SMEs are proposing they are exempted from paying value-added tax (VAT) in 2021, and to enjoy a 50-percent reduction in VAT for the 2022-2023 period, a 50-percent reduction in corporate income tax in 2021, and a 30-percent reduction for three years after the pandemic is brought under control.
They also want the state to cover the expenses they have incurred amid Covid-19 outbreaks for virus testing and implementing the stay-at-work model.
The SMEs are requesting that they are allowed to access the new aid package which offers loans at a maximum interest of four percent starting August 1 until 12 months after the pandemic is controlled.
They are asking the debts of firms that have had to temporarily cease operations or otherwise been hurt by the prolonged Covid-19 outbreaks are frozen, and their interest rates reduced by 2-3 percent from August 1 to 6 months after the pandemic is deemed over.
