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The UKVFTA Agreement will take effect from May 1

Under the provisions of Clause 2a of Article 9 in the Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (UKVFTA) will officially take effect from May 1, 2021.

This Agreement will help Vietnam and the UK maintain favorable trade conditions and economic benefits through market-opening commitments already included in the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Trade in services continues to be maintained, in which the two sides have conditions to further promote cooperation in services in the coming time. In January 2021, the total export turnover between Vietnam and the UK reached 657.35 million USD, up 78.57% over the same period last year.

The European-American Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) informed that the recent ratification of the Resolution by the Government of Vietnam on the ratification of UKVFTA will help the Agreement soon come into effect (It took effect temporarily from January 1, 2021).

Previously, on March 26, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs - To Anh Dung chaired the chaired a ceremony to exchange official notes confirming the effective date of the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

According to the General Department of Customs, in the first 2 months of this year, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and the UK reached 1.024 billion USD, up 20.05% over the same period last year. This shows that the UKVFTA Agreement has created an important impetus in the recovery of trade between Vietnam and the UK this year.

In addition, the UK is implementing the vaccine strategy on a large scale and the prospect of positive economic growth recently launched by prestigious international institutions, promising the field of economic cooperation and trade between the two countries continues to be a bright spot in the good bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the UK.

After the UKVFTA Agreement was officially signed on December 29, 2020 in the UK, Vietnam and the UK have completed domestic procedures to allow the temporary application of this Agreement from 23:00 GMT on December 31, 2020 (ie 6 AM on January 1, 2021 Vietnam time).

Vocational training costs for employees participating in unemployment insurance will be supported from May 15

From May 15, 2021, the employees participating in unemployment insurance will be provided with vocational training support according to Decision No. 17/2021/QD-TTg. Accordingly, the subjects of application under the Regulation on vocational training support levels for employees participating in unemployment insurance include:

Employees are provided with vocational training support as prescribed in Article 55 of the Employment Law (hereinafter referred to as employees). Vocational education institutions, higher education institutions registered for vocational education activities at college level, enterprises, agencies and organizations that are entitled to provide vocational education activities to participate in vocational training for employees (hereinafter referred to as vocational training institutions).

Specific vocational training support levels:

For people participating in a vocational training course up to 3 months: The support level is calculated according to the tuition fees of the vocational training institution and the actual training period but must not exceed VND 4,500,000/person/training course. For people participating in vocational training courses over 3 months: The support level is calculated by month, the actual tuition fee collection and the actual training time but must not exceed VND 1,500,000/person/month. Thus, it can be seen that from May 15, 2021, the vocational training support level for the employees participating in unemployment insurance has been significantly increased from VND 1 million/month to VND 1.5 million/month.

In case the employee participating in a vocational training course has odd days with insufficient months as prescribed by the vocational training institution, the odd number of days shall be calculated according to the principle as follows: 14 days or less is counted as month and from 15 days or more is counted as one month.

Applications for apprenticeship and apprenticeship support are specified in Article 24 and Article 25 of the Government's Decree No. 28/2015/ND-CP dated March 12, 2015 detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Employment Law regarding unemployment insurance (as amended and supplemented by the Government's Decree No. 61/2020/ND-CP dated May 29, 2020). Every month, the vocational training institution shall carry out the procedures for payment and settlement of funding for vocational training support as prescribed in Article 25 of the Government's Decree No. 28/2015/ND-CP dated March 12, 2015 detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Employment Law regarding unemployment insurance (as amended and supplemented by the Government's Decree No. 61/2020/ND-CP dated May 29, 2020).

The General Department of Taxation will have 18 affiliated units from May 20

According to Decision No. 15/2021/QD-TTg amending and supplementing Clause 1, Article 3 of Decision No. 41/2018/QD-TTg dated September 25, 2018 of the Prime Minister defining the functions and tasks, powers and organizational structure of the General Department of Taxation under the Ministry of Finance will take effect from May 20.

Accordingly, the General Department of Taxation at the central level includes: Department of Tax Policy; Department of Legal Affairs; Department of Tax Collection Estimation; Department of Propaganda and Taxpayer Service; Department of Tax Declaration and Accounting; Tax Enforcement Agency; Tax Examination and Inspection Department; Large Enterprise Tax Department; Department of Tax Administration of Small and Medium Enterprises and Business Households and individuals; Department of International Cooperation; Internal Inspection Department; Settlement of complaints, denunciations and anti-corruption; Department of Organization and Personnel; Department of Finance and Management; The Office; Department of Information Technology; Tax College; Tax Magazine.

In which, including administrative organizations helping the General Director perform the function of state management and organizations that are non-business units.

The establishment of offices under the Office and a Department under the General Department of Taxation must meet the criteria specified in the Government's Decree No. 101/2020/ND-CP dated August 28, 2020, amending and supplementing a Article of the Government's Decree No. 123/2016/ND-CP dated September 1, 2016, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies.