The Zoo operates on a non-profit basis.
Speaking with Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Vu Thi Huong Giang, Director of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, said that the issue of land rental debt that has been stirring up in recent days is not really an incident and does not affect the regular operations of the Zoo and Botanical Garden.
“The issue of land tax debt has existed for a long time, not just recently. Recently, when the Zoo and Botanical Garden made a request, the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City promptly paid attention and directed departments and branches to coordinate with each other to resolve the issue. And I believe there will be a reasonable solution for this issue,” said Ms. Giang.
According to Ms. Giang, in 2014, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee signed a decision to lease land to Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden with an area of 158,117 square meters for public use under an annual payment regime for a period of 50 years.
District 1 Tax Department has announced the land rent for the entire above area, the total amount per year is 163.3 billion VND. Up to now, District 1 Tax Department has announced that the tax debt of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden Company Limited as of October 31, 2024 is more than 846 billion VND.
Of which, the overdue amount that must be enforced for tax debt collection is more than 787 billion VND. According to Ms. Giang, tax debt collection is a regulation of the Tax Law. The tax authority also sympathizes with Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, but must issue a notice of enforcement according to the law.
According to Ms. Giang, in each phase, the Zoo will have different difficulties. Previously, the Zoo was supported by the budget so it did not have to worry about operating costs, but it was worried about the material and technical conditions that were not fully met as they are now.
Since 2015, the Zoo has been a 100% state-owned enterprise operating autonomously. Ho Chi Minh City has also clearly stated that the Zoo is not a profit-making entity. At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City also hopes that this place will be a place for sightseeing, entertainment, and recreation that attracts a large number of people from the city and other places.
“That is why the target that Ho Chi Minh City gives us does not focus on profit. From 2020 to now, Ho Chi Minh City has assigned the profit target for the Zoo to be just over 4 billion VND/year. For a normal business, this is not a large number... and the same goes for the Zoo. This is to prove that the operation of the Zoo throughout the past time is also for public purposes,” Ms. Giang explained.
Warmth of care
Ms. Giang said that in recent days, the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, departments, branches and people have also been very interested in Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, which warms her heart.
“The Zoo is not just a normal park, but a memory, a close bond, a cultural symbol of the city’s people. We always believe that not only the Zoo, but also other places, when there are difficulties and problems, the competent authorities and departments will resolve them,” Ms. Giang expressed.
On the afternoon of December 11, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens held an urgent meeting with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City to discuss a plan to handle the land tax debt of nearly 850 billion VND. The Director of the Zoo and Botanical Gardens said that the meeting took place with the participation of relevant departments, branches and agencies to quickly resolve the unit's tax debt problem.
During the meeting, the parties agreed that the Zoo will review and report on the current status of land use. In particular, it aims to clearly separate the land area for business and service purposes and the public land not related to business. The Zoo will make a record of measuring the area of business land and public land, then send the dossier to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City to coordinate with related units, and submit to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City in accordance with regulations.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said that he has assigned the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment to review the decision to allocate and lease land for the Zoo. Ho Chi Minh City will lease the land for production and business purposes, and for land used for public purposes, it will recalculate to be able to allocate land without charging rent. After the adjustment, the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department will recalculate the tax to be collected.
Chairman Phan Van Mai affirmed that the Zoo will not have to close, and if any problems arise, a solution will be found.
