Electricity price increases by 17%, salary increases by only 6%
On June 18, the National Assembly continued to discuss in the hall the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and the State budget. Delegate Thai Thu Xuong - Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (Hau Giang Delegation) - mentioned the lives of workers under pressure from price increases and declining income.
According to the delegate, voters, especially workers in industrial parks are facing double pressure, on the one hand, electricity prices and gold prices are increasing, causing food prices to increase, on the other hand, unstable jobs, declining income, and precarious lives.
She cited that from 2023 to present, Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has adjusted electricity prices up 4 times with an increase rate of 17%, while the regional minimum wage of workers has only increased once with an increase of 6%.
"This increase makes many workers unable to cover their daily needs, let alone save or invest in the future," the delegate worried.
The delegate said that they are the ones who directly produce and create material wealth for society, but workers and laborers have not received due attention. They have to live in cramped boarding houses, with poor facilities and equipment, struggling to make ends meet.
From the above reality, on behalf of voters who are workers, the delegate strongly recommended that the Government should have solutions to control inflation to stabilize essential goods, especially electricity prices and food and beverage. At the same time, study policies to adjust electricity prices in the direction of incentives for low-income people.
The delegate suggested urgently reviewing, adjusting, and increasing the regional minimum wage from July. This is not only a technical recommendation but an urgent requirement from the practical life of workers. The regional minimum wage must truly meet the minimum living standard, in accordance with the spirit of the provisions of the Labor Code.
Voters do not demand big promises, they just hope to live in a society where faith is nurtured, justice is guaranteed and the value is honored, the delegate said and suggested a soon increase in the regional minimum wage.
Proposal to settle taxes but have to queue
According to delegate To Thi Bich Chau (HCMC delegation), businesses reported that when they want to settle taxes, the tax authority does not have enough people to do it. Some local tax authorities said that business units are inspected, checked, and audited, so they need to report taxes. Most of these enterprises are large and complex enterprises. Therefore, the tax authority focuses on people to make reports to these enterprises.
Many other businesses have to queue up when they have an official dispatch requesting tax settlement. Meanwhile, participating in business without waiting for time. This is a practical difficulty, the delegate stated and hoped that the Government would have guidance to support businesses to do business legally and legitimately.
The delegate of the Ho Chi Minh City Delegation also gave a case where the renter fails to pay excess tax, when the contract ends and wants to re-pay that contract, he must have a tax certificate from the tax party.
"But one person went for 3 months but did not receive it and the other went for nearly a year but did not receive it, even though the tax payment was not much, some were a few hundred thousand, others were 1-2 million VND. So, how do we evaluate the capacity and enthusiasm of cadres who want to effectively solve the problem for the people?" - the delegate stated.
She said that this situation needs to be recognized to measure the capacity, enthusiasm and ethics of cadres in public service. Only then will people believe in the arrangement and selection of cadres effectively.
Regarding high-quality labor, delegate Nguyen Hai Nam (Hue City) said that according to some assessments in 2024, this labor force has not yet met the needs of businesses. Therefore, the delegate recommended that more attention should be paid to vocational training, paying attention to business orders and the labor market.
In the context of the 4.0 industrial revolution, delegates recommended increasing training in digital skills and artificial intelligence (AI). Citing experiences in some countries in the region, the delegate found that they have included artificial intelligence training for high school students.
