On December 11, on the sidelines of the 20th session of the 10th term People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai shared his thoughts on how to resolve the 787 billion VND tax debt of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden.
According to Mr. Phan Van Mai, the city will assign the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to review decisions related to land allocation and leasing at the Zoo.
Ho Chi Minh City will collect taxes on land used for production and business purposes, while for land used for public purposes, there will be adjustments to make it more suitable.
"For land used for public purposes, we can transfer it without charging land use fees or land rent. After adjusting the decision, the Tax Department will base on that to recalculate" - Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said.
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is one of the 10 oldest zoos in the world, with a history of 160 years. Considered a wildlife conservation center, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden not only carries out animal breeding and rescue, but is also an educational facility for scientists, students, and students to research and study. This is a familiar cultural and entertainment destination for Ho Chi Minh City residents and domestic and foreign tourists.
In 2014, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee signed a decision to lease land at the Zoo with an area of 158,117 m2 for public purposes. The purpose of land use is to pay annually, the land lease term is 50 years.
Recently, the District 1 Tax Department has issued an official dispatch on the enforcement of an administrative decision on tax management against Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden One Member Co., Ltd. with an overdue debt of more than VND 787 billion. Accordingly, the tax authority will enforce by withdrawing money from the company's account because the tax debt is over 90 days old.
Director of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens Vu Thi Huong Giang said that Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a non-profit enterprise. According to Ms. Giang, the land area rented since 2014 is still completely suitable for the facility's function, with only 5,590 m2, or about 3.5% of the total area, used for service business purposes.
The remaining areas are reserved for public activities such as barn construction, park landscaping and public services.
In the past, the Zoo has temporarily paid nearly 30 billion VND in land rent for public land areas for business purposes. The tax rate is applied based on the announcement of the District 1 Tax Department.
