Hai Phong considers waiving fees for online administrative services
The Hai Phong People's Council is considering a proposal to waive fees for a wide range of administrative procedures completed online, effectively setting the fee at zero. It is also reviewing criteria for highly qualified foreign professionals seeking to work in the city's Free Trade Zone.
On the morning of July 16, the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs of the Hai Phong People's Council reviewed draft resolutions submitted by the municipal People's Committee for consideration at the third session (the mid-year regular session in 2026) of the 17th Hai Phong People's Council for the 2026–2031 term. Mr. Bui Duc Quang, Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People's Council, attended the meeting.
According to a report on the draft resolution presented by the Department of Finance, the municipal People's Committee has proposed waiving fees and charges for administrative procedures carried out online. Under the proposal, the fee would be set at zero for four administrative charges (levies) and seven service fees.
The four administrative charges cover: civil status registration; work permits for foreign nationals employed in Vietnam; certificates of land use rights and ownership of assets attached to land; and construction permits. The proposal also waives the security interest registration fee.
The seven categories of fees include: appraisal fees for applications for certificates of land use rights and ownership of assets attached to land; appraisal fees for the issuance, reissuance, and amendment of environmental permits; appraisal fees for environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports; appraisal fees for applications for water resources permits; fees for the evaluation and certification of elite trees, plus trees, forest nurseries, and seed forests; and appraisal fees for certificates of eligibility to operate sports facilities and professional sports clubs within the city.
A representative of the Department of Home Affairs presented the draft resolution setting out eligibility criteria for foreign experts, scientists, talented professionals, managers, and highly skilled workers employed by enterprises headquartered in the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone.
Under the proposal, a foreign expert is defined as a person who meets one of the following two criteria: holding a university degree or higher, or an equivalent qualification, and having at least two years of relevant work experience corresponding to the position the foreign employee is expected to undertake in Vietnam; or holding a university degree or higher in a relevant field of study and having at least one year of relevant work experience for positions in finance, science and technology, innovation, national digital transformation, or sectors prioritized for socio-economic development by ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provincial People's Committees, or under cooperation agreements of the Government of Vietnam.
The draft resolution also sets out the criteria for identifying foreign nationals as scientists, talented professionals, managers, and highly skilled workers, and specifies 10 priority industries, occupations, and sectors.
At the review meeting, the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs of the City People's Council expressed its general support for the proposal and the draft resolutions submitted by the municipal People's Committee.
Concluding the meeting, Head of the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Cao Lan, called on the relevant agencies to review and further clarify the legal and practical basis for the proposals before the draft resolutions are submitted for approval. Regarding the draft resolution on eligibility criteria for foreign experts, scientists, talented professionals, managers, and highly skilled workers employed by enterprises headquartered in the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone, he said the proposal should further clarify the geographical scope of application and consider expanding the categories of beneficiaries eligible for the policy.
Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People's Council Bui Duc Quang, urged the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs and relevant agencies to continue reviewing, studying, and thoroughly assessing the potential impacts of the proposed policies to ensure they both support economic development and maintain cultural stability and social welfare as the city attracts foreign workers to the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone.
Phong Tuyet