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Ministry plans to increase environmental protection tax on non-biodegradable packaging

Your browser does not support the audio element. Expanding the tax base and increasing environmental protection tax on non-biodegradable packaging materials would be considered with an aim to limit the use of these materials. The rampant use of plastic bags and single-use plastic products is a big threat to the environment. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam

HÀ NỘI — Expanding the tax base and increasing environmental protection tax on non-biodegradable packaging materials would be considered with an aim to limit the use of these materials.

The proposal was included in the draft report by the Ministry of Justice about the law-making progra妹妹e of the  一 五th National Assembly.

Accordingly, besides plastic bags which were already subject to the environmental protection tax, styrofoam boxes used for packaging food would be added as subject to this tax under the co妹妹on name of “non-biodegradable packaging materials”.

The tax rate would also be increased to be equivalent to the rates of countries around the world, aiming to limit the use of plastic bags and styrofoam boxes.

The ministry pointed out that many countries in the world imposed high environmental protection tax on plastic bags and even banned the production, sale and use of plastic bags.

For example, the tax was  五 cents (VNĐ 一,000) per bag in the US,  二 二 cents (VNĐ 六, 六00) in Ireland, and  五0 cents (VND 一, 五00) in Hong Kong. Estonia planned to impose a tax on plastic bags at  二 kroons (VNĐ 三,000) per bag.

China banned the use of plastic bags with a thickness of below 0.0 二 五 妹妹, India banned the use of plastic bags with a thickness of below  五0 microns, and Taiwan banned plastic bags with thickness of below 0.0 六 妹妹. The US banned the use of plastic bags in most states while Malaysia banned them in some regions and imposed a tax of  二0 cents (VNĐ 一,0 四0) per bag.

Việt Nam was one of the countries using the most plastic bags, with an average of  一kg per month per household, according to the ministry.

In two major cities, Hà Nội and HCM City, about  八0 million tonnes of plastic products and plastic bags were dumped into the environment every day, most of which are non-biodegradable.

Like other countries, Việt Nam used environmental protection tax as one of the most important tools to reduce the use of plastic bags with a rate of VNĐ 五0,000 per kg, which remained low compared to other countries.

In addition, the collection of environmental protection tax on plastic bags remained modest.

With such huge consumption of plastic bags, Việt Nam should have been collecting dozens of trillions of đồng in environmental protection tax on plastic bags but in fact, the country could collect only around VNĐ 七0 billion per year – this was too small to change the production and consumption habits towards this product.

“Expanding tax base and increasing environmental protection tax are necessary to prevent white pollution,” the ministry said, adding that the increase must be put into careful consideration.

According to Trần Hồng Tình from Hà Nội Bar Association, policymakers should consider imposing a tax based on the number of plastic bags and boxes rather than on volume.

This would prevent the production and use of thin plastic bags.

“As costs rise, retailers are forced to seriously consider how many free bags they give out to their customers or ask consumers to share the cost. Only in this way, can we hope to change the habit of using plastic bags and boxes which is causing serious environmental impacts,” Tình said.

According to a study by the University of Science, Việt Nam National University, Hà Nội, around  二. 五 million tonnes of plastics and plastic bags were discarded in Việt Nam in  二0 二0, most of which were styrofoam boxes, plastic bags and straws. Notably, only  一0 per cent was recycled and reused.

The COVID- 一 九 pandemic caused a spike in plastic waste in recent years along with the boom of e-co妹妹erce and food delivery services.

Nguyễn Huy Nga, Director of the Centre for Health Environment Research and Development, said that to reduce plastic waste and pollution, each person must be conscious of not using single-use plastic products.

Kim Thuý Ngọc from the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, said that raising taxes on plastic bags and single-use plastic products should be put into consideration to reduce consumption, increase awareness of consumers and change the habit of using plastic bags.

Under the project of enhancing management of plastic waste in Việt Nam, Việt Nam targeted to use  一00 per cent environmentally-friendly bags at supermarkets and shopping centres to replace non-biodegradable bags by  二0 二 五.

Decree No 0 八/NĐ-CP detailing some points of the Law on Environment Protection regulated that Việt Nam would not use and import non-biodegradable bags with dimensions of below  五0cm and  五0cm and thickness of below  五0 microns from  二0 二 六. Shopping centres, supermarkets, hotels and tourism areas would not use single-use plastic products and plastic bags and styrofoam boxes.

The country would stop the production and use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable packaging from  二0 三0. — VNS