On March 8, 2023, newspaper VietnamPlus reported that the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice put forward a new proposal to the National Assembly to raise the tax on non-biodegradable plastic bags and packaging. The document also included a new tax on single-use polystyrene foam food containers.
The goal of the proposal is to further combat plastic pollution in the country, as reported by TheStar. A tax rate on plastic bags of 50,000 VND (2 EUR) per kg has been in place in Vietnam since 2012. The new tax rate would be raised to an equivalent of countries around the world, says VietnamPlus.
According to the World Bank’s report on plastic pollution in Vietnam from July 25, 2022, plastic bags were by far the most abundant polluting plastic item found on riverbanks by weight. Furthermore, takeout food packaging made up 44% of plastic waste found in field surveys conducted between July 2020 and April 2021. Vietnam aims to ban the production and import of plastic bags for domestic use by 2026, and most single-use plastic products by 2031, states the World Bank.
References
VietnamPlus (March 8, 2023). “Ministry plans to increase environmental protection tax on non-biodegradable packaging.”
TheStar (March 8, 2023). “Vietnam plans to raise tax on plastic bags and packaging.”
The World Bank (July 25, 2022). “Towards a national single use plastics roadmap in Vietnam: strategies and options for reducing priority single-use plastics.”
The World Bank (July 25, 2022). “Vietnam: Plastic pollution diagnostics.” (pdf).
