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Gov’t says can’t afford wage reform next year (22/10)
22/10/2012 - 18 Lượt xem
VietNamNet Bridge – The Government will not allocate any funding for the
much-awaited wage reform next year as the State budget is facing a shortfall,
Minister of Finance Vuong Dinh Hue said on Tuesday, Oct 16.
The
Finance Minister told the National Assembly Standing Committee at a meeting that
if the wage reform was to be deployed as scheduled, the State would have to
spend an additional budget of around VND60-65 trillion next year.
The
meeting was convened by the NA committee to hear the Government’s report on
budget estimates and the budget allocation plan for next year.
According
to Minister Hue, under the wage reform progress, the minimum wage would be
increased from VND1.05 million to VND1.3 million per month from next
May.
However, due to difficulties in budget collection anticipated for
this year and next and in order to maintain the budget balance, the Government
will not allocate budget for the wage reform.
Truong Thi Mai, head of the
National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs, expressed concern over the
Government’s proposal, saying that around 22 million people would be affected if
the wage increase was not carried out. She suggested that the wage for laborers
of businesses should be increased as planned while the wage for the State sector
can be increased some time later next year.
Phung Quoc Hien, head of the
National Assembly Committee for Finance and Budget, said the minimum wage should
be raised by VND100,000, from VND1.05 million to VND1.15 million, to reduce the
burden on the State budget.
NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung disagreed with
the Government’s plan to withhold the wage reform, urging the Government to
check budget expenditures and cut what is not necessary to allow for a wage
increase instead of delaying it.
However, there are many opinions
agreeing with the Government’s proposal, saying that amid current difficulties,
a delay in wage increase is necessary, and the minimum wage has been increased
for eight times since 2003.
Source: VietNamNet/SGT
