HANOILAW UNIVERSITY LUND UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LAW SPECIALTY: INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW CODE: 60 38 60 MASTER OF LAW THESIS STUDENT: LUONG THI KIM DUNG SUPERVISORS: PROF.BUI NGOC CUONG PROF.CHRISTINA MOELL HANOI-2004 Contents 11 Background 4 1.4 Previous Research on Vietnamese legislation on encouraging FDI 7 1.5 Material and Method 7 1.1 Background on FDI 9 2.1 General definitions of FDI.2 Contribution of FDI to Vietnam’s socio-economic development 11 2.1 Definition of FDI incentives 14 2.2 Main types of FDI incentives 15 2.3 Signification of FDI incentives 18 2.4 Encouraging FDI in the bilateral-multilateral agreements which Vietnam has signed or participated.1 Bilateral Agreements on the Promotion and Protection of Investments 20 2.2 Vietnam-United States Bilateral trade Agreement-Program on Investment relation Development 20 2.3 A framework Agreement on ASEAN investment area.4 Asia — Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 24 2.5 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) 24 2. FDI incentives issue in WTO’s context 25 3.1 The WTO Agreement on Trade Related Investment measures 29 3.2 Vietnamese legislation on FDI incentives 32 3.2 The fiscal incentives 33 3.1 Preferential provision on Corporate Income Tax 33 3.2 Preferential provisions on Import-Export Tax 39 3.3 Preferential provisions on Value Added Tax (VAT) 41 3. The provision on Foreign Exchange Incentives 41 3.4 Other FDI incentives 42 3.1 Preferential provision on exemption from and reduction of land rent 42 3.2 The provisions on land-used rights 44 3.3 Provisions for purpose creating uniform system on prices, charges and fees of good and services for ail investors.4 Preferential provisions for enterprises manufacture good-export and perform local content requirement 45 4.1 Indispensability to improve the Vietnamese legal framework on FDI incentives in accession to WTO 47 4. Some principal orientations to improve Vietnamese legislation on FDI incentives 51 4.
Some solutions to improve Vietnamese legislation on FDI incentives in accession to WTO 51 4.1 To continue economic and investment restructuring, and strengthen foreign investment inducement 51 4.2 Building a legal foundation for both domestic and foreign enterprises, creating a level competition environment for enterprises from ail economic sectors 52 4. Eliminated investment measures which are inconsistent with the TRIMS Agreement 55 4.4 To continue develop a uniform system of markets, improve macro-management tools in the direction of trade and investment liberalization 56 4.5 To improve investment procedures and enhance the efficiency of State management of foreign investment 57 4.6 To improve the dispute settlement mechanism, strengthen measures to ensure foreign investment activities 58 4.7 To improve investment procedures and enhance the efficiency of State management of foreign investment 58 4.8 Transparency and providing information completely and timely for foreign investors 59 Summary In 1986, as a result of 10 years of economic stagnation and decline, the Vietnamese Government committed itself a new policy of reform, the core of which is the liberalization and deregulation of the economy, with a strategic shift towards private sector development and agricultural reform. Vietnam also recognizes that foreign direct investment (FDI) can play role in its national economic development. It is true that FDI in Vietnam has already contributed to helping sustain the growing pace of economic development and the industrialization program by importing infrastructure improvements, increases in export trade and the opening up is new markets’.
At the same time when Vietnam began to shift from a centrally planned to a market economy, its first Foreign Investment Law was introduced in November 1987.Up to now, it has been revised fourth time in 1990s, 1992s, 1996s and 2000s. Vietnam always pays attention to FDI incentives policy in order to make the investment environment more attractiveness and competitiveness. Besides, in recent years, Vietnam has signed and participated many multilateral-bilateral investments. To implementing the commitments in these international agreements require Vietnam reform legislation in general and legislation on FDI incentives in particular.
Moreover, in the international economic integration trend, Vietnam recognized the substantial role and significance of the WTO in the development of the global economic as well as the economic growth of individual countries. Vietnam has decided to apply for WTO member and in the WTO accession Vietnam must continue improving legislation on FDI incentives to conform to the WTO requirements. This thesis concerns research and analyse the Vietnamese provision on FDI incentives and the FDI incentives in WTO context. Therefore, it finds out some solutions to improving Vietnamese legislation on FDI incentives in the accession to WTO.
' Truong Trieu Duong. Trade and investment in Vietnam towards deeper intearation into the region and the world. International Law Conference on ASEAN legal Systems and Regional Integration (page 2). See http://www.asia-europe-institute.
Preface In preparing my work, I feel greatly indebted to my supervisor Christina Moell. I would wish to register my special immeasurable thanks and appreciation to her. She is so kindly and always sent me her warmly encouragement, guided me with valuable instructions and comments. My thanks are due to my Vietnamese supervisor Bui Ngoc Cuong- who always extended his cooperation and kind guidance, whenever I need.
I want to send a lot of appreciation to all my teachers who imparted me valuable knowledge and broadened my vision. I would like to thanks the Staff at library of faculty of law of Lund University who help me enthusiastically look for the material resources for my thesis. I also wish thank the SIDA project and all the supportive Staff of faculty of law for providing me with a chance to study in Lund University, a so nice place full of classical culture and academic atmosphere. Although the time I stayed in Lund University was not long but it was an unforgettable period time for me with beautiful souvenirs.
Lastly, I would like to thank my family. Thanks to my family s’ encouragements, specially my small daughter, I have come over ail difficulties to finish my thesis. Abbreviations ASEAN: Association of South - East Asian nation. ASEM: Asia — Europe Meeting.
AFTA: Asian free Trade Area AIA: ASEAN Investment Area. APEC: ASEAN-Pacific Economic Cooperation. BBC: Business Corporate Income Tax-operation Contracts BOT: Build-Operate- Transfer BT: Build —Transfer. BTA: Vietnam and United States Bilateral Trade Agreement BTO: Build —Transfer-Operate.
EPs: Exports processing zones. EU: European Union. GATS: General Agreement on Trade in services. GATT: General Agreement on Tariff and Trade.
FDI: Foreign direct investment ICSID: Washington Convention on the settlement of disputes. IZs: Industrial zones and exports processing zones. IFAP: Trade Facilitation Action Plan. IPAP: Investment Promotion Action Plan.
IMF: International Monetary Fund MAI: Multilateral Agreement on Investment. MIA: Multilateral Investment Agreement MEN: Most-favoured-Nation NAFTA: North America Free Trade Area. NT: Nation Treatment OECD: Organization for economic Co-operation and development. SCMS: Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing measures.
TRIMS: Agreement on trade relation Investment measures. TNCs: Trans National Corporations UNCTAD: United Nation Conference Trade and Development. VAT: Value-added tax. WTO: World Trade Organization WP: Working Party.1 Background Nowadays, the capital flows often move not only from the developed countries to developing countries but also between the developed countries.
The liberal movement of foreign direct investment (FDI) is an integral part of an open effective and competitive international commercial and economic system. FDI is also an essential element of the broader agenda of multilateral regional and bilateral trade and investment liberalization and an important driver of development and growth for the world’s developing countries”. FDI can play an important a significant role in development process of host economies. In addition to capital inflow, FDI can be a vehicle for obtaining foreign technology, knowledge, managerial skill and other important inputs, integrating into international marketing, and improving the international competitiveness of firms and the economic performance of countries.
In general, developing countries and economic in transition differ from developed countries with regard to the role and impact of FDI in their economies.’ Recognition the FDI role, each nation has own the policy to make attractive environment more and more. There are many elements participate in to create an attractive investment environment such as infrastructure, labour market, trade policy, material resources, legislation. One of the most important elements, which have deep impact in the foreign investor’s decisions are FDI incentives. Most developed countries offer location incentive packages to both domestic and foreign investor.
Developing countries also offer tax breaks and location packages to attract foreign investor’. In the WTO context, there are some agreements that touch on foreign investment such as General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Agreement Subsidies and countervailing measure (SCM), Agreement Trade related Investment measures (TRIMS). The two Uruguay agreements that are germane to investment incentives are SCMS and the TRIMS. Although the SCMS is widely considered to have strengthened previous GATT rules concerning subsidies, its relevance to investment has been generally overlooked, yet rule on subsidies can affect as well as trade.
The relevance to investment in TRIMS agreement is obvious, but is has been widely dismissed as inconsequential because it seem not to involve any ? Australian chamber of commerce and industry :/nvestment in the WTO: filling the gap (page 2) See http://www.au/text-fills/issues papers/trade/WTO%20Filling%20filling%20the%Gap%20.pdf ” UNTACD (2003), The development dimension of FDI: policy and rule-making perspectives. New York and Geneva 2003. United Nations Publication Sale No E. * UNTACD (2003) The development dimension of FDI: policy and rule-making perspectives, (Page 9) commitments that were not already embodied in earlier GATT provisions concerning trade, yet the TRIMS agreement is pertinent to incentives because they are often linked to performance requirement’.
Thus, TRIMS Agreement is a first step trying in WTO for encouraging FDI. The main principle of the WTO Agreements concerning is the non-discrimination between foreign investors and domestic investors. In Vietnam, the renovation process of its economic (called Doi Moi) started in 1986. It was only one year after the implementation of Doi Moi policy the Sate of Viet Nam issued the Law on Foreign Investment.
This is the first Law to be built on the basis of a policy on door opening and integration into the world and regional economic. Up to now, it has been revised four times in 1990, 1992, 1996 and 2000. The introduction of this Law on Foreign direct investment was a landmark in the development of Vietnam’s foreign economic relations. Like many developing countries, Vietnamese Law on FDI provides FDI incentives in order to attract FDI.
The flexible and attractive regulations of the Law, along with the legal system policies concerned have created a favourable environment for Vietnam to induce and use efficiently foreign investment capital. The FDI sector has quickly developed, become a dynamic force making important contribution to the economy. The fact shows that, the FDI has contributed important role to Vietnam’s socio-economic development. It has supplied and important source of capital for economic development process, contributing to mobilizing and enhancing the efficiency of the available domestic sources.
It also creates favourable conditions for Vietnam to absorb advanced technology for enhancing the technological capacity of the economic. The policies to encourage foreign investment into labour- intensive industries have had remarkable contributions to jobs creation, training skill, and improvement of the living conditions of the employments. Moreover, FDI have contributed to expanding external relation, creating conditions for Vietnam to actively integrate into the regional and world economic. In keep with the building and gradually improving the legal system and policy on encouraging FDI, Vietnam in recent years have signed or participated in to various multilateral and bilateral agreements on foreign investment which has been considered an inseparable part in Vietnam’s comprehensive for FDI encouragement.
For example, bilateral agreement on investment encouraging and protection, the Vietnam-US bilateral Trade Agreement, Agreement Establish ASEAN Investment Area.But compare with other countries in areas, the FDI flows into Vietnam is lower rate than other countries, special Thailand. China, Malaysia, Indonesia.On the other hand, almost countries in region always promoted their FDI incentives policy to attractive FDI. Thus, it requires Vietnam to improve legislation on FDI incentives in the competitive attractive FDI context for purposes encouraging foreign investor invest into Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam recognized the substantial role and significant of the WTO in the development of the global economy as well as the economic ° ThomasL.Brewer and Stephen Young.