At its ongoing 50th session, the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on October 16 discussed the draft Law on High Technology (amended).
According to Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan, the Law on High Technology was promulgated in 2008, and many of its provisions are now outdated, inconsistent, and no longer relevant to current realities. Meanwhile, the legal system for science, technology, and innovation is undergoing comprehensive adjustments, requiring the Law on High Technology to be amended to ensure uniformity, synchronicity, and to create a legal foundation for development.
The draft consists of 6 chapters and 27 articles, a reduction of 8 articles and a change in structure and form compared to the current law.
Commenting on the draft, NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh stated that high-tech agricultural zones are one of the important solutions to promote the application of science and technology, and to research sustainable green agricultural production. Therefore, she proposed that the drafting agency research and add appropriate regulations or transitional provisions to maintain and develop this model, contributing to agricultural modernization and sustainable development.
Regarding the policy for research and development of strategic technologies, Article 12 of the draft allows enterprises to deduct sponsorship or investment costs for strategic technology research and development from deductible expenses when determining taxable income.
Ms. Thanh said that the draft expands on the current provisions in the Law on Corporate Income Tax. Therefore, she suggested that the drafting agency coordinate with relevant agencies to research and review the provisions to both retain this content and ensure it does not contradict the regulations in the Law on Corporate Income Tax.
The NA Vice Chairwoman also emphasized that the draft law needs to include regulations on allocating a percentage of the state budget for strategic technology research and development activities, avoiding overlaps with the Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Also commenting on Article 12 of the draft, Chairman of the NA Culture and Social Affairs Committee Nguyen Dac Vinh stated that, given the current situation of the country, we need time to accumulate resources and human capital to research and create high technology. He suggested that there should be preferential policies and incentives to import high technology to elevate production levels, aiming for the criteria of green economy and circular economy development.
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