The Ministry of Finance has proposed collecting emissions fees from businesses and production facilities that generate industrial emissions.

Under a draft proposal, fees will initially target businesses that produce iron and steel, metallurgy, coke, basic inorganic chemicals, inorganic fertilizers and nitrogen compounds, petrochemical refining, thermal power, and cement production facilities.

The fees will consist of a fixed fee and a variable fee. The fixed fee will be applied to all establishments that generate emissions, while the variable fee will be additionally collected from businesses that have to monitor emissions.

The draft sets a fixed fee of VND3 million ($126) annually from businesses and a variable fee of VND500-800 (21-24 US cents) per ton of emissions.

Fee collections are estimated to contribute VND1.2 trillion ($50.4 million) to the State budget each year to help treat environmental pollution.

Air quality in big cities, a number of industrial parks, and craft villages have become worse in recent times, seriously affecting public health, causing economic losses, and harming the environment, according to the ministry.