Decree No. 40/2015/ND-CP dated April 27, 2015 of the Government amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Decree No. 157/2013/ND-CP dated November 11, 2013 of the Government on penalties for administration violations on regulations of forest management, development, protection and forest product management

FINE OF VND 100,000 MILLION FOR FAILING TO PAY THE CHARGE OF FOREST ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE

This is one of the important content of the Decree No. 40/2015/ND-CP dated April 27, 2015 of the Government amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Decree No. 157/2013/ND-CP dated November 11, 2013 of the Government on penalties for administration violations on regulations of forest management, development, protection and forest product management.

In particular, from June 20, 2015, the Forest environmental service users (includes land protection, erosion reduction and sedimentation of lakes, rivers and streams; regulation and maintenance the source of water for production and social life...) who fails to pay or pays insufficiently the charge for the service shall incur the penalties such as fines of from VND 500,000 to VND 1,000,000, applicable to the insufficient payment for more than 03 months exceeding the time limit specified in the contract with the amount of VND 20,000,000; fines of from VND 1,000,000 to VND 3,000,000, applicable to the insufficient payment for more than 03 months exceeding the time limit specified in the contract with the amount of from over VND 20,000,000 to VND 30,000,000; fines of from VND 3,000,000 to VND 5,000,000, applicable to the insufficient payment for more than 03 months exceeding the time limit specified in the contract with the amount of from over VND 30,000,000 to VND 50,000,000..And fines of from VND 30,000,000 to VND 50,000,000, applicable to the insufficient payment for more than 03 months exceeding the time limit specified in the contract with the amount of over VND 500,000,000. Besides, individuals incurred the violation must pay sufficiently the payment for forest environmental service and the interest due to the late payment (if any) in proportion to the amount and duration of the lateness. Interest is determined on the basis of according to the amount and duration of late payment according to the standard interest rates promulgated by the State Bank of Vietnam most nearly to the time the decision on penalties for administrative violations is issued.

Also in accordance with this Decree, any entities that uses forest environmental service without contract on payment for 3 months shall incur the fines of from VND 500,000 to VND 50,000,000; within that the fines of from VND 500,000  to VND 1,000,000 shall be imposed on entities not signing the contract with the owner of forest used for forest environmental service provision, applicable to direct payment; the highest fines of from VND 40,000,000 to VND 50,000,000 shall be imposed on entities not signing the contract with the forest protection and development funds of Vietnam, applicable to indirect payment.