The municipal officials had also put forth another proposal to impose congestion fees on several gridlock-prone streets.

In principle, car and motorbike owners should pay a fee in contribution to road building and maintenance and environmental protection. But now is not the time to increase registration fees or to begin collecting transport fees as suggested by the city government, said Minister Ho Nghia Dung.

A study is needed before being able to determine appropriate fees for different groups of owners and types of vehicles, he suggested.

In general, now is not a suitable time to begin collecting the fees for it may have a negative impact on the nation’s struggle in fighting inflation and improving social welfare, Dung concluded.

Delegates attending the NA meeting spent most of Sunday in debate on draft laws encouraging technological innovation and biological conservation.

According to the technology bill, Vietnam will offer most favored tax and land allocation status to firms investing in high-tech development, especially companies in the fields of information technology and biological technology.

The biological conservation bill defines various species that are threatened, decreeing they can only be raised in public sanctuaries.

Reported by Xuan Toan