Under the amended Nationality Law, which will take effect on July 1 next year, foreigners and overseas Vietnamese will be allowed to hold dual citizenship in certain cases.

Foreigners eligible for Vietnamese citizenship while retaining their origin nationality would include cases that are ratified by the President, while Vietnamese can have another nationality if allowed by that country.

Overseas Vietnamese who had obtained citizenship of another country while continuing to hold Vietnamese nationality will have to register information with relevant authorities within five years after the new law takes effect to be officially recognized as bonafide Vietnamese nationals.

Under the amended Special Consumption Tax Law, import duties on wine and other beverages with alcohol content of more than 20 percent will be taxed 45 percent beginning 2010 and 50 percent from 2013 onwards.

Golf services will be taxed 20 percent, up from the current 10 percent, while taxes for dancing services will be increased to 40 percent from the current 30 percent, starting from April 1 next year.

Aircraft and yachts will attract an import tax of 30 percent.

The new law also stipulates preferential taxes for hybrid cars that use gasoline in combination with electricity or other bio-fuels, depending on the proportion of the different types of fuel used.

The new Civil Verdict Enforcement Law, which will replace a current ordinance from July 1 next year, extends the time limit that beneficiaries have to request enforcement agencies to implement the verdict from three to five years.

Reported by Kap Thanh Long