In a plan sent to the HCMC People’s Council early this week, the HCMC government proposes fining motorcycle owners who do not pay the road maintenance fee.

Unlike the proposal turned down by the council at its meeting on December 11, this latest plan clarifies the places responsible for collecting the fee, which ranges from VND50,000 to VND150,000 per year depending on engine capacity, payment method and sanctions.

The fee will be applied to all motorcycles registered in HCMC as well as in other localities whose residents wish to pay here in the city. Besides, HCMC-registered motorcycles do not have to pay the fee if they pay in other localities.

Motorcycles belonging to the police and defense forces, poor owners, students and those who contributed to the country’s revolution will be exempted from the fee.

The road maintenance fee collection nationwide began last year but it was delayed in HCMC. Therefore, the city plans to start collecting on January 1 next year and the authorities of communes and wards will be responsible for the collection job.

The city government said in its proposal that communes and wards have been assigned to collect the non-agricultural tax and they will also collect the road fee with no extra staff needed.

Regarding the fee payment method, declaration forms will be issued to households and the fee can be either collected at the offices of the local authorities or at the motorcycle owner’s homes.

Of the fee amount, 10% will be used to cover collection costs and the remainder will go to maintenance and upgrade projects for roads managed by districts.

Those failing to pay the fee when the deadline comes will get a reminder before being fined 1-3 times higher than the fee.

HCMC is the only locality yet to collect the road maintenance fee. As of October this year, the city had had over six million motorcycles, excluding more than one million bikes registered in other provinces but used in this city.