Earlier this month the Government’s amendment of tax regulations for ride-hailing services, which increases the tax they actually pay, was a topic of hot debate in the media.

Ride-hailing drivers have seen their incomes fall dramatically because of policy changes.

Vietnam is narrowing the gap in competition between ride-hailing businesses and traditional taxis by imposing 10 per cent VAT on the former.

Under a new regulation, from December 5, ride-hailing services will be taxed 10 percent instead of the current 3 percent.

Mai Linh and Vinasun, the two big traditional taxi firms, are losing their positions in the market as they have found it difficult to compete with e-hailing taxi firms.

E-hailing apps, after a period of focusing on their core business field of carrying passengers, have begun seeking other business opportunities, Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon reported. Most of them are offering an e-payment service.

All vehicles providing cargo and passenger transportation services must change from white licence plates to yellow ones with black letters and numbers from August 1, according to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security.

After only two years of operation, the shareholder structures of both local ride-hailing platforms FastGo and be are now a mystery.

Vietnam has legalised ride-hailing, opening up opportunities for ride-hailing firms and bringing more benefits to passengers and driver-partners.

Tran Thanh Hai, CEO of the ride-hailing service Be, has stepped down after two years at the head of the service, which he joined in the beginning days.

The MoPS has proposed to change the colour of the licence plates of ride-hailing vehicles, sparking concerns about increasing expenses, time and labour costs.

Such trend would help better meet transportation needs at more affordable prices, ensuring convenience, safety and improving service quality of both taxis and electronic-contract based vehicles, stated Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

MyGo, Viettel Post’s app, will likely decide to focus its fleet on delivery services and drop ride-hailing.

Grab Holdings Inc. announced on August 28 that it will invest $500 million in Vietnam in the next five years to expand its services in the country.

Bonus payments for ride-hailing drivers seem a lot less forthcoming now that the firms have gained a firmer foothold in Vietnam. Comparing Grab, Go-Viet, and newcomer Be, the Singaporean giant seems the most tight-fisted.

The Ministry of Finance makes a careful study of tax laws to collect taxes from electronic contract-based vehicles to avoid evasion and ensure a level playing field for ride-hailing and traditional taxi firms.

Vietnam’s proposal requesting all ride-hailing vehicles to put taxi signs on vehicles will weigh down disruptive businesses and dampen benefits to stakeholders.

The Vietnam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (VCA) submitted a complaint about the decision of the Vietnam Competition Authority that Grab's acquisition of Uber does not violate the Competition Law.

As competition is uneven among ride-hailing firms and traditional taxi companies, there is heated debate about how to better regulate new business models.