HANOI, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam raised its export tax on crude oil to eight percent from four percent starting from Tuesday, and the export tax on coal was lifted to 15 percent from 10 percent, according to the Tax Policy Department under the Finance Ministry.

    The export taxes on most of metal ores were hiked to 20 percent from 7-15 percent, the tax agency said.

    A 20 percent export tax is applicable to iron, copper, nickel and aluminum ores starting on Tuesday, instead of either seven percent or 15 percent previously imposed on the refined or raw ores, respectively.

    The export tax on natural sand and stone is also raised to 12 percent from previous seven percent.

    Vietnam is reducing export of fossil fuels like crude oil and coal to foster its petroleum and petrochemical industries, and ensure sufficient supplies for energy-thirsty industries like electricity and cement.

    Dung Quat, the country's first refinery with an annual processing capacity of 6.5 million tons of crude oil, is under construction in central Quang Ngai province and scheduled to operate in early 2009.