Vietnam’s Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC: General provisions on conference expenditures

1. Before holding conferences to grasp and implement nationwide the Communist Party's and State's major, important and urgent guidelines and policies in their assigned management domains; thematic review conferences; or conferences reviewing annual work programs, ministries, ministerial-level agencies or the government’s affiliates must obtain the Prime Minister's written approval thereof under the Prime Minister's Decision No. 114/2006/QD-TTg. Before organizing national conferences, the Communist Party's central committees must obtain written approval of the Secretariat's Standing Committee.

Before convening the whole sector's meetings in localities to review the performance of annual tasks or training meetings attended by chairpersons or deputy chairpersons of district-level People's Committees or heads of other district-level specialized agencies, heads of specialized agencies of provincial-level People's Committees must obtain approval of chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees under regulations.

Before convening the whole sector's meetings in districts to review the performance of annual tasks or training meetings attended by chairpersons or deputy chairpersons of commune-level People's Committees or heads of other commune-level specialized agencies, heads of specialized agencies of district-level People's Committees must obtain approval of chairpersons of district-level People's Committees under regulations.

2. When holding conferences, heads of concerned agencies or units shall arrange appropriate locations and increase online meetings, especially for national conferences, while meeting specific requirements of each conference; combine matters and problems to be addressed; rationally combine different meetings; make careful preparations for meetings. Depending on characteristics, contents, purposes and requirements of a meeting, the person convening the meeting shall carefully consider and decide the appropriate composition and number of participants, ensuring thrift and efficiency.

Conference organizers must strictly comply with regulations on conference expenditures under this Circular and provide conference delegates with convenient accommodations, preventing ostentation. They may not hold reception parties or pay for sightseeing activities, presents or souvenirs. Funds for conferences shall be included in agencies' or units' annual state budget estimates approved by competent authorities.

3. Duration of a conference:

- The duration of a conference to review performance of tasks, thematic review conference, or task performance training conference shall comply with regulations in Decision No. 114/2006/QD-TTg;

- The duration of a training course with funds for training and retraining state officials and public employees or funds under programs or projects depends on the training program approved by a competent authority;

- The duration of other meeting shall not exceed 2 days depending on its characteristics and contents;

- The duration of a session of People's Councils or a meeting of committees of People's Councils is governed by specific guidelines of competent authorities.

View more details at: Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam takes effect from July 01, 2017.

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