Notable documents of Vietnam in the previous week (from April 1 to April 7, 2024)

1. Vietnam to reduce 10% of public service providers on payrolls receiving salaries from state budget by 2030

This is a content of Resolution No. 38/NQ-CP dated April 2, 2024 on the Action Program of the Government of Vietnam on the implementation of Conclusion No. 62-KL/TW 2023 on the implementation of Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW 2017 on continuing the innovation of the organizational system and management and improvement of quality and efficiency in operations of public service providers.

According to the Resolution, the Government has set the targets for the implementation of Conclusion No. 62-KL/TW 2023 as follows: 

- By 2025: 

+ Continue to reduce Vietnam’s average number of public service providers by 10% compared to 2021 and ensure that after the arrangement, public service providers must have appropriate organizational apparatuses, structures of officials and public employees associated with job positions, management methods in an advanced direction, intensifying the application of information technology and science and technology; ensure that the operational efficiency is assessed based on products and work results. 

Ministries and central authorities shall strive to reduce the number of public service providers under their management by 13,5% compared to 2021 and complete the arrangement of public service providers before December 31, 2024. 

Ministries and local authorities that have reduced the number of public service providers by at least 10% during 2015-2021 shall continue to arrange them to ensure that by 2025, Vietnam's average number of public service providers is reduced by 20% compared to 2015. 

Ministries and central and local authorities that have reduced the number of public service providers by at least 20% during 2015-2025 shall continue to review and accelerate the arrangement to reduce the number of public service providers, ensuring the completion of objectives of Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW by 2030 according to requests prescribed in Conclusion No. 62-KL/TW.

+ Regarding the public service providers on payrolls receiving salaries from the state budget, comply with the roadmaps for payroll downsizing of the CPV Central Committee and the Politburo of Vietnam. 

+ Strive to have at least 20% of financially autonomous public service providers. Ministries and central authorities shall strive to have 60% of public service providers under their management to be able to cover their recurrent expenditures. 

+ Ensure that 100% of economic service providers and other public service providers are eligible for conversion into joint-stock companies.  

+ Continue to reduce the average state budget expenditures on public service providers by 10% compared to 2016-2020. 

- By 2030, strive to have only public service providers that serve political tasks and state management and providers of basic and essential public services; reduce the number of public service providers on payrolls receiving salaries from the state budget by 10% compared to 2025; reduce the average state budget expenditures on public service providers by 15% compared to 2021-2025. 

See more details in Resolution No. 38/NQ-CP dated April 2, 2024. 

2. Vietnam’s standards of award of Ho Chi Minh Prizes for literature and arts from May 20, 2024

On April 4, 2024, the Government of Vietnam promulgated Decree No. 36/2024/ND-CP on guidelines on the award of Ho Chi Minh Prizes and State Awards for literature and art. 

Specifically, the standards of the award of Ho Chi Minh Prizes for literature and arts are as follows: 

(1) Works of literature and arts disclosed and used from 1993 to before shall meet the following standards: 

- Works are particularly outstanding or with high values in terms of literature, art, or ideological contents; 

- Works have great effects on the revolutionary cause of the CPV and the nation and broad and lasting influences on the People's lives, providing essential contributions to the development of Vietnam’s socio-economic situation, literature, and art. 

(2) Works of literature and arts disclosed and used after 1993 shall meet the following standards: 

(i) Works are particularly outstanding or with high values in terms of literature, art, or ideological contents; 

(ii) Works have great effects on the revolutionary cause of the CPV and the nation and broad and lasting influences on the People's lives, providing essential contributions to the development of Vietnam’s socio-economic situation, literature, and art. 

(iii) Works are awarded at least one Golden Prize at professional competitions, festivals, and exhibitions of literature and arts at the national level organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam or professional competitions, festivals, and exhibitions of literature and arts organized by Arts and Literature Associations at the central level or prizes at international professional competitions, festivals, and exhibitions of literature and arts;

(iv) Each work in a cluster of works of literature and arts shall meet the standards prescribed in (iii); 

Scripts made into movies and released, scripts made into plays and performed publicly, or dance scripts staged and performed shall meet the standards prescribed in (iii). 

Decree No. 36/2024/ND-CP comes into force as of May 20, 2024. 

3. Vietnam requires expressways to have at least 4 lanes from October 1, 2024

This is a content of Circular No. 06/2024/TT-BGTVT dated March 31, 2024 on the National Technical Regulation on Expressways promulgated by the Minister of Transport of Vietnam. 

According to the Circular, an expressway is a technical level of roadway that is used for motor vehicles and has a barrier to divide the road for separate two-way traffic; is not intersected at the same level with one or more other roads; is equipped with sufficient devices to ensure continuous and safe traffic, reducing the travel time and only permitting vehicles to enter and exit at specific points. 

An expressway shall meet the following 4 general requirements: 

(i) The structure of the expressway must be stable, sustainable, and conformable to natural conditions. 

(ii) The expressway must have at least 4 lanes (2 lanes in each directional carriageway ) with breakdown lanes arranged throughout both sides of each directional carriageway (except for locations where vehicles cross bridges with a span of 150,00 m or more; bridges with piers of 50,00 m or more in height; tunnels; acceleration and deceleration lanes; climbing lanes).

(iii) Works associated with the expressway include: route-based traffic management centers; rest areas; ETC systems for toll roads; weigh stations; barriers. 

(iv) The cross-section of the expressway may be arranged on the same embankment, or each directional carriageway may be arranged on a separate embankment. 

See more details in Circular No. 06/2024/TT-BGTVT, effective as of October 1, 2024. 

4. Vietnam to develop 9 Decrees guiding implementation of Law on Credit Institutions 2024

On March 29, 2024, the Prime Minister of Vietnam promulgated Decision No. 257/QD-TTg on the plan to implement the Law on Credit Institutions 2024. 

According to the Decision, 9 Decrees guiding the implementation of the Law on Credit Institutions 2024 are expected to be presented to the Government of Vietnam on May 1, 2024 to ensure that they are effective as of July 1, 2024 (also the effective date of the Law on Credit Institutions 2024), specifically: 

(1) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on the organization and operation of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies; 

(2) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on licensing conditions of credit institutions and foreign bank branches; 

(3) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on non-cash payments; 

(4) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on microfinance programs of socio-political organizations and non-governmental organizations; 

(5) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on the organization and operation of the Vietnam Development Bank;

(6) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on financial regulations of policy banks; 

(7) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on regulations on salaries and allowances for officials and public employees of policy banks;

(8) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on the registration of change to land regarding collateral that is land use rights or property on land of debts originating from bad debts of credit institutions or foreign bank branches;

(9) Decree of the Government of Vietnam on collateral registration for land use rights, property on land, and off-plan property on land of debts originating from bad debts of credit institutions and foreign bank branches. 

See more details in Decision No. 257/QD-TTg, effective as of March 29, 2024. 

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