5 New Prominent Policies Effective Early March 2017

1. List of diseases requiring long-term treatment applicable from March 1, 2017

This content is mentioned in Circular 46/2016/TT-BYT about the List of diseases requiring long-term treatment, effective from March 1, 2017.

It abolishes the List of diseases requiring long-term treatment attached to Circular 14/2016/TT-BYT, issuing a new List that adds many types of diseases into groups such as:

- Group of Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum diseases: Complications after miscarriage, molar pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy;- Group of mental diseases: Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Specific personality disorders;- The group of ear and mastoid diseases has been changed to the group of ENT (ear, nose, throat) diseases. Additionally, diseases such as: Papilloma of the larynx; Chronic otitis media; Traumatic tracheal stenosis are added to this group.

The list of diseases requiring long-term treatment is the basis for applying policies and social insurance benefits for workers.

2. Decree 01/2017/ND-CP: Supplementing many new regulations on land

According to Decree 01/2017/ND-CP (effective from March 3, 2017) amending, supplementing several Decrees detailing the implementation of the Land Law, including: Decree 43/2014/ND-CP, Decree 44/2014/ND-CP, and Decree 47/2014/ND-CP, several land regulations have been supplemented such as:

- Land recovery in cases:- Failure to perform the obligations of land users or insufficient performance of the land levy and land rent obligations that have been compelled but not complied with.- Termination of investment projects.- Issuance of Land Use Rights Certificates, house ownership, and other properties attached to the land for the increased land area compared to land use right documents for households, individuals using the land.- Leasing properties attached to leased land, annually paid land rent.

3. Regulations on high school exam and university admission 2017

On January 25, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 04/2017/TT-BGDDT on the regulations for the national high school exam, recognizing high school graduation, and Circular 05/2017/TT-BGDDT on university admission regulations for regular education programs and college admissions for teacher training sectors.

The exam regulations and university admission in 2017 have notable new points such as:

- Changes in the number of high school exam subjects (05 subjects instead of 8 subjects as before). Circular 04 specifies:- 03 independent subjects: Mathematics, Foreign Language, Literature.- 02 combined subjects, comprising:- 01 Natural Science subject with a combination of Physics, Chemistry, Biology;- 01 Social Science subject with a combination of History, Geography, Civic Education for students in the high school education program; History, Geography for students in the continuing education program at the high school level.- No limit on the number of wishes for university admission in 2017. According to Circular 05, candidates can register for unlimited wishes, schools, and prioritize wishes from high to low.

Circular 04/2017/TT-BGDDT and Circular 05/2017/TT-BGDDT are effective from March 10, 2017.

4. Children 15 years old or older can open a payment account without separate assets

This is a new provision stipulated in Circular 32/2016/TT-NHNN (effective from March 1, 2017) amending Circular 23/2014/TT-NHNN guiding the opening and usage of payment accounts at payment service providing organizations.

Revised and supplemented subjects eligible to open payment accounts at banks, foreign bank branches as follows:

- Persons from 15 years old to under 18 years old who have not lost or restricted their civil act capacity (not required to have separate assets to ensure the performance of obligations when opening payment accounts as specified in current regulations);- Additional subject of persons with cognitive or behavioral difficulties according to Vietnamese law, who can open a payment account through guardians.

5. Guidance on electronic transactions in social insurance

According to Decree 166/2016/ND-CP (effective from March 1, 2017) on electronic transactions in social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance, electronic social insurance documents include:

- Electronic social insurance documents;- Accounting documents as prescribed by Vietnam Social Security by electronic means;- Other documents and notices of agencies, organizations, individuals conducting social insurance transactions by electronic means.

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