Key Policies Effective Early August 2018

1. Military Salaries, Allowances, and Benefits Increase from July 1, 2018

The Ministry of National Defense issued Circular 88/2018/TT-BQP stipulating the application of a statutory pay rate of 1,390,000 VND to calculate salaries, allowances, and benefits for those receiving salaries or military rank allowances from the state budget in the military.

Rank allowances for non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and cadets of the cipher are specified as follows:

- Sergeant, 5th-year cipher cadet: 973,000 VND;- Corporal, 4th-year cipher cadet: 834,000 VND;- Lance Corporal, 3rd-year cipher cadet: 695,000 VND;- Private First Class, 2nd-year cipher cadet: 625,500 VND;- Private, 1st-year cipher cadet: 556,000 VND.

The above allowance rates are applied from July 1, 2018.

Circular 88/2018/TT-BQP takes effect from August 12, 2018, replacing Circular 145/2017/TT-BQP.

1. Points to Note When Transporting and Delivering LPG Cylinders

Decree 87/2018/ND-CP dedicates a special chapter to safety in gas business activities. It sets out safety regulations when transporting and delivering LPG cylinders to consumer customers as follows:

- Motorcycles transporting LPG cylinders must have a secure rack, always place the cylinder in an upright position, with the valve facing upwards;- Do not transport LPG cylinders with people in the elevator, except for the person directly transporting them;- When providing LPG cylinders to consumers, LPG stores must provide customers with one delivery receipt and retain one copy at the store, including basic information such as the owner, cylinder type, serial number, inspection expiration date, etc.;- When delivering and receiving, check the tightness of the cylinder valve, connectors, and flexible hoses after new installation or after replacing the LPG cylinder, with the witness of the customer and sign-off on the delivery receipt.

Decree 87/2018/ND-CP takes effect from August 1, 2018, replacing Decree 19/2016/ND-CP.

1. Regulations on Health Quarantine for Persons Exiting, Entering, and Transiting

The Government of Vietnam issued Decree 89/2018/ND-CP guiding certain provisions of the Law on Infectious Disease Prevention regarding border health quarantine.

Persons exiting, entering, and transiting suspected of having, or carrying agents causing, infectious diseases will be subject to one of the following practical inspections by health quarantine officers:

- Interviewing and extracting medical history;- Clinical examination;- Evaluating the effectiveness of applied medical treatment measures;- Collecting samples for testing in cases of suspected infectious diseases of group A, newly emerging diseases, or diseases outbreaks as announced by the Ministry of Health.

If the inspected person shows signs of carrying pathogens or agents of group A infectious diseases, health quarantine officers will carry out medical handling. If there are no disease signs, the health quarantine officers will confirm on the health declaration form, ending the health quarantine process.

The time to complete the actual inspection shall not exceed 02 hours per person (not including waiting time for test results).

Decree 89/2018/ND-CP takes effect from August 10, 2018.

1. Allowance and Benefit Regime for Protective Force Officers and Soldiers

According to Decree 90/2018/ND-CP, officers and soldiers of the protective force, in addition to their current salaries, are also entitled to additional special allowances, housing allowances, vocational training support, job creation, priority for admission to police or military schools, etc.

Specifically, the special allowance rates are as follows:

Rate of 30%:

- Officers and soldiers on duty: Close-protection; guarding international guests visiting and working in Vietnam; patrolling, guarding at residences, workplaces, key areas, special significant events;- Officers holding leadership and command positions;- Officers and soldiers not holding positions with rank from Second Lieutenant or equivalent salary grade to Second Lieutenant and below; soldiers receiving rank allowances.

Rate of 25%:

- Officers and soldiers on duty: Driving close-protection vehicles, operational vehicles, leading, escorting; checking explosives, inflammables, radioactive substances, or other hazardous materials, inspecting toxic substances; combat operations; reconnaissance; communication serving protection work; special missions; mobile units;- Officers and soldiers not holding positions with rank from Senior Lieutenant, Captain or equivalent salary grade to Senior Lieutenant, Captain.

Rate of 20%:

- Officers and soldiers directly serving leaders of the Communist Party, State, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front;- Officers and soldiers not holding positions with rank from Major or equivalent salary grade to Major and above.

Rate of 15%: Remaining protective force officers and soldiers.

Decree 90/2018/ND-CP takes effect from August 10, 2018, with policies implemented from July 1, 2018.

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