New and Notable Policies Effective from Mid-February 2019

Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT: Implementation of General Education Program

On December 26, 2018, the Ministry of Education and Training officially issued Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT stipulating the General Education Program, including:

- The overall program.- Subject programs and educational activities for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels.

The General Education Program is officially applied according to the following schedule:

- From the academic year 2020-2021 for Grade 1;- From the academic year 2021-2022 for Grades 2 and 6;- From the academic year 2022-2023 for Grades 3, 7, and 10;- From the academic year 2023-2024 for Grades 4, 8, and 11;- From the academic year 2024-2025 for Grades 5, 9, and 12.

Detailed information on the new General Education Program for each subject can be found in the appendix attached to Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, which takes effect from February 15, 2019, replacing Decision 16/2006/QD-BGDDT.

Circular 35/2018/TT-BLDTBXH: Adjustment of Monthly Salary Paid for Social Insurance

Circular 35/2018/TT-BLDTBXH was issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs on December 26, 2018, regulating the adjustment of monthly salary and income paid for social insurance.

The monthly salary paid for social insurance for applicable subjects is adjusted according to the following formula:

Where the adjustment rate for the corresponding year is specified in Table 1 of Circular 35, for example:

- For the year 2017, the adjustment rate is 1.04;- For the year 2018, the adjustment rate is 1.00;- For the year 2019, the adjustment rate is 1.00

Circular 35/2018/TT-BLDTBXH takes effect from February 15, 2019.

Circular 132/2018/TT-BTC: Not Mandatory to Have Chief Accountant in Micro Business

This noteworthy content is mentioned in Circular 132/2018/TT-BTC guiding the accounting regime for micro businesses, effective from February 15, 2019.

Accordingly:

- Micro businesses can appoint someone to be in charge of accounting without having to appoint a chief accountant;- The appointment of accountants in micro businesses must ensure not violating the provisions of Article 19 of Decree 174/2016/ND-CP;- Micro businesses can contract with accounting service providers for hiring accounting services or chief accountant services according to legal regulations.

Circular 132 allows micro businesses to design their own accounting document templates suitable to their business activities. If unable to design their own accounting documents, they can apply the templates and methods for making accounting documents as guided in Appendix 1 of this Circular.

Circular 132/2018/TT-BTC applies to fiscal years beginning on or after April 1, 2019.

Decree 04/2019/ND-CP: Conditions for Disposal of Government Cars

The Government of Vietnam issued Decree 04/2019/ND-CP regulating standards and norms for the use of motor vehicles, officially effective from February 25, 2019.

Motor vehicles not used for the duties specified in Articles 4 and 5 of Decree 04 may be disposed of if one of the following conditions is met:

- The vehicle has exceeded the legal usage duration;- The vehicle has been driven over 200,000 km for vehicles of government agencies, organizations, units, and state-owned enterprises located in mountainous, island, or economically and socially particularly difficult areas according to the Government and the Prime Minister;- The vehicle has been driven over 250,000 km for vehicles of government agencies, organizations, units, and state-owned enterprises located in all other areas;- The vehicle is damaged to the extent that it cannot be repaired, or repairs are not cost-effective (if repair estimates exceed 30% of the original price).

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