New Policies Effective from Mid-May 2017

1. Allocation of Official Residences According to Standards for Defense Officials

Circular 68/2017/TT-BQP (effective from May 16, 2017) regulates the management and use of official residences within the Ministry of National Defense. Defense officials and employees are allocated official residences according to specific standards. To be specific:

- Members of the Politburo, Central Party Secretary: Type A Villa;- General (except for members of the Politburo, Central Party Secretary): Type B Villa;- Senior Lieutenant General, Navy Admiral: Type C Adjacent House or Type 1 Apartment;- Lieutenant General, Major General; Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, and equivalent: Type D Adjacent House or Type 2 Apartment;- Colonel, Senior Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, and equivalent: Type 3 Apartment in urban areas or Type 1 House in rural areas;- Major, Captain, and equivalent: Type 4 Apartment in urban areas or Type 2 House in rural areas;- Remaining subjects: Type 5 Apartment in urban areas or Type 3, 4 House in rural areas.

2. Abolishment of Various Real Estate Purchase and Sale Contract Forms from May 28, 2017

On April 12, 2017, the Ministry of Justice signed and issued Circular 04/2017/TT-BTP stipulating the abolition of certain legal documents, including Joint Circular 04/2006/TTLT-BTP-BTNMT guiding notarization and certification of contracts and documents related to land use rights.

Forms of documents and contracts related to land use rights (LUR) used at the Notary Office and the People's Committee of the commune issued in conjunction with Joint Circular 04 are therefore abolished. For example:

- Request form for contract notarization;- Will;- Document for the division of inheritance assets;- Contract for transferring LUR and assets attached to the land;- Contract for gifting LUR and assets attached to the land;- Contract for mortgaging LUR;- Apartment sale contract.

Circular 04/2017/TT-BTP is effective from May 28, 2017.

3. Electronic Non-Stop Road Service Fee Collection Applies from May 15

This is the main content of Decision 07/2017/QD-TTg on collecting road service fees through non-stop automatic electronic means, signed and issued by the Prime Minister of Vietnam on March 27, 2017, effective from May 15, 2017:

- Vehicles subject to road service fee collection must attach an electronic terminal card to perform fee collection at non-stop automatic electronic road service fee stations.- Vehicle inspection units and agents authorized by the service fee collection provider are responsible for attaching terminal cards to road vehicles.- Vehicle owners are required to open prepaid accounts to pay for road service fees. Each prepaid account can be used to pay for multiple vehicles, but each vehicle can only receive payment from one account.

4. Fine of 100 Million VND for Not Seeking Public Opinion on Water Resource Management

Decree 33/2017/ND-CP effective from May 20, 2017, regulates administrative penalties in the field of water resources and minerals, replacing Decree 142/2013/ND-CP.

It adds many fines for specific violations concerning water resource management, such as:

- Fines ranging from 30 - 40 million VND for:- Falsifying information about consulting the community, organizations, and individuals involved as required;- Not publicly disclosing information about exploiting, using water resources, or discharging wastewater into water sources of the project as required;- Falsifying information in the application for the fee for the exploitation of water resources;- Incorrect or insufficient payment of the fee for the exploitation of water resources as required.- Fines ranging from 80 - 100 million VND for:- Falsifying information in the application for a permit to explore, exploit, use water resources, or discharge wastewater into water sources;- Not consulting the community, organizations, and individuals involved as required;- Not paying the fee for the exploitation of water resources as required.

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