New Prominent Policies Effective from Mid-July 2024

1. Issuance of the Decree on Investment Policies in Forestry

On May 24, 2024, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 58/2024/ND-CP on a number of investment policies in forestry, which stipulates the annual average forest protection contract rates.

Investment principles in forestry are as follows:

- The State ensures resources for the management, protection, and development of special-use forests and protection forests; allocates funds for the protection and development of production forests, which are natural forests during the forest closure period, in line with the state budget's capacity to balance medium-term and annual plans.

- The State encourages and facilitates organizations and individuals to self-invest and mobilize legal capital to implement projects for protecting and developing forests and processing forest products.

More details can be found in Decree 58/2024/ND-CP, effective from July 15, 2024.

2. Guidance on Determining Costs for Master Plan Creation and Appraisal

On May 20, 2024, the Minister of Construction issued Circular 02/2024/TT-BXD guiding the determination and management of detailed planning costs according to the simplified process, which includes provisions for determining the costs of creating and appraising master plans.

The determination of costs for creating and appraising master plans is as follows:

- The cost of creating master plans (for areas within urban development scope): determined to be 65% of the cost of creating detailed urban plans. The cost of creating detailed urban plans is determined according to current guidelines for determining the cost of creating urban detailed planning projects.

- The cost of creating master plans (for areas within functional zones): determined to be 65% of the cost of creating detailed functional zone construction plans. The cost of creating detailed functional zone construction plans is determined according to current guidelines for determining the cost of creating detailed functional zone construction planning projects.

- In case of necessary adjustments to the master plan, the cost of adjusting the master plan is determined according to the guidelines for determining the cost of partial adjustments of urban planning projects and current construction planning.

- The cost of appraising master plan projects is determined according to current regulations on appraisal fees for planning projects.

- Cost of managing operations for creating master plans and other related costs are determined according to guidelines related to the cost of managing operations for creating urban detailed plans and current detailed functional zone construction plans.

Circular 02/2024/TT-BXD is effective from July 15, 2024.

3. Principles of Transparency Implementation in Educational Institutions' Operations

On June 3, 2024, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 09/2024/TT-BGDDT regulating transparency in the operations of educational institutions within the national education system.

Circular 09/2024/TT-BGDDT stipulates transparency in the operations of educational institutions within the national education system, including the content, manner, and timing of transparency, and organizational implementation.

Circular 09/2024/TT-BGDDT applies to preschool education institutions, general education institutions, continuing education institutions, higher education institutions, colleges with preschool education training programs at the college level, special schools, and other educational institutions conducting educational activities under the state management responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Training (hereinafter referred to as educational institutions); other organizations and individuals involved.

The implementation of transparency for contents not specified in Circular 09/2024/TT-BGDDT is carried out according to relevant legal regulations.

Provisions on transparency in Circular 09/2024/TT-BGDDT do not apply to information classified as state or professional secrecy or information not yet disclosed according to legal regulations.

Principles for implementing transparency in the operations of educational institutions include:

- Ensuring compliance with the provisions of this Circular and other related legal regulations.

- Ensuring information is accurate, clear, complete, prompt, and easily accessible.

More details can be found in Circular 09/2024/TT-BGDDT effective from July 19, 2024.

4. General Criteria and Conditions for Consideration of Promotion in Professional Titles of Public Employees in the Transportation Sector

On May 30, 2024, the Minister of Transport issued Circular 17/2024/TT-BGTVT stipulating the criteria and conditions for consideration of promotion in professional titles of public employees in the transportation sector.

- Meet the criteria and conditions specified in Clause 1, Article 32 of Decree 115/2020/ND-CP (as amended and supplemented by Decree 85/2023/ND-CP).

- Have a vacant position corresponding to the rank of the professional title of public employee being considered for promotion.

- Be nominated by the head of the competent authority managing public employees to participate in the consideration of professional title promotion.

- Meet the minimum working time requirement for holding the lower adjacent professional title rank. Specifically:

+ Public employees considered for promotion to Rank I professional titles in the transportation sector must have held Rank II professional titles and equivalent titles for at least six (6) years up to the deadline for submitting the application for promotion consideration;

+ Public employees considered for promotion to Rank II professional titles in the transportation sector must have held Rank III professional titles and equivalent titles for at least nine (9) years (excluding probation and apprenticeship periods) up to the deadline for submitting the application for promotion consideration.

Detailed content can be found in Circular 17/2024/TT-BGTVT, effective from July 15, 2024.

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