What is information? What types of information must be disclosed publicly in Vietnam?

What is information? What types of information must be disclosed publicly in Vietnam? (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. What is information?

According to Clause 1, Article 2 of the Law on access to information 2016, information refers to details and data that are contained in existing documents and papers and stored in writings, printouts, electronic texts, pictures, photos, drawings, tapes, disks, video recordings, audio recordings or in other forms produced by state agencies.

2. What types of information must be disclosed publicly in Vietnam?

According to Clause 1, Article 17 of the Law on access to information 2016, the following types of information must be disclosed publicly in Vietnam:

- Legislative documents; administrative documents with universal effect; international treaties of which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member or international agreements to which Vietnam is a signatory; administrative procedures and working procedures of state agencies;

- Information regarding the dissemination and guidance on the implementation of laws and policies in sectors under the state management;

- Drafts of legislative documents as regulated by the law on promulgation of legislative documents; contents and results of the referendum and acquisition of people’s opinions about issues which are under the decision of state agencies and have to be asked for people’s opinions as regulated by the law;

Schemes and their drafts on the establishment, dissolution, merger or division of administrative units or modification of administrative areas;

- National and local socio-economic development strategies, programs, projects, schemes and plans; sector/field planning, methods and results thereof; annual working programs and plans of state agencies;

- Information regarding state budget estimates; reports on state budget enactment; state budget statements; estimates, enactment reports, statements of budgets of fundamental construction programs/projects funded by state budget; state budget procedures;

- Information regarding the provision, management and use of official development assistance (ODA) and non-governmental aid as regulated; information about the management and use of social relief and benefits; and information about the management and use of people’s contributions and types of funds;

- Information about lists of public investment and public procurement projects/programs, and the management and use of public investment funding, the situation and results of the execution of public investment plans/programs/projects; bidding information; information on land use plans; land price; land appropriation; plans for compensation, site clearance and resettlement concerning regional projects/works;

- Information about investment activities funded by state budget, the management and use of state capital in enterprises; reports on business and ranking of enterprises; reports on the supervision of the disclosure of financial information of enterprises and state agencies representing owners; information about the organization and operation of state-owned enterprises;

- Information about products, goods and services that have adverse influence on the health and environment; inspection conclusions in the fields of environmental protection, community health, foods safety and labour safety;

- Information about functions, tasks, powers and organization structure of agencies and their affiliated units; tasks and powers of officials in charge of dealing with people’s issues; internal regulations and rules promulgated by state agencies;

- Periodical working reports; annual financial statements; information about the statistics on sectors under the state management; sector/field-related national database; information regarding the recruitment, use and management of officials and public employees; information about lists of scientific programs/topics and results thereof;

- The list of types of information subject to mandatory disclosure as regulated in Point b Clause 1 Article 34 of this Law; name, address, telephone number, fax number and email address of the state agency or the official in charge of receiving information requests;

- Information concerning public interests and community health;

- Information concerning taxes, fees and charges;

- Other information that must be disclosed as regulated by the law.

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