Four notable new policies that came into effect at the beginning of April 2018.

1. Cases where credit institutions disburse loan funds in cash.

This is a key point in Circular 21/2017/TT-NHNN regarding regulations on the disbursement methods of loan capital by credit institutions and branches of foreign banks to customers.

Accordingly, credit institutions may consider and decide to disburse loan funds in cash in the following cases:

Customers making payments to beneficiaries (excluding legal entities) who do not have a payment account at a payment service provider;

The customer is the beneficiary (excluding legal entities) who meets the following conditions:

+ Do not have a payment account with a payment service provider;

+ Having used own capital to pay for expenses related to the business plan or project, or a plan or project serving daily life, for which the lending institution has decided to grant the loan in accordance with the law.

Customers must submit to the lending institution a written commitment from the beneficiary stating that the beneficiary does not have a payment account at a payment service provider.

Circular 21/2017/TT-NHNN came into effect on April 2, 2018.

2. Reporting responsibilities for environmental protection activities of construction industry production facilities.

From April 1st, 2018, Circular 02/2018/TT-BXD, which regulates environmental protection in construction projects and the reporting regime for environmental protection work in the construction industry, came into effect.

Accordingly, the regulations stipulate that establishments producing construction materials, mining construction materials, and manufacturing construction-related mechanical products are responsible for reporting on environmental protection activities as follows:

- Prepare an environmental protection work report using the form in Appendix 1 issued with this Circular, periodically once a year, and submit it to the Department of Construction before December 31st of each year.

- Update and store information and data from environmental protection reports at the following website address: http://dulieumoitruong.xaydung.gov.vn.

3. Promulgating new national technical standards in the field of road transport.

Circular 31/2017/TT-BGTVT (effective from April 1, 2018) promulgates a number of new national technical standards on spare parts for road motor vehicles, specifically:

- Standard QCVN 32:2017/BGTVT on safety glass for automobiles.

- Standard QCVN 34:2017/BGTVT on pneumatic tires for automobiles.

- Standard QCVN 35:2017/BGTVT on the optical characteristics of front headlights of road motor vehicles.

At the same time, this Circular also repeals Clauses 1 and 3 of Article 1 of Circular 57/2011/TT-BGTVT and Clause 1 of Article 1 of Circular 39/2010/TT-BGTVT.

4. Types of organizations providing consulting and services related to copyright and related rights.

According to Decree 22/2018/ND-CP (effective from April 10, 2018) guiding the Law on Intellectual Property of 2005 (amended and supplemented in 2009), organizations providing consulting and services on copyright and related rights include:

The business is established and operates in accordance with the laws on enterprises.

Cooperatives and cooperative unions are established and operate in accordance with the law on cooperatives.

Public service unit.

Law firms are established and operate in accordance with the law on lawyers, except for:

+ Branches of foreign law firms;

+ A limited liability law firm with one hundred percent foreign capital;

+ A limited liability law firm in the form of a joint venture between a Vietnamese law firm and a foreign law firm.