Key directives and actions taken by the Government and the Prime Minister this past week.

1. Promote the "National Unity in Building a Culturally Rich Life" Movement.

Local community activities. (Illustrative image)

The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, based on directives and guidelines from the Central Government, shall proactively develop plans to implement the Movement, ensuring it is consistent with the economic, cultural, and social development of the locality, contributing to improving the cultural and spiritual life of the people; direct member agencies of the Steering Committee of the Movement at the local level to strictly implement inspection, supervision, and review of the awarding of cultural titles; resolutely eliminate formalism and the pursuit of achievements in the awarding of cultural titles...

2. Reviewing policies regarding certain teachers transferring to other positions.

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Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training submitted a report to the Prime Minister on policies regarding teachers who are transferred to management positions in the education sector, and cases where officials under the management of the Party Central Committee with doctoral degrees or higher, working in the field of education and training, are allowed to return to professional work upon retirement.

After reviewing the report from the Ministry of Education and Training, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry to finalize the report and propose solutions to ensure its scientific validity, consistency, and practical relevance, in order to incorporate it into the reform plan for salary policies for officials, civil servants, public employees, armed forces personnel, and workers in enterprises.

3. Urgently finalize the Project on Tax Management for the Non-State Economic Sector.

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Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue requested the Ministry of Finance to urgently finalize the Project on Tax Management for the Non-State Economic Sector, expanding the tax base for private businesses as directed in document No. 6372/VPCP-KTTH dated June 20, 2017, and report to the Prime Minister before January 30, 2018.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment is urgently finalizing the project on statistics of the unobserved economic sector to compile statistics that more fully and comprehensively reflect the scale of the economy, including the underground, informal, self-sufficient, and self-consuming sectors, as directed in Notice No. 475/TB-VPCP dated October 10, 2017, and reporting to the Prime Minister before January 30, 2018.

The Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the State Bank of Vietnam, is urgently researching and proposing improvements to the legal framework for managing virtual currencies in Vietnam, as directed in Decision No. 1255/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2017, and reporting to the Prime Minister before January 30, 2018.

4.Adjusting environmental protection tax rates

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Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue assigned the Ministry of Finance to take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and other ministries, sectors, and localities, to submit to the Government a report to the National Assembly for consideration and approval to postpone the submission of the draft Law amending and supplementing the Law on Environmental Protection Tax to the National Assembly's 2019 legislative and ordinance drafting program (to be submitted to the National Assembly for comments and approval at the October 2019 session).

The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and other ministries, sectors, and localities, shall submit to the Government a proposal for the drafting of a Resolution of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly in 2018 on the Environmental Protection Tax Schedule to adjust the environmental protection tax rates for goods subject to tax as stipulated in the Law on the Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents and the principles stipulated in Clause 2, Article 8 of the Law on Environmental Protection Tax.

5. Providing seedlings to localities damaged by natural disasters.

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Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide (free of charge) plant seeds to support localities affected by natural disasters in 2017.

Specifically, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to release 2,665 tons of rice seeds, 225 tons of corn seeds, and 7 tons of vegetable seeds from the national reserve to support localities affected by natural disasters in 2017 (excluding 30 tons of corn seeds for Da Nang city).

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Da Nang City People's Committee to proactively use local budget funds to provide support for plant seeds in the city.

6. Policies for preschool teachers

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The time and salary level earned while under an employment contract will be carried over to determine salary and policy implementation upon recruitment under a new employment contract.

7. Strengthen the participation of social organizations in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

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The Prime Minister approved the investment policy for the project "Strengthening the participation of civil society organizations and community organizations in HIV/AIDS prevention and control," funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).

The project will provide HIV prevention service packages including awareness campaigns, advocacy, promotion of safe needle and condom use, community-based HIV testing, and other harm reduction interventions to facilitate the adoption of safe behaviors by key HIV response groups. It will also refer HIV-positive individuals to health facilities for ARV treatment and injecting drug users to the Methadone Program in the project's 15 provinces.

8. 20 public service units under the Ministry of Transport

Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport is a public institution under the Ministry of Transport.

The Prime Minister has just signed Decision No. 33QD-TTg promulgating the list of public non-business units under the Ministry of Transport.

Accordingly, there are 20 public service units directly under the Ministry of Transport, including: 1- Institute of Transport Science and Technology; 2- Vietnam Aviation Academy; 3- Vietnam Maritime University; 4- Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport; 5- University of Transport Technology; 6- Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board; 7- Thang Long Project Management Board; 8- Project Management Board 2; 9- Project Management Board 6; 10- Project Management Board 7; 11- Project Management Board 85; 12- Maritime Project Management Board; 13- Railway Project Management Board; 14- Waterway Projects Management Board; 15- Central College of Transport I; 16- Central College of Transport II; 17- Central College of Transport III; 18- Central College of Transport IV; 19- Central College of Transport V; 20- Central College of Transport VI.