Outstanding direction and management of the Government and Prime Minister last week

1. Many policies for developing rural industries

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The Government has just issued Decree 52/2018/ND-CP on rural industry development.

The Decree stipulates a number of contents and policies for the development of rural occupations and craft villages. The subjects of application are domestic and foreign organizations and individuals directly investing in the development of production, business and services in rural occupations, including: Small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups, households operating in accordance with the provisions of law; traditional occupations, craft villages, traditional craft villages recognized by the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities; organizations and individuals related to the management of rural occupations (both central and local).

According to the Decree, 7 rural industry activities include: Processing and preserving agricultural, forestry and aquatic products; production of handicrafts; handling and processing of raw materials for rural industry production; production of wooden products, rattan and bamboo products, ceramics, glass, textiles, yarn, embroidery, knitting, small mechanics; production and trading of ornamental plants; salt production; services for production and life of rural residents.

2. Converting the investment form of Cua Hoi bridge

Perspective of Cua Hoi bridge project.

The Prime Minister agreed in principle to convert the investment form of the Cua Hoi Bridge construction project across Lam River, Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces from BOT investment form to public investment form.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Transport to carry out procedures to implement the project in accordance with regulations; agree with the two provinces on the progress of arranging each capital source, ensuring the management and use of capital for the right purpose, efficiency and progress of project implementation.

Cua Hoi Bridge construction project with a total investment of about 1,050 billion VND. The total length of the bridge is about 6.2km, of which the bridge is 1.63km long, the approach roads at both ends of the bridge are 4.57km long; the width of the bridge = 12m with 2 lanes for motor vehicles, 2 lanes for mixed vehicles and guardrails.

The completed project will connect and facilitate socio-economic development, especially marine economy and tourism, ensuring national defense and security of the Central region provinces in general and Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces in particular; contribute to completing the coastal road through Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, improve the traffic system between the two banks of Lam River, and gradually complete the traffic infrastructure system in the North Central region.

3. The Government has not yet considered the proposed draft Law on Property Tax.

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The Government Office has just issued document 3543/VPCP-PL conveying the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on the proposal to develop a draft Law on Property Tax.

On April 13, 2018, the Ministry of Finance held a press conference and sent an official dispatch to central and local agencies and organizations, and posted it on the Ministry of Finance's Electronic Information Portal and the Government Electronic Information Portal to seek opinions on the proposal to develop a draft Law on Property Tax, which plans to collect property tax on residential land, land for production, non-agricultural business and housing...;

The Ministry of Finance's request for public comments on the proposal to draft the Law on Property Tax is in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents in the research and policy proposal phase to propose inclusion in the National Assembly's Law and Ordinance Development Program, and is not yet a draft Law. The Government and the Prime Minister have not yet considered or commented on the Ministry of Finance's proposal to draft the Law on Property Tax, because according to the provisions of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents, the proposal to draft a law or ordinance can only be submitted to the Government for consideration and comments after consulting with relevant agencies, organizations and individuals and being appraised by the Ministry of Justice.

4. Administrative violations in the fertilizer sector will be fined up to 200 million VND.

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The Government has just issued Decree 55/2018/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions for violations in the fertilizer sector.

Accordingly, a fine of 5-10 million VND will be imposed for one of the following violations: not having a separate area for storing raw materials and finished products; not having shelves or lining to arrange finished fertilizers; not making periodic reports on fertilizer production, import and export for 2 consecutive years or not making ad hoc reports when requested by a competent state management agency; not having a recognized testing room without a contract with a designated testing organization to evaluate the quality indicators of the fertilizers produced.

For one of the following violations: A person directly managing and operating fertilizer production who does not have a university degree or higher in one of the following majors: cultivation, plant protection, soil chemistry, agronomy, chemistry, biology; or who does not comply with the fertilizer recall deadline as decided by a competent authority will be fined from 10 to 15 million VND.

Fines of 15 - 20 million VND for one of the following violations: Not keeping product samples of each batch of fertilizers released from the factory according to regulations on sample preservation time; not keeping records of test results according to regulations on the time of each batch of fertilizers released from the factory; not having a quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001 or equivalent (except for newly established facilities that are less than 1 year old from the date of establishment; facilities that only operate in fertilizer packaging).

A fine of 20 - 25 million VND shall be imposed on the act of using production lines, machinery and equipment from the raw material processing stage to the final product that do not meet the technological process in accordance with the registration for the certificate of eligibility to produce fertilizers with the competent state management agency.

For one of the following violations: Failure to conduct quality assessment testing of each batch of finished fertilizer before releasing fertilizer into circulation on the market; failure to recall fertilizer according to the decision of the competent authority will be subject to a fine of 25 - 30 million VND.

5. Conditions for establishing a Commodity Exchange

A Commodity Exchange must have a charter capital of 150 billion VND or more. Illustrative photo - source vtv)

Accordingly, a Commodity Exchange is established if it meets the following conditions: 1- Charter capital of 150 billion VND or more.

2- Having an information technology system that meets the requirements for technological and technical solutions in the trading of goods through the Commodity Exchange, specifically: The server system operates stably and has at least one backup server that is always ready in case the main system has a problem; the server system ensures data backup of business applications, transaction data, and ensures data information recovery in case of problems; the application software must comply with intellectual property rights requirements as prescribed by law; the software system must have an operation log function to track all goods transactions, payments, and deliveries in the business process for at least 5 years; the information technology system meets technical standards on network information security, if any.

The Decree also supplements regulations on foreign investors participating in commodity trading activities through the Commodity Exchange in Vietnam. Specifically, foreign investors have the right to participate in commodity trading transactions through the Commodity Exchange in Vietnam.

Foreign investors have the right to contribute capital to establish a Commodity Exchange in Vietnam; purchase shares and capital contributions of a Commodity Exchange in Vietnam according to the following provisions: Foreign investors are allowed to contribute capital to establish a Commodity Exchange in Vietnam; purchase shares and capital contributions of a Commodity Exchange in Vietnam at a rate not exceeding 49% of charter capital; foreign investors are allowed to participate in commodity trading activities through a Commodity Exchange as customers or to participate as members of a Commodity Exchange (brokerage members, business members) with an unlimited charter capital ownership ratio; procedures for capital contribution, purchase of shares and capital contributions by foreign investors shall comply with the provisions of the Law on Enterprises, the Law on Investment and other relevant legal provisions.

6. Change of members of the Steering Committee for compiling and publishing the History of the Government of Vietnam.

The Prime Minister has just signed a Decision to change the members of the Steering Committee for compiling and publishing the History of the Government of Vietnam (1945 - 2015).

According to the Prime Minister's Decision, Mr. Le Vinh Tan, Minister of Home Affairs, became Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, replacing Mr. Nguyen Thai Binh. Mr. Tran Xuan Ha, Deputy Minister of Finance, joined the Steering Committee, replacing Mr. Truong Chi Trung. Mr. Nguyen Van Tung, Deputy Head of the Government Office, joined the Steering Committee, replacing Mr. Nguyen Khac Dinh.

The Steering Committee for Compilation and Publishing of the History of the Vietnamese Government (1945 - 2015) was established in Decision No. 97/QD-TTg dated January 21, 2015. Accordingly, the Steering Committee is responsible for approving the outline, directing the organization of research, compilation, appraisal and publication of the History of the Vietnamese Government (1945 - 2015); relevant agencies, organizations and individuals are responsible for providing documents, materials and information on the organization and operation of the Government when requested by the Steering Committee; directing the Ministry of Home Affairs to organize the compilation and publication of the History of the Vietnamese Government (1945 - 2015).

7. Strengthen warning, inspection, supervision and handling of loss-making enterprises.

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Considering the report on financial supervision results for the first 6 months of 2017, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance to preside over and coordinate with the representative agency of the owner and relevant agencies to strengthen warnings; inspection; supervision and handling of loss-making enterprises with signs of financial insecurity according to the provisions of law, and report the implementation results to competent authorities.

The Prime Minister also requested the Ministries and agencies: Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Education and Training, Academy of Science and Technology, State Bank of Vietnam and People's Committees of the provinces: Bac Giang, Binh Duong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lao Cai, Quang Nam, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue to learn from experience in not reporting or reporting in the wrong form as prescribed.

The above Ministries and agencies urgently send reports to the Ministry of Finance in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 87/2015/ND-CP dated October 6, 2015 of the Government on supervision of state capital investment in enterprises; financial supervision, performance evaluation and disclosure of financial information of state-owned enterprises and enterprises with state capital and related legal documents.