Key directives from the Government and the Prime Minister this past week.

(Baonghean.vn) - Distributing over 1,000 tons of rice to support people during Tet; Policies for redundant labor; Approving several agreements with foreign countries; A comprehensive program on practicing thrift and combating waste;... These are some of the prominent directives and management activities of the Government and the Prime Minister last week.

1. Approval of several agreements with foreign countries.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi witness the signing ceremony of the Protocol amending the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA.

Several protocols and agreements with foreign countries have recently been approved by the Government and the Prime Minister.

Specifically, the Government approved the Protocol amending the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation between Vietnam and India, signed in Hanoi on September 3, 2016.

The Prime Minister has also just approved the content of the Loan Agreement, the financial mechanism and the conversion of loan funds for the ODA loan from the Government of Japan for the Economic Management and Competitiveness Enhancement Credit Program EMCC (III) and the Climate Change Response Support Program SP-RCC (VII) for the fiscal year 2016.

The Prime Minister also approved the policy on non-project investment cooperation with the Japanese Government to provide equipment to enhance the capacity for ensuring waterway traffic safety.

2. Over 1,000 tons of rice were distributed to support the people during Tet (Lunar New Year).

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The Prime Minister has just instructed the Ministry of Finance to release (free of charge) 1,105.265 tons of rice from the national reserve to the provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak to support the people during the Lunar New Year 2017.

Specifically, Gia Lai province was allocated 605,265 tons of rice; Dak Lak province was allocated 500 tons of rice.

The Prime Minister requested the People's Committees of the two provinces to be responsible for the reported data; to receive and use the allocated rice to ensure timely and appropriate support to the intended beneficiaries as prescribed.

3. Policies regarding surplus labor

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Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has just issued directives regarding the payment of severance pay to redundant workers of Inland Waterway Management Joint Stock Companies No. 13 and No. 15.

The Deputy Prime Minister authorized the Ministry of Transport to apply Decree No. 91/2010/ND-CP dated August 20, 2010, which stipulates policies for redundant workers when restructuring state-owned limited liability companies, to resolve the entitlements for redundant workers during the equitization of Inland Waterway Management Section No. 13 (now Inland Waterway Management and Maintenance Joint Stock Company No. 13) and Inland Waterway Management Section No. 15 (now Inland Waterway Management and Maintenance Joint Stock Company No. 15).

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance to take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport, in assessing the data on resolving entitlements and policies for redundant workers of the two aforementioned units, proposing the allocation of funds, and submitting it to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

4. Categories of education and training within the national education system

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The Prime Minister has just issued the List of Education and Training Programs of the National Education System. This list includes the list of education and training programs of the national education system at levels I, II, and III. Specifically, Level I: Educational and training qualifications; Level II: Educational and training fields; Level III: Groups of programs, groups of majors, and groups of occupations in education and training.

Specifically, Level I includes the following levels of education and training: preschool, primary school, lower secondary school, upper secondary school, elementary, intermediate, college, university, master's degree, and doctoral degree.

The second and third-level categories include the following fields of education and training, and groups of programs, disciplines, and occupations: Basic programs (including preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education programs); literacy programs; special education programs; educational science and teacher training; arts (including fine arts, performing arts, audiovisual arts, and applied arts); humanities (including Vietnamese and foreign languages, literature, and culture); social and behavioral sciences (including economics, political science, sociology and anthropology, psychology, geography, and area studies)...

5. Overall program on practicing thrift and combating waste.

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The Government's overall program on practicing thrift and combating waste for the period 2016-2020 was issued in Decision 2544/QD-TTg.

The goal of the thrift and anti-waste (THTK, CLP) campaign for the period 2016-2020 is to promote thrift and anti-waste in all areas of socio-economic life; to focus on developing decisive solutions to improve the effectiveness of thrift and anti-waste in order to maximize all resources to achieve economic growth and development goals, stabilize people's lives, ensure social security, and bring about rapid and sustainable national development, enhancing Vietnam's position in the world.

Building and implementing the 5-year Program on Thrift and Anti-Corruption (2016-2020) is a key task for all levels, sectors, and localities. This is an important factor contributing to the successful implementation of the 5-year socio-economic development plan (2016-2020) and creating a basis for striving to achieve the goals of the 10-year socio-economic development strategy (2011-2020).

6. Clarifying allegations of swapping agricultural support equipment.

Unknown, unidentified brand names of "Japanese-made" machines

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province to investigate and clarify press reports alleging that more than 300 ethnic minority households in Binh Thuan province were allegedly given agricultural support equipment that was swapped out under a Prime Minister's decision.

In recent days, several media outlets have reported that more than 300 households of ethnic minorities in Binh Thuan province are allegedly being given agricultural support equipment instead of the intended equipment, as per the Prime Minister's decision, causing outrage among the local community.

Regarding this matter, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province to investigate and clarify the reported incident; and report to the Prime Minister before February 10, 2017.

7. Ensuring safety of inland waterway traffic.

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To continue effectively implementing solutions to ensure order and safety in inland waterway traffic, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh - Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee - assigned the Ministry of Transport to take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to issue regulations on identifying and handling dangerous locations on inland waterways (black spots), as a basis for ministries, sectors, and localities to organize the implementation of preventive measures and resolve accidents when they occur.

The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall direct relevant departments and agencies to urgently review and develop prevention plans, assigning responsibilities to each local agency in handling locations with a high risk of accidents between watercraft and river crossing structures in their areas, focusing on road and railway bridges; and resolutely and thoroughly address structures and ports operating within the protection corridor of river crossing structures to improve the effectiveness of ensuring order and safety in inland waterway traffic.

8. Provide timely support and assistance to households affected by the fire in Nha Trang.

The scene of the major fire in Nha Trang. Photo: Thanh Nien.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has just signed and issued a directive regarding the fire that destroyed dozens of houses in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, and to strengthen security, traffic safety, and fire prevention and control.

The request is for the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province to urgently direct the visiting, khắc phục hậu quả (remedying the consequences), and promptly support the affected households, arrange accommodation, stabilize the lives and living conditions of the people, and prepare for the Lunar New Year; at the same time, clarify the cause and strictly handle violations of the law on fire prevention and fighting.

The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall strictly implement the directives of the Prime Minister in Official Telegrams No. 1926/CĐ-TTg dated November 2, 2016, on strengthening fire prevention and fighting; No. 2239/CĐ-TTg dated December 13, 2016, on ensuring traffic order and safety during the New Year, Lunar New Year (Year of the Rooster) and Spring Festival 2017; and Directive No. 33/CT-TTg dated December 17, 2016, on strengthening management and operation to stabilize market prices and ensure social order and safety during the Lunar New Year (Year of the Rooster) 2017.

Peace

(Synthetic)