Some outstanding policies effective from October 2020

1. No advertising calls before 8am and after 5pm; there are 3 ways to block spam calls and messages

From October 1, 2020, Decree 91/2020/ND-CP regulating anti-spam messages, spam emails, and spam calls officially took effect.

Accordingly, text messages can only be sent between 7am and 10pm every day and advertising calls can only be made between 8am and 5pm every day, unless otherwise agreed upon with the subscriber.

Telecommunications and Internet businesses will be fined up to VND170 million if they do not take measures to prevent spam messages, calls, and emails.

Any organization that makes advertising phone calls outside the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day without other agreement with the user will be fined from VND 20,000,000 to VND 30,000,000.

In case an individual commits the same violation, the fine is half the fine for an organization.

In addition, the business providestelecommunications services, Internet services, organizations that establish private telecommunications networks are responsible for guiding and providing users with tools and applications to reflect spam messages and spam calls and allowing users to proactively prevent spam messages and spam calls.

3 ways to block spam messages and calls: Forward information about spam messages and calls to 5656; Refuse to receive advertising messages; Register phone number on the do-not-advertise list.

2. More jobs require strict safety regulations.

Circular 06/2020/TT-BLDTBXH has added many jobs with strict requirements onoccupational safety and hygiene, including: Directly producing and processing construction materials, ceramics, porcelain, glass, plastic; Professional rescue; Directly chopping, sawing, sawing wood, exploiting and processing industrial wood; regularly manually loading and unloading heavy objects of 30 kg or more; Directly cooking and processing food in collective kitchens with 300 meals a day or more...

This Circular takes effect from October 5, 2020.

3. Damaging flagpoles, sovereignty markers... at the border, fine up to 100 million VND

Decree 96/2020/ND-CP, effective from October 10, stipulates a fine of 40 - 50 million VND for one of the following acts:

Damaging boundary markers, stakes, border signs, border markers, flagpoles, base points, and sovereignty steles on islands; Changing the flow of border rivers and streams or affecting them;national borders;

In addition, it is stipulated that a warning or a fine of 300,000 VND to 500,000 VND shall be imposed on: Vietnamese citizens entering the land border area or border belt without carrying their ID card or Citizen Identification Card or Passport; Temporarily residing, staying, or traveling in the land border area in violation of regulations; Not notifying, declaring, registering or concealing, or helping others to illegally travel, stay, or temporarily reside in the land border area; Constructing solid structures within 30 meters from the land border line of the Vietnam - China border or 100 meters from the land border line of the Vietnam - Laos, Vietnam - Cambodia border; Illegally constructing structures on border rivers and streams.

Checking the status of the landmark. Photo: Hai Thuong documents

However, this is the fine for individual violations. For organizations that violate the law, the fine is double the fine for individuals, equivalent to 80 - 100 million VND.

4. Increase fines for selling gasoline and oil in barrels, cans, and bottles

Decree No. 99/2020/ND-CP, effective from October 11, stipulates that the act of selling gasoline and oil through mini pumps, hand-shake pumps, barrels, cans, bottles and other containers will be fined from 3 to 5 million VND (previously fined from 2 to 4 million VND), except for traders who are business households, gasoline stations of the people's armed forces in mountainous areas, highlands... that are allowed to act as retail agents for gasoline and oil in accordance with the conditions.petroleum businessthat area.

5. Selling hand-carried goods can be fined up to 200 million VND

Decree 98/2020/ND-CP, effective from October 15, stipulates that trading in smuggled goods will face fines based on the value of the smuggled goods. The lowest fine is 500,000 - 1 million VND, applicable to goods worth less than 3 million VND.

For goods worth over 100 million VND, fine from 40 - 50 million VND.

Ifsmuggled goodsIf the import is prohibited or temporarily suspended, or is food, food additives, food processing aids, food preservatives, disease prevention drugs and medicines, drug ingredients, cosmetics, medical equipment, chemicals, insecticides, disinfectants... the fine is twice the above table (equivalent to a maximum of 100 million VND).

Notably, the above fine applies to individuals. The fine for violating organizations is double the fine for individuals (equivalent to 200 million VND).

6. Duty-free purchases receive goods abroad

This is the notable content in Decree 100/2020/ND-CP on business.duty-free goodseffective from October 15.

Pursuant to Clause 1, Article 3 of this Decree, duty-free goods are received at the following locations:

- People exiting or transiting after completing exit or transit procedures, passengers on international flights departing from Vietnam or people waiting to exit are allowed to purchase duty-free goods: The counter to receive goods is in the quarantine area at the international border gate where the passengers exit;

- Foreign tourists traveling in groups by sea, with passports or valid international travel documents, purchasing duty-free goods domestically: The counter to receive goods is in the quarantine area at the type 1 seaport where tourists depart.

Notably, in addition to the above-mentioned delivery locations, customers (except customers purchasing on international flights departing from Vietnam) can receive their goods abroad. This is a new regulation added in Decree 100 of 2020.

7. Teachers who do not meet the standard qualifications may be fired.

The use of teachers and educational administrators in preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools that do not meet the training standards has been issued by the Ministry of Education and Training in Circular 24/2020/TT-BGDDT.

According to this Circular, from October 20, 2020, teachers who do not meet the standard training level according to the above regulations, depending on the specific case, may implement regulations on termination of employment and streamlining of staff according to current regulations.

The teacher welcomes students to grade 1 at Nghi An Primary School. Photo: Duc Anh's documents

8. Primary school teachers are not allowed to criticize students in front of the class.

This is a notable new content in Circular 28/2020/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training on promulgating the Primary School Charter effective from October 20, 2020.

If in the past, if students committed violations during the learning and training process, depending on the level of violation, teachers could remind, criticize or notify the family, now, depending on the level of violation, the following disciplinary measures can be taken: Remind, support and direct help to help students improve; Notify parents to coordinate to help students overcome their shortcomings. In particular, teachers are not allowed to criticize students in front of the whole class, in front of the whole school or in a general meeting with parents.

9. Must pay up to 339,000 VND/time when cutting off and restoring power

Circular 23/2020/TT-BCT issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade stipulates the method of determining and the cost of stopping and restoring power supply from October 30, 2020.

Specifically, the cost of stopping and re-supplying electricity to the facility is specified as follows: At the point with voltage from 0.38 kV or lower: 98,000 VND; At the point with voltage from 0.38 kV to 35 kV: 231,000 VND; At the point with voltage above 35 kV: 339,000 VND.