Fine of 50 million VND for reporting false information about weather, storms and floods

New regulations in the Government's Decree on administrative sanctions for violations in the fields of hydrometeorology, surveying and mapping.

The Government has just issued Decree No. 173/2013/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions in the field of hydrometeorology, surveying and mapping, replacing Decree No. 61/2008/ND-CP dated May 9, 2008 of the Government on administrative sanctions in the field of hydrometeorology; Decree No. 30/2005/ND-CP dated March 11, 2005 of the Government on administrative sanctions in surveying and mapping activities.

Accordingly, the Decree stipulates the maximum fine for an administrative violation in the field of hydrometeorology, surveying and mapping is 50 million VND for individuals and 100 million VND for organizations.

Specifically, a fine of 5-10 million VND will be imposed for reporting forecasts of tropical depressions, storms, and floods on mass media without stating the source of the information; a fine of 10-20 million VND will be imposed for the following acts: Reporting forecasts of tropical depressions, storms, and floods on mass media in violation of regulations; distorting the content of forecasts of tropical depressions, storms, and floods provided by competent authorities. In case of distorting the content of forecasts of tropical depressions, storms, and floods provided by competent authorities, causing serious consequences, a fine of 40-50 million VND will be imposed.

Also according to the newly issued Decree, a fine of 10-17 million VND will be imposed on the act of providing incorrect information on the following reservoir operations to the hydrometeorological forecasting agency: information on upstream water level, downstream water level of the reservoir; information on inflow to the reservoir, discharge flow, flow discharged through the turbine, total flow downstream of the dam; information on the estimated possibility of increasing the reservoir water level when calculated by flow.

In addition, the Decree also stipulates a fine of 40-50 million VND for one of the following acts of producing and supplying (including international exchange, import and export activities) information, documents, data on survey products and maps that incorrectly represent the national borders, sovereignty, territory, and territorial waters (including the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos and other islands) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Decree No. 173/2013/ND-CP takes effect from January 1, 2014./.

According to VOV.VN