Disbursement of outstanding revenue from DVMTR and replacement forestation funds

(Baonghean) - Implementing Official Dispatch No. 1820/TTg-KTTH dated October 13, 2015 of the Prime Minister, after consulting with the Department of Finance and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, on July 13, 2016, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 5006/UBND-NN directing the disbursement of funds collected from DVMTR in 2011 and 2012 without any spending objects and funds for reforestation due to conversion of forest use to other purposes in 2016.

Mobile forest fire fighting. Photo: Phan Nguyen

Specifically, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Forest Protection and Development Fund; the protective forest management boards: Ky Son, Tuong Duong; the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve Management Board; and the Youth Volunteer Team 8-XDKT to manage and pay the above capital sources according to Official Dispatch 1548/STC-TCDN dated June 23, 2016 of the Department of Finance. The content is as follows:

1. Regarding the procedures for disbursing funds from forest environmental services (FES) in 2011 and 2012 according to Official Dispatch 1820/TTg-KTTH dated October 13, 2015 of the Prime Minister for the items of asset procurement and construction and upgrading of forest protection stations.

This is the source of revenue from forest environmental services that the Provincial Forest Protection Fund has signed a trust contract with the facilities using forest environmental services according to the Government's regulations in Decree No. 99/2010/ND-CP dated September 24, 2010. Therefore, the Provincial Forest Protection Fund manages the funding source according to Decree No. 99/2010/ND-CP. For the work of controlling the disbursement of funding to support investors in purchasing assets; building and repairing forest protection stations, the procedures and records in Circular No. 85/2014/TT-BTC dated June 30, 2014 of the Ministry of Finance on guiding the management, payment and settlement of investment capital from the State budget to implement forest protection and development plans are applied.

a) For advances:

Investors of the funding sources assigned by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 5279/QD-UBND dated November 11, 2015, based on relevant legal documents, prepare documents according to regulations and send them to the BVPTR Fund for timely disbursement.

b) For settlement:

After the project or purchase is completed, the investor prepares a settlement report and sends it to the Department of Finance for review and approval. Based on the approval results of the Department of Finance, the Protection Fund and PTR will handle the debt for the investor.

2. On the use of funds for reforestation due to conversion of forest use to other purposes

To receive this funding source, the Forest Protection Fund has opened an account at the Provincial Treasury. The disbursement of this funding source, the Provincial Forest Protection Fund shall base on the provisions of Circular No. 85/2014/TT-BTC dated June 30, 2014 of the Ministry of Finance on guidance on management, payment and settlement of investment capital from the State budget to implement the forest protection and development plan. Specifically as follows:

a) Advance payment subject

- Depending on the results of collecting money for replacement forestation, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will advise the Provincial People's Committee to decide on allocating replacement forestation plans to organizations/projects;

- After the decision on capital allocation plan is made, organizations/projects will implement the design, prepare technical design documents - estimates and submit them to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for approval as a basis for implementation;

- The project carries out preparation and implementation of forest planting to ensure quantity and quality according to regulations.

- Before making an advance payment, the organization/project shall send documents and procedures as prescribed to the Provincial Fund for Forest Protection and Development for inspection and disbursement through the account at the State Treasury.

Improving the quality and reserves of protective forests. Photo: Huu Nghia

- The State Treasury shall control expenditures according to regulations.

b) For settlement

After construction is completed, the investor will compile and send relevant documents according to regulations to the Department of Finance to settle investment capital.

- Based on the approval of the settlement by the Department of Finance, the Provincial Forest Protection Fund will pay the remaining balance.

3. The investor and project owner in items 2 and 3 above are responsible for the accuracy and legality of the implemented volume and compliance with the norms, unit prices, and estimates approved by the competent authority; the quality of the project and the proposed payment value; ensuring the accuracy, honesty, and legality of the data and documents in the dossier provided to the Provincial Forest Protection Fund and the State's functional agencies.

Hai Yen

(Synthetic)