Key directives and actions taken by the Government and the Prime Minister this past week.

(Baonghean.vn) - The tasks and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; various forms of public disclosure of state financial reports; the Prime Minister's request to end the acceptance of vehicles donated by businesses; Nghe An strives to become a relatively prosperous province in the North Central region;... these are some of the prominent directives from the Government and the Prime Minister this past week.

1. The mission and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. Photo: chinhphu.vn

The government has just issued Decree No. 26/2017/ND-CP stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs performs its duties and powers as stipulated in Government Decree No. 123/2016/ND-CP dated September 1, 2016, which regulates the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, as well as some specific duties and powers.

Specifically, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for leading and coordinating with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and relevant agencies in developing the state's foreign affairs plan; compiling the foreign affairs plans of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, relevant agencies, and localities; guiding the implementation and requiring ministries, ministerial-level agencies, relevant agencies, and localities to report periodically and on an ad hoc basis on the implementation of foreign affairs activities; and leading and coordinating with relevant agencies in providing professional guidance on foreign affairs to ministries, ministerial-level agencies, relevant agencies, and localities...

2. Various forms of public disclosure of state financial reports.

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The government has just issued Decree 25/2017/ND-CP on state financial reporting.

This Decree stipulates the content of state financial reports; the organization of the preparation and public disclosure of state financial reports; and the responsibilities of agencies, units, and localities in providing information for the preparation of state financial reports.

The entities responsible for preparing state financial reports and the agencies, units, and organizations responsible for providing information to prepare state financial reports include: the Ministry of Finance; the State Treasury at all levels; agencies managing and implementing state budget revenue and expenditure at all levels; agencies managing state assets and capital at all levels; state agencies and organizations using the state budget; agencies and organizations managing state budget financial funds outside the state budget; and public service units.

3. The Prime Minister orders an end to accepting vehicles as gifts from businesses.

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To prevent negative consequences arising from the acceptance of gifts from businesses, as well as to avoid the loss of state assets through tax exemptions for imported vehicles, the Prime Minister has requested ministries, agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to cease accepting automobiles as gifts from businesses.

The above content is from Notice 127/TB-VPCP, which contains the Prime Minister's conclusions on accepting automobiles donated by businesses.

The announcement stated that at the regular government meeting in February 2017, the government agreed to immediately stop the practice of local authorities and state agencies accepting vehicles as gifts from businesses, especially those operating within the province.

4. Nghe An strives to become a relatively prosperous province in the North Central region.

A view of Vinh city, Nghe An province.

In 2016, Nghe An province's socio-economic situation showed positive changes, achieving 25 out of 27 key socio-economic development targets. The province's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was higher than in recent years. 152 communes, accounting for 31.3% of the total number of communes in the province, were recognized as meeting the standards for new rural areas, exceeding the national average.

Administrative reform, anti-corruption efforts, and the handling of complaints and denunciations have received attention, and social order and security have achieved many outstanding results, making an important contribution to the stability and socio-economic development of the locality...

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested that by 2025, Nghe An strive to become a prosperous province in the North Central region, together with Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa provinces, creating a new emerging industrial growth pole for the whole country; serving as a model for industrial development that is harmonious with the environment, friendly to the environment, and where the material and spiritual lives of the people are improved above the national average; becoming a land of entrepreneurship and attracting talent; and together preserving and promoting the unique culture and essence of the people of Nghe An.

5. Amend regulations on purchasing original branded drugs to reduce drug prices.

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In recent years, the bidding process for pharmaceuticals at public healthcare facilities has been rigorously managed and has undergone significant reforms, reducing the price of generic drugs by up to 35% (compared to the old bidding mechanism). However, the management of branded drug prices has not been effectively implemented in the bidding process.

Currently, hundreds of branded drugs have expired patent protection, and there are generic drugs that have been proven bioequivalent to the original branded drugs, meeting the highest treatment standards applied by ICH participating countries (Group 1). Many of these drugs have 2 to 3 registration numbers and are much cheaper than the original branded drugs, while the cost of purchasing these generic drugs is very high.

To address these shortcomings, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam requested the Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Vietnam Social Security to amend and supplement regulations on the purchase of original branded drugs whose patents have expired, in order to reduce drug prices through open bidding for drugs in Group 1 that have many registration numbers and meet the treatment requirements according to the list published by the Ministry of Health.

6. Compensation and damage support for people in coastal areas will be completed in June.

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To date, in the four central provinces, the security and order situation is generally stable, and the exploitation, cultivation, and trading of aquatic products in the localities have almost returned to normal. Consumers have begun to consume seafood products again, and initial results have been achieved in the payment of compensation and support for losses to the people.

However, due to various objective and subjective reasons, payment procedures in some areas have not met the set requirements. The security and social order situation in the four provinces still harbors many potential difficulties and complexities...

To ensure the effective achievement of the set goals for compensation, damage support, production restoration, and social security for the people of the four central provinces, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh requested that ministries, sectors, and the People's Committees of the four provinces continue to implement their assigned tasks. In particular, the provinces, especially Ha Tinh, need to focus on completing the disbursement of funds allocated by the Ministry of Finance in March, ensuring that payments are made to the correct beneficiaries and within the scope stipulated in Decision No. 1880/QD-TTg and Decision No. 12/QD-TTg; no proposals should be made to expand the scope or beneficiaries; and efforts should be made to complete the payment of compensation and damage support to the people by the end of June.

7. Promote the development of the automotive industry.

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Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung requested relevant ministries and agencies, according to their functions and duties, to accelerate the implementation of solutions to develop supporting industries for the automotive industry.

Vietnam is projected to enter a period of motorization in the near future, presenting an opportunity for the development of the country's automotive industry, contributing to economic growth and improving the lives of its people.

Therefore, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung requested relevant ministries and agencies, according to their functions and duties, to accelerate the implementation of solutions to develop supporting industries for the automotive industry, and to continue proposing to the Prime Minister amendments, additions, and new promulgation of mechanisms and policies to promote the development of supporting industries, especially for large investors and leading enterprises.

8. Illegally transporting goods by sea is punishable by a fine of 3 million VND or more.

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The government has just issued a Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree 162/2013/ND-CP dated November 12, 2013, of the Government regulating administrative sanctions for violations in the sea areas, islands, and continental shelf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Specifically, the regulations add a fine of 3-5 million VND for the act of transporting, buying, selling, exchanging, or transshipping goods without proper documentation, or with incomplete documentation proving the legality of the goods, or for goods subject to conditional business or transportation, where at the time of inspection, there is no or incomplete accompanying documentation to prove the legality of the goods, in cases where the value of the goods is less than 10 million VND.

A fine of 5-10 million VND will be imposed for the following violation: Foreign submarines and underwater vehicles operating in Vietnam's inland waters and territorial sea without flying their national flag, except in cases permitted by the Vietnamese Government under an agreement between the Vietnamese Government and the government of the country whose flag the vessel is flying.

9. Strengthening the prevention and combating of violence and abuse against children.

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The Government Office has just issued a document conveying the directives of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on strengthening measures to prevent and combat violence and abuse against children.

Recently, several newspapers have reported on the situation of child abuse, causing public outrage and anxiety among families with young girls.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam assigned the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to take the lead, in coordination with other ministries, sectors and relevant agencies, in proposing and strengthening the implementation of solutions to prevent and combat violence and abuse against children.

The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Education and Training to strengthen education and guidance on skills and measures to help children and students improve their ability to recognize and prevent abuse.

10. Create a significant improvement in the transparency of information by state administrative agencies.

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The Prime Minister requested that ministries, sectors, and localities identify the task of providing information to citizens as one of their regular duties, and accordingly allocate appropriate resources to meet the information needs of citizens.

The directive states that Law No. 104/2016/QH13 on Access to Information came into effect on July 1, 2018. This is a very important law, creating a legal framework for the exercise of citizens' right to access information and enhancing transparency in the activities of state agencies.

Specifically, ministries, sectors, and localities should thoroughly understand the content and spirit of the provisions of the Law on Access to Information. Through appropriate forms and methods, they should disseminate and educate to raise awareness of the rights and responsibilities of agencies, units, officials, civil servants, and citizens in exercising the right to access information.

Peace

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