Increase travel allowances for officials and civil servants.

Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance, stipulating regulations on travel expenses and conference expenses, will take effect from July 1, 2017.According to Circular 40, the funding for travel expenses and conference expenses comes from the state budget; retained fee revenue as stipulated by law on fees and charges; revenue from business and service activities of public non-profit organizations; and other funding sources as prescribed by law (if any).

From July 1st, 2017, travel allowances for officials and civil servants will be adjusted upwards. (Illustrative image)

Regulations on lump-sum payment for the use of vehicles when traveling on business, and lump-sum payment for self-provided transportation when traveling on business.

For leadership positions with regulations on the use of official vehicles for business trips as stipulated by the Prime Minister, those who voluntarily register to receive a lump-sum allowance for the use of official vehicles may do so.

The lump-sum payment for the use of automobiles for business trips is implemented according to the regulations in Circular No. 159/2015/TT-BTC dated October 15, 2015, of the Ministry of Finance, guiding some Articles of Decision No. 32/2015/QĐ-TTg dated August 4, 2015, of the Prime Minister, stipulating standards, norms, and management and use regimes for automobiles in state agencies, public non-business units, and one-member limited liability companies with 100% state-owned capital.

For officials and employees who do not meet the criteria for being provided with a car for business trips, but if they travel 10 km or more from their office (for communes in economically and socially disadvantaged or extremely disadvantaged areas as defined by the Prime Minister's Decisions) and 15 km or more (for other communes) using their own personal vehicles, they will be reimbursed a lump sum for self-provided transportation at a rate of 0.2 liters of gasoline per kilometer, calculated based on the distance within the administrative boundaries and the price of gasoline at the time of the business trip, as stipulated in the unit's internal expenditure regulations.

In addition, the daily accommodation allowance for business travelers is 200,000 VND.

For cases of same-day travel, the head of the agency or unit shall determine the accommodation allowance based on the following criteria: the actual number of hours spent on business trips during the day, the time spent working outside of regular working hours (including travel time), the distance traveled, and as stipulated in the internal expenditure regulations of the agency or unit.

Officials, civil servants, and employees from the mainland who are assigned to work on the sea or islands are entitled to a daily accommodation allowance of 250,000 VND per person for each actual day spent at sea or on the islands (applicable to both working days at sea or on the islands and days traveling to and from sea or islands).

Notably, Circular 40 also stipulates that if travel expenses are paid on a lump-sum basis, for leaders at the ministerial, deputy ministerial, and leadership positions with a position allowance coefficient of 1.25 or higher, the lump-sum amount is 1 million VND/day/person, regardless of the destination of the business trip.

For other officials, civil servants, and employees: When traveling on business to districts and cities under the central government and cities classified as Type I urban areas in provinces, the fixed allowance is 450,000 VND/day/person.

For business trips to districts and towns within centrally-governed cities, and to towns and cities within provinces, the allowance is 350,000 VND/day/person; for business trips to other areas, the allowance is 300,000 VND/day/person.

In cases where the person on business trip does not receive a lump-sum payment, they will be reimbursed based on the actual room rental cost (with legal invoices and documents as prescribed by law) approved by the head of the agency or unit according to the following standards: Ministers and equivalent positions are reimbursed at a rate of 2.5 million VND/day/room, based on the standard of one person/one room, regardless of the destination of the business trip.

For business trips to districts and cities under the central government and cities classified as Type I urban areas in provinces: Deputy Ministers and other leadership positions with a position allowance coefficient from 1.25 to 1.3 will be reimbursed for accommodation costs at a rate of 1.2 million VND/day/room, based on the standard of one person/one room.

For the remaining individuals, the accommodation cost will be reimbursed at 1 million VND per day per room, based on a standard of 2 people per room.
For business trips to other regions: Deputy Ministers and other leadership positions with a position allowance coefficient from 1.25 to 1.3 will be reimbursed for accommodation costs at a rate of 1.1 million VND/day/room, based on the standard of one person/one room.

For the remaining individuals, the room rental rate is 700,000 VND/day/room, based on a standard of 2 people per room….
In addition, Circular 40 also specifies the expenditure levels for organizing conferences. Accordingly, the remuneration for lecturers, speakers, and those presenting papers at the conference shall be implemented according to the remuneration rates stipulated for lecturers and speakers in Circular No. 139/2010/TT-BTC dated September 21, 2010, of the Ministry of Finance, which regulates the preparation of budgets, management, and use of funds from the state budget for the training and professional development of officials and civil servants.

Refreshment allowance during breaks: 20,000 VND/session (half-day)/delegate.

Meal allowances for invited delegates who are not on the payroll of state agencies, public service units, and enterprises are provided at the following fixed rates: For meetings held in the inner city of centrally-governed cities, the rate is 200,000 VND/day/person.
For meetings held in the inner city or urban areas of a provincial city; or in districts and towns within a province, the rate is 150,000 VND/day/person; however, for meetings organized by communes, wards, or townships (regardless of location), the rate is 100,000 VND/day/person.

Hoang Tung/baotintuc