Increase business expenses for officials and civil servants

Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance regulating business trip expenses and conference expenses will take effect from July 1, 2017.According to Circular 40, the source of funding for business travel expenses and conference expenses is the state budget; the fee revenue is retained according to the provisions of the law on fees and charges. Revenue from public service activities and services of public service units; Other funding sources according to the provisions of the law (if any).

From July 1, 2017, business travel allowances for officials and civil servants will be adjusted to increase. Illustrative photo

Regulations on payment of car usage expenses for business trips and payment of self-funded vehicles for business trips.

For leadership positions with standards for using cars when traveling on business according to regulations of the Prime Minister, voluntarily register to implement the car usage allowance when traveling on business.

The level of payment for car use expenses when going on business trips is implemented according to the provisions of Circular No. 159/2015/TT-BTC dated October 15, 2015 of the Ministry of Finance guiding a number of Articles of Decision No. 32/2015/QD-TTg dated August 4, 2015 of the Prime Minister stipulating standards, norms and regimes for management and use of cars in state agencies, public service units, and single-member limited liability companies with 100% charter capital held by the State.

For cadres, civil servants and public employees who are not eligible to be provided with a car when going on business trips, but if they go on business trips 10 km or more from the agency headquarters (for communes in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions, especially difficult ones according to the Prime Minister's Decisions) and 15 km or more (for the remaining communes) and use their own personal vehicles, they will be paid a fixed amount of 0.2 liters of gasoline/km calculated according to the administrative distance and gasoline price at the time of the business trip and specified in the internal spending regulations of the unit.

In addition, the accommodation allowance to pay for business travelers is 200,000 VND/day.

In case of going and returning within the day, the head of the agency or unit decides on the accommodation allowance according to the following criteria: Based on the actual number of hours spent on business during the day, the time spent working outside of office hours (including time spent on the road), the distance of the business trip and as stipulated in the internal spending regulations of the agency or unit.

Cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers on the mainland who are sent on business trips to the sea or islands are entitled to a residence allowance of VND 250,000/person/actual day at sea or island (applied to both working days at sea or island, and days of going to and returning from sea or island)...

Notably, Circular 40 also specifically stipulates that if business travel expenses are paid in the form of a lump sum, then for leaders at the Ministerial, Deputy Ministerial level and leadership positions with a position allowance coefficient of 1.25 or higher, the lump sum is 1 million VND/day/person, regardless of the place of work.

For the remaining cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers: Going on business trips to districts, cities under centrally-run cities and cities that are class I urban areas under provinces, the allowance is 450,000 VND/day/person.

For business trips to districts and towns of centrally-run cities, and to remaining towns and cities of provinces, the allowance is 350,000 VND/day/person; for business trips to remaining regions, the allowance is 300,000 VND/day/person.

In case the business traveler does not receive payment in the form of a lump sum, he/she will be paid according to the actual room rental price (with invoices and legal documents as prescribed by law) approved by the head of the agency or unit according to the following standards: Ministerial-level leaders and equivalent positions are paid a room rental price of 2.5 million VND/day/room according to the standard of one person/one room, regardless of the place of work.

Business trips to districts and cities under centrally run cities and cities that are class I urban areas of provinces: For Deputy Ministers and leadership positions with a position allowance coefficient from 1.25 to 1.3, the room rental price is 1.2 million VND/day/room according to the standard of one person/room.

For the remaining subjects, the room rental price is 1 million VND/day/room according to the standard of 2 people/room.
Business trips to the remaining regions: For Deputy Ministers and leaders with a position allowance coefficient from 1.25 to 1.3, the room rental price is 1.1 million VND/day/room according to the standard of one person/room.

For the remaining subjects, the room rental price is 700,000 VND/day/room according to the standard of 2 people/room....
In addition, Circular 40 also specifically regulates the level of expenses for organizing conferences. Accordingly, remuneration for lecturers, remuneration for reporters; people whose reports are presented at conferences: Implement according to the remuneration levels prescribed for lecturers and reporters in Circular No. 139/2010/TT-BTC dated September 21, 2010 of the Ministry of Finance regulating the preparation of estimates, management and use of funds from the state budget for training and fostering of cadres and civil servants.

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

Meal allowance for delegates who are guests not on the payroll of state agencies, public service units and enterprises at the following fixed rate: For meetings held at inner-city locations of centrally-run cities, it is 200,000 VND/day/person.
For meetings held in the inner city or town of a provincial city; in districts and towns of the province, the fee is 150,000 VND/day/person; For meetings held by communes, wards and towns (regardless of the venue), the fee is 100,000 VND/day/person.

Hoang Tung/baotintuc