Joint Circular No. 023 / LB-ED-FIN guiding the use of self-owned foreign currency and aid from the higher education, vocational training, and vocational education sectors.

JOINT CIRCULAR

GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF SELF-HAVING FOREIGN CURRENCY AND ASSISTANCE IN THE SECTOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Implementing Decision No. 201/CT dated July 22, 1989 of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers on allowing the higher education, vocational training, and professional education sector to use all self-having foreign currency and assistance, the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education and the Ministry of Finance provide specific guidelines for implementation as follows:

I. General Provisions:

1. The higher education, vocational training, and professional education sector is permitted to use all self-having foreign currency and assistance (including foreign currency cash and checks) to invest in purchasing equipment used in teaching, internships, production labor, and scientific research, to equip new and replace existing equipment, construct and repair facilities for teaching and scientific research within the sector. This amount of foreign currency shall not be deducted from the foreign currency allocated annually to implement agreements on teaching and scientific research with foreign countries (such as scholarships for overseas students, internship students, graduate students, etc.) provided to the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education.

2. The Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education has the authority to allocate the permissible foreign currency among subordinate units to assist institutions in fulfilling their tasks related to teaching, production labor, and scientific research.

3. All self-having foreign currency and assistance of the higher education, vocational training, and professional education sector must be fully reflected in the state budget. When using it, a budget for income and expenditure must be prepared and a reporting and settlement system implemented as for state budget funds allocated according to the quota (quarterly, annually).

         II. Specific Provisions on Management and Use of Self-Having Foreign Currency and Assistance.

      1. The sources of foreign currency that the higher education, vocational training, and professional education sector is allowed to use according to Decision No. 201/CT dated July 22, 1989 of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers include:

a/ Contributions from experts' salaries (including local currency and converted foreign currency) sent by the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education. In cases where our country must reserve part of the experts' salaries to repay debts to the host country, the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education can only use the remaining amount after deducting the repayment amount.

b/ Revenue from payments made by the counterpart and contributions from students and trainees who earn income through advanced skill training.

c/ Revenue from cooperative projects with foreign countries and international organizations in teaching and scientific research. Foreign currency payments in cash or checks to scientists in the education and training sector are regulated in Circular No. 3157/V7 dated July 18, 1989 of the Council of Ministers.

d/ International organization funding for international programs, seminars, and training courses in Vietnam.

đ/ Assistance from international organizations, national organizations, non-governmental organizations, individuals, overseas Vietnamese associations, international student sports organizations, etc.

            2. Depending on the nature of each source of foreign currency mentioned above, they will be managed and used as follows:

a/ All self-having foreign currency and assistance of the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education shall be deposited into foreign currency accounts at the Vietnam Commercial Bank and recorded in original currency.

b/ The management and use of this foreign currency must comply with the State's foreign exchange management regulations. Priority should be given to importing modern machinery and equipment for teaching and scientific research. If there is a need to purchase domestic machinery and equipment or cover expenses in Vietnamese currency for sector activities that the state budget has not yet met, the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education may sell foreign currency to the centralized foreign currency fund of the State at the buying and selling rate of the Vietnam Commercial Bank, and use Vietnamese currency for these activities.

c/ Units under the higher education, vocational training, and professional education sector receiving self-having foreign currency and assistance (in original currency or Vietnamese currency from the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education) must implement accounting, management according to current regulations and report and settle periodically to the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Education as for state budget funds allocated.

          III. Article of Implementation:

            This Circular takes effect from the date of issuance. Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported to the Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training and Industry for consideration and resolution by the Ministry or Joint Ministries.

                             VICE MINISTER

                             Ngô Thiết Thạch                                                                                Trần Chí Đảo