Circular No. 07/2014/TT-BNNPTNT guiding the work of competition and reward in the Agriculture and Rural Development sector

CIRCULAR

Guidelines on competition and reward work in the sectorOF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

BASED ON THE DECREE NO. 199/2013/NĐ-CP OF NOVEMBER 26, 2013 OF THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDING FOR THE FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT;

Pursuant to the Law on Competition and Reward dated November 26, 2003 and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward dated June 14, 2005;

Pursuant to Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 15, 2010 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward, and Decree No. 39/2012/NĐ-CP dated April 27, 2012 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP of the Government;

Pursuant to Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNV dated January 24, 2011 of the Ministry of Home Affairs guiding the implementation of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 15, 2010 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward;

The phrase "or examination" is abolished pursuant to Clause 6, Article 8 of Circular No. 15/2025/TT-BVHTTDL dated November 25, 2025, of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism amending and supplementing certain articles of Circulars prescribing job codes, qualification standards, and salary grades for civil servants in the heritage culture, library, grassroots cultural activities, sports, fine arts, art performance, film, and cultural propaganda sectors, which takes effect from January 15, 2026.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issues this Circular to guide competition and reward work in the Agriculture and Rural Development sector.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

Article 1. This Circular guides competition and reward work, procedures for rewards, and the competition and reward fund in the Agriculture and Rural Development sector.

Article 2. This Circular does not apply to the awarding of the Commendation Medal "For the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development" and the Golden Rice Ear Award of Vietnam.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to collectives, individuals, agencies, units directly under the Ministry, the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group, State-owned Enterprise Holding Companies, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Associations, and industry associations operating in agricultural and rural development fields, agencies, organizations, individuals outside the sector, and organizations and individuals of Vietnamese origin abroad, foreigners who have made contributions to the development of agriculture and rural areas in Vietnam.

Article 3. Objectives of competition and reward work

Clause 1. Objective of competition work: Encourage and motivate collectives and individuals to voluntarily participate in competition movements initiated by the Prime Minister, the Minister, or the head of the agency or unit, creating a competitive environment and motivation to excel in completing assigned tasks.

Clause 2. Objective of reward work: Recognize and honor the achievements of collectives and individuals actively participating in competition movements and contributing to the overall development of the agricultural and rural development sector.

Article 4. Principles of competition and reward

c) The granting of competition titles must be based on competition movements; all collectives and individuals participating in these movements must register for competition, set goals, and establish targets; those not registering will not be considered for competition titles.

a) To be implemented on the principles of voluntariness, self-awareness, transparency; solidarity, cooperation, and mutual development;

b) Collectives and individuals participating in competition movements must register for competition; those who do not register for competition will not be considered or recognized with competition titles;

c) Competition movements must be maintained regularly, with clear objectives, targets, and practical, specific measures for organizing the competition movement that are appropriate to the functions and responsibilities of the agency or unit.

b) A single form of reward may be given multiple times to the same recipient; multiple forms of reward shall not be given for a single achievement;

a) Rewards must be implemented accurately, transparently, fairly, and promptly;

b) Rewards must correspond to achievements (awards given according to the level of achievement);

c) A reward form can be awarded multiple times to the same recipient in different competition rounds;

d) Combine spiritual encouragement with material incentives.

Chapter II
COMPETITION WORK

Article 5. Forms of competition and emulation

1. Regular competition and emulation:

This form of competition and emulation is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its subordinate agencies, the Vietnam Rubber Corporation, State-owned Enterprise Groups, Associations, Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (collectively referred to as units) based on their assigned functions and tasks, and is carried out annually.

2. Competition and emulation in phases or thematic competition and emulation:

a) This form of competition and emulation aims to implement key, urgent tasks during specific stages and time periods; it has specialized and industry-specific content;

b) Thematic competition and emulation must clearly define its purpose, requirements, targets, and completion timeframe; it is organized at the scale of a unit, construction project, field of work, or entire industry; the content of the competition and emulation must be practical, innovative, and have the ability to attract active participation from collectives and individuals.

Article 6. Content of organizing the competition movement

1. Based on the key, regular, or urgent tasks of the industry, sector, locality, or unit during each stage to launch competition and emulation movements.

2. Clearly define the purpose, requirements, scope, target, and content of the competition and emulation to establish targets for the competition and emulation, timeframe, and organizational solutions; the determination and selection of names for the competition and emulation movements should be concise and memorable.

3. Organize the launch of competition and emulation movements suitable to the characteristics, nature of work, and participating groups of the competition and emulation blocks, agencies, units, and localities; at the launch ceremony, organize registration for competition and emulation and sign the competition and emulation agreement.

4. Organize propaganda to maintain and promote the movement, aiming to encourage and attract a large number of individuals and collectives to participate, identify and expand exemplary models and new factors.

5. Select pilot organizations for the competition and emulation movement to draw lessons and expand them widely. Pay attention to inspection and evaluation work during the implementation of the competition and emulation movement.

6. Organize mid-term reviews, final summaries, evaluate results, effects, remaining issues, and limitations, and draw lessons to continue promoting or prepare content and necessary conditions to launch new competition and emulation movements.

7. Select outstanding collectives and individuals to reward, propose higher-level rewards, and focus on organizing propaganda to expand exemplary advanced models and new factors.

Article 7. Organization and Activities of the Competition and Emulation Block

1. Organization and activities of the Competition and Emulation Block:

a) Organization of the Competition and Emulation Block: Based on the functions and tasks of agencies and units in fields of work with similar or relatively similar characteristics, taking into account geographical factors, the Ministry divides the competition and emulation block (Annex 1 attached hereto)to organize joint activities, duties of the Block Leader and Deputy Block Leader implemented through rotation or elected by members of the block;

b) Activities of the Competition and Emulation Block:

Annually, the Block Leader of the competition and emulation block takes the lead, coordinates with the Deputy Block Leader and other members of the block to prepare the competition and emulation agreement content, promulgate the Operation Regulation, and the Scoring Table for the aggregate achievements considered for the Block's Flag of Excellence Award.

The Ministry will only review and approve the competition and emulation agreement content, Operation Regulation, and Scoring Table for the aggregate achievements considered for the Block's Flag of Excellence Award submitted by the Block Leader in 2014. For subsequent years, the Ministry will review and approve the competition and emulation agreement content submitted by the block.

The Block Leader of the competition and emulation block is responsible for the budget plan for organizing common activities of the block; leads and coordinates the organization and implementation of mid-term and final reviews of the competition and emulation movement, sets directions and tasks for organizing the competition and emulation movement of the block; exchanges experiences, builds new models, and exemplary advanced models within the block.

Organizes the annual summary meeting of the block, selects and honors units with outstanding and exemplary achievements in the block to propose for consideration of the Government's Flag of Excellence Award and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Flag of Excellence Award through reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of organizing and implementing competition and emulation movements and self-assessment and scoring according to regulations.

The signing ceremony of the competition and emulation agreement is held at the beginning of the first quarter each year, and the block summary is reported to the Ministry for consideration of the Ministry's Flag of Excellence Award before November 30th each year (or combined with the block summary meeting before November 15th).

2. Voting ratio for Competition and Emulation Blocks

a) Each competition and emulation block annually evaluates the performance of competition and emulation movements to select 01 leading unit (for blocks with fewer than 6 units), select 02 leading units (for blocks with 7 to 10 units), and select 03 leading units (for blocks with more than 10 units) to propose the Minister award the Ministry's Flag of Excellence Award, and choose 01 outstanding unit from each block among those receiving the Ministry's Flag of Excellence Award to propose for the Government's Flag of Excellence Award (except for the block of Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development);

b) For the block of Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, select 02 leading units (for blocks with fewer than 7 units), select 03 leading units (for blocks with 7 to 12 units), and select 04 leading units (for blocks with 13 units or more) to propose the Minister award the Ministry's Flag of Excellence Award;

c) The Ministry will only consider awarding the Ministry's Flag of Excellence Award and proposing the Government's Flag of Excellence Award for units that have participated in competition and emulation activities within the block and the report of the Block Leaders.

Article 8. Organizing Competitions within Departments and Units under the Ministry

1. For collectives, competition agreements are established to complete outstandingly assigned targets and tasks, achieving the title of Outstanding Labor Collective, Advanced Labor Collective, and Competition Flag. The scope of competition agreements for collectives is organized between departments and units under the Ministry and among collectives within these departments and units.

2. For individuals, competition agreements are established to strive to complete outstandingly assigned tasks, achieving the titles of Outstanding Grassroots Model Worker, Outstanding Ministry Model Worker, and National Outstanding Model Worker. The scope of competition agreements for individuals is organized internally within grassroots units (from team, squad, department, faculty, workshop levels...).

Article 9. Authority to Launch Competition Movements

1. At the Ministry level: The Minister issues Directives, guiding documents, or directly launches regular competitions, phased competitions, and thematic competitions.

2. At the grassroots level: Unit heads organize the launch of competition movements within their units based on the Minister's Directives and their assigned functions and tasks, setting out targets, measures for implementation, and completion times for each movement, focusing on solving key and urgent tasks at the grassroots level.

Chapter III
REWARD WORK

Article 10. Types of rewards

1. Regular rewards: This form of reward is conducted annually for collectives and individuals who have achieved outstanding results after completing annual or multi-year plans.

2. Phased rewards (or thematic rewards): This form of reward is given to collectives and individuals who have achieved outstanding and exemplary results after completing a phase of competition; implementing key and urgent tasks during specific periods; completing a project, program, or thematic work launched and implemented by the Minister or unit heads.

3. Unexpected rewards: This form of reward is given to collectives and individuals who achieve unexpected outstanding results (results achieved in unforeseen circumstances outside of normal work routines that they must undertake), showing courageous actions in protecting property, rescue operations, disaster prevention, disease control, forest fire prevention... in the agriculture and rural development sector.

4. Rewards for dedication over time: This form of reward is given to individuals holding leadership positions from Deputy Department Heads and equivalent positions who have made significant contributions through their long-term service to the revolutionary cause of the party and the nation; the development of agriculture and rural areas in Vietnam.

5. Foreign rewards: Rewards are given to agencies, organizations, and individuals working, laboring, studying, or engaging in business production in Vietnam; organizations and individuals of Vietnamese origin abroad who have made many achievements and contributions to the development of agriculture and rural areas in Vietnam.

Article 11. Provisions on Reward Work, Procedures for Proposing Rewards, and Organization of Awarding Competition Titles and Forms of Reward

1. Provisions on Reward Work

a) The level managing organizational structure, cadres, civil servants, public officials, employees, and salary funds is responsible for rewarding and proposing rewards to higher levels for approval;

b) For Associations and Industry Associations operating in fields under the Ministry’s jurisdiction, the Ministry will reward them or propose rewards to higher levels for approval;

c) For joint-stock companies, including those transferred to the State Capital Investment Corporation for management, limited liability companies, and foreign-invested enterprises: The procedure for proposing rewards follows the principle that the level which decides on privatization, establishment of organizations shall review and decide on rewards;

For joint-stock companies (before privatization, they were subsidiaries of Groups or Corporations), and wholly-owned companies, the review of competition titles and forms of reward for collectives and individuals within the company (within the Ministry's authority) is delegated to the Competition and Reward Councils of Groups and Corporations to organize reviews and propose to the Ministry. For independent enterprises, the level issuing the license for establishment is responsible for reviewing and proposing rewards according to regulations;

d) The level initiating phased or thematic competition campaigns is responsible for rewarding or proposing rewards to higher levels for approval upon summarizing the campaign. Rewards are mainly self-awarded at the same level, with particularly outstanding achievements having significant impacts proposed for higher-level approval. Thematic competition campaigns lasting five years or more with particularly outstanding achievements may be proposed to the Prime Minister for Commendation or the President for the Labor Medal (mainly for small collectives and direct workers);

e) In a year, no more than two forms of rewards from the Ministry level upwards can be proposed for the same individual, except for exceptional or thematic rewards;

Example: If a unit proposes rewards for Mr. Nguyen Van A in 2013, it can only propose one of three forms: Commendation by the Minister, Commendation by the Prime Minister, or the Labor Medal;

f) Cases proposing awards of Medals where criteria relate to Commendation by the Prime Minister require two years since receiving the Commendation before proposing for a Medal;

Example: By the end of 2012, Mr. Nguyen Van A was proposed for Commendation by the Prime Minister, and in October 2013, the Prime Minister signed the Decision to commend Mr. Nguyen Van A, then in October 2015, Mr. Nguyen Van A would be eligible to propose for a Medal;

g) Setting a five-year or ten-year period as a benchmark for proposing subsequent rewards: This period starts from the date of recording the previous reward result, and the next reward must be at least five or ten years later.

2. Procedures for Proposing Rewards

The commendation process shall be carried out according to the principle that a superior level only organizes the examination for commendation or proposes the competent authority to grant commendation upon receiving the commendation proposal dossier from the directly subordinate level, not accepting dossiers sent beyond the hierarchical levels.

3. Granting commendation titles and forms of reward

The ceremony for granting and receiving commendation titles and forms of reward shall be implemented in accordance with Decree No. 145/2013/NĐ-CP dated October 29, 2013 of the Government and Instruction No. 4422/HD-BNN-TCCB dated December 12, 2013 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on guiding the ceremony for granting and receiving commendation titles and forms of reward.

Article 12. Model Worker Title

1. Title "Model Worker":

Individuals proposed for the Model Worker title must have work solutions, innovations, research topics with influence at the unit level, ministry, sector level, or national level recognized by the Innovation Councils at all levels; these work solutions, innovations, and research topics must have "name," "content," and "effectiveness" (according to the model specified in Appendix 3 of this Circular) within one year for the Model Worker title at the grassroots level, three years for the Model Worker title at the ministry level, or six years for the National Model Worker title.

2. Proportion of Model Workers at the grassroots level:

The ratio of recognizing the Model Worker title at the grassroots level annually among the agencies and units under the Ministry shall not exceed 20% of the total number of individuals recognized with the Advanced Worker title in the agency or unit, where leaders (those receiving responsibility allowances) shall not exceed 50%. For other sectors, the specific ratio shall be determined based on the number of civil servants, public officials, and workers in the unit and actual conditions, but shall not exceed 20% of the total number of civil servants, public officials, and workers in the unit.

Article 13. Certificate of Merit of the Minister

1. Regular commendation:

a) Group: Selecting groups with outstanding achievements among those continuously achieving the Excellent Labor Group title for two consecutive years;

b) Individual: Selecting individuals with outstanding achievements among those continuously achieving the Model Worker title at the grassroots level for two consecutive years. When submitting to the Ministry, there must be a decision awarding the Model Worker title at the grassroots level for two years;

c) For groups and individuals who received regular national-level or provincial-level commendations or commendations from central ministries and sectors in the year, they shall not be submitted for the Minister's Certificate of Merit in the following year.

Example: In 2013, Unit A received a decision awarding one of the following forms of commendation: Labor Medal, Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development's Certificate of Merit, Provincial People's Committee's Certificate of Merit, or another minister's Certificate of Merit... then in 2014, it shall not be submitted to the Ministry for consideration of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development's Certificate of Merit.

d) For Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development: Awarding the Minister's Certificate of Merit annually to groups and individuals with outstanding achievements among those groups and individuals "Making many outstanding contributions to the cause of agricultural and rural development."

2. Other types of commendation: Shall be implemented in accordance with Clause 2, Clause 3, Clause 4, and Clause 5 of Article 10 of this Circular.

Article 14. Authority to examine, propose, and decide on awards of the Minister

1. Examine and submit to the Prime Minister for presenting the Flag of Excellence Competition of the Government, the Prime Minister's Commendation, and the title of National Model Worker; examine and submit to the State President for awarding Orders and the title of Labor Hero.

2. Decide:

a) To present the title of Excellent Labor Collective to units under the Ministry (excluding General Departments, Special Institutes, Vietnam Rubber Industry Group, and State Corporations);

b) To present the Flag of Excellence of the Ministry, the title of Model Worker at the Ministry level, and the Minister's Commendation.

3. Agree with awards proposed by the Central Board for Mobilization and Reward for collectives and individuals according to regulations.

4. Delegate authority to heads of agencies and units under the Ministry, Special Institutes, Vietnam Rubber Industry Group, State Corporations, Chairmen of Associations to decide on presenting the title of Excellent Labor Collective to member units and to propose awards according to the authority defined in the Law on Mobilization and Reward.

Article 15. Mobilization and Reward Council

1. The Mobilization and Reward Council at the Ministry level:

The Mobilization and Reward Council at the Ministry level shall be established by the Minister with the following composition:

Chairman: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Vice Chairmen: Deputy Minister in charge of mobilization and reward work; Director of the Cadre and Civil Servant Department, Chairman of the Vietnam Agricultural and Rural Development Union;

Members of the Council: Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry, Director of the Ministry's Office, Inspector General of the Ministry, Deputy Director of the Cadre and Civil Servant Department in charge of mobilization and reward work, and leaders of related agencies and units.

Professional body assisting: The Mobilization and Reward Section under the Cadre and Civil Servant Department and the Appraisal Team for Merit Awards.

Secretary: Head of the Mobilization and Reward Section, Cadre and Civil Servant Department.

The Minister decides to promulgate the Operational Regulations of the Council.

2. The Mobilization and Reward Council at the grassroots level:

The Mobilization and Reward Council at the grassroots level shall be established by the head of the agency or unit with the following composition:

Chairman: The head of the agency or unit;

Members of the Mobilization and Reward Council include: Secretary (Deputy Secretary) of the Party Committee, heads of mass organizations, and heads of units (sections) responsible for mobilization and reward work;

Adjust the composition of the Council based on specific conditions to ensure suitability.

The head of the unit decides to promulgate the Operational Regulations of the Council.

3. Tasks of the Mobilization and Reward Council:

The Mobilization and Reward Councils at all levels (grassroots and Ministry level) advise and consult the Minister (at the Ministry level) and the heads of units (at the grassroots level) on mobilization and reward work in the agricultural and rural development sector or within their agencies and units. The Mobilization and Reward Council has the following tasks:

Implement the policies and guidelines of the Party and State on mobilization and reward work, organize competition movements in the sector and units;

Supervise, inspect, monitor, and propose amendments and supplements to policies and guidelines on mobilization and reward work of units in the sector;

Monitor and periodically evaluate mobilization and reward work; make recommendations and proposals to the Ministry and heads of agencies and units to formulate policies and measures to promote competition movements (regularly, in campaigns, or on specific topics);

Select outstanding collectives and individuals both inside and outside the sector who have made significant contributions to the development of agriculture and rural areas, and propose rewards to the Minister and heads of agencies and units, and submit them for higher-level rewards according to regulations.

Article 16. Initiative Council

1. Initiative Council at the Ministry level:

The Initiative Council at the Ministry level shall be established by the Minister with the following members:

Chairman: Deputy Minister in charge of competition and rewards or Deputy Minister in charge of science of the Ministry.

Vice-Chairman: Vice-Chairman of the Competition and Rewards Council of the Ministry;

Members: Leaders of some departments and units under the Ministry;

Secretary: Head of the Department of Competition and Rewards, Personnel Organization Department.

The Minister decides to promulgate the Operational Regulations of the Council.

2. Basic-level Invention Council:

The initiative council at the grassroots level shall be established by the head of the agency or unit with the following components:

Chairman: The head of the agency or unit;

The council consists of people with professional management expertise and technical skills, capable of evaluating and appraising initiatives for improvement or solutions and topics in management and implementation of tasks of the agency or unit.

The head of the unit decides to issue the operational regulations of the Council.

3. Tasks of the Initiative Council:

The Initiative Councils at all levels (grassroots and Ministry level) have the task of examining, assessing, and deciding to recognize proposals in research topics, initiatives, and work solutions proposed by individuals.

The recognition decision of the Initiative Council is sent by the unit in the application dossier for the Ministry's Competition and Rewards Council to consider and submit to the Minister for recognition of the title of Outstanding Competitor at the Ministry level, or to propose the Prime Minister to award the title of National Outstanding Competitor.

Chapter IV
PROCEDURE FOR REWARDS

Article 17. Dossier for Awarding the Title of Outstanding Competitor at the Ministry Level and National Outstanding Competitor

Dossier submitted for Ministry’s consideration and reward: For the title of Outstanding Competitor at the Ministry level, it includes 01 set (original); for the title of National Outstanding Competitor, it includes 03 sets (originals), including:

1. Proposal for awarding from the head of the unit (according to Model No. 1, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Competition and Rewards Council of the unit (according to Model No. 2, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

3. Report on achievements of the individual proposed for the title "Outstanding Competitor at the Ministry level", "National Outstanding Competitor" (according to Model No. 4, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

4. Summary report on initiatives, work solutions, and scientific research topics of the individual (according to Model No. 1, Model No. 3 of Appendix 3 of this Circular).

5. Confirmation from the Provincial Tax Bureau regarding the fulfillment of state budget payment obligations by the heads of units (Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Management Board, General Director, Director). The number of years confirmed for tax corresponds to the number of years in the achievement report.

Article 18. Dossier for Awarding the Government Flag of Merit, Ministry Flag of Merit, and Excellent Labor Collective

Dossier submitted for Ministry’s consideration and reward: For the Ministry Flag of Merit and Excellent Labor Collective, it includes 01 set (original); for the Government Flag of Merit, it includes 03 sets (originals), including:

1. Proposal from the head of the unit (according to Model No. 1, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Competition and Rewards Council of the unit (according to Model No. 2, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

3. Report on achievements of the collective proposed for reward (according to Model No. 3, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

4. Confirmation from the Provincial Tax Bureau regarding the fulfillment of state budget payment obligations by the unit. The number of years confirmed for tax corresponds to the number of years in the achievement report.

Article 19. Documents for considering the awarding of Orders and Medals, Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister, and Certificates of Merit from the Minister

The documents submitted to the Ministry for Orders and Medals include four sets (originals), Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister include three sets (originals), and Certificates of Merit from the Minister include one set (originals), including:

1. Proposal from the head of the unit (according to Model No. 1, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Competition and Rewards Council of the unit (according to Model No. 2, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

3. Report on achievements of the collective or individual being proposed for commendation (in accordance with Model No. 3 and Model No. 4 in Appendix 2 of this Circular). The report on individual achievements must clearly state the name, content, effect, and effectiveness of solutions and innovations recognized by the Innovation Review Council of the unit; and must be accompanied by the decision recognizing the title of Outstanding Grassroots Laborer of the unit for two consecutive years.

4. Confirmation from the provincial or municipal Tax Bureau regarding the fulfillment of state budget payment obligations by the unit and its heads (Chairman of the Board of Members, Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director, Director). The number of years confirmed for tax payments corresponds to the number of years mentioned in the report on achievements.

Article 20. Documents for proposing the awarding of the title "Hero of Labor"

The documents submitted to the Ministry include five sets (originals) and twenty sets (photocopies), including:

1. Proposal from the head of the unit (according to Model No. 1, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Competition and Rewards Council of the unit (according to Model No. 2, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

3. Report on achievements of the collective or individual being proposed for commendation (in accordance with Model No. 6 and Model No. 7 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

4. Confirmation from the provincial or municipal Tax Bureau regarding the fulfillment of state budget payment obligations by the heads of units (Chairman of the Board of Members, Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director, Director). The number of years confirmed for tax payments corresponds to the number of years mentioned in the report on achievements.

Article 21. Documents for proposing commendation for contributions

The documents submitted to the Ministry include four sets (originals), including:

1. Proposal from the head of the unit (according to Model No. 1, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Unit's Commendation and Award Council (in accordance with Model No. 2 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

3. Report on the work process of the individual (in accordance with Model No. 5 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

4. Copy of confirmation as a veteran revolutionary cadre or pre-revolutionary cadre (if applicable).

5. Certified copies of certain types of documents: Decision appointing leadership positions proposed for commendation; decision on salary increase; social insurance book or party member record.

Article 22. Documents for proposing commendation for outstanding achievements, periodic commendations, and thematic commendations

The documents submitted to the Ministry for proposals for Certificates of Merit from the Minister include one set (original), and for proposals for national-level commendations include four sets (originals), including:

1. Proposal letter from the head of the unit (in accordance with Model No. 1 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Competition and Rewards Council of the unit (according to Model No. 2, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

3. Summary report on the mass movement of the unit during the period or theme; Report on achievements of the collective or individual with outstanding achievements in the mass movement proposed for commendation (in accordance with Model No. 9 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

Summary report on the achievements of the directly managing unit for cases proposed for outstanding commendations (in accordance with Model No. 8 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

Article 23. Documents for proposing commendation for foreign affairs

The documents submitted to the Ministry for proposals for Certificates of Merit from the Minister include one set (original), and for proposals for national-level commendations include four sets (originals), including:

1. Proposal from the head of the unit (according to Model No. 1, Appendix 2 of this Circular).

2. Report on achievements of the collective or individual being proposed for commendation (in accordance with Model No. 10 in Appendix 2 of this Circular).

Article 24. Time for receiving documents, place for receiving documents, and notification of results

1. Time for receiving documents:

a) For cases proposing the awarding of the Flag of Excellence from the Ministry, the Flag of Excellence from the Government, not later than November 30 each year (based on the postmark or processing slip);

b) For cases proposing the awarding of the Ministry-Level Labor Hero, National Labor Hero, and regular forms of commendation, not later than March 30 each year (based on the postmark or processing slip);

c) For forms of commendation for outstanding achievements, periodic commendations, and thematic commendations: not later than fifteen days from the date of achieving outstanding results or the end of the campaign (based on the postmark or processing slip);

d) For commendation for foreign affairs: no time limit specified;

e) For commendation in the school sector, not later than July 30 each year (based on the postmark or processing slip).

2. Place for receiving files:

Department of Organization and Cadre Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, No. 2 Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi City. In addition to submitting documents according to Articles 16 to 22, send electronic files of the commendation submission documents (in .doc format) to the email address: [email protected].

3. Notification of results:

a) Within seven working days from the date of signing the Commendation Decision within the authority of the Minister and upon receipt of the Commendation Decisions from competent authorities, the Department of Organization and Cadre Affairs (Awards and Commendations Section) will cooperate with relevant units to announce the Commendation Decision on the Ministry’s website;

b) For cases that do not meet the criteria for commendation, the Department of Organization and Cadre Affairs (Awards and Commendations Section) will notify the proposing unit in writing within seven (seven) working days from the date of the conclusion by the competent authority;

c) The Ministry will not consider cases where the commendation submission documents are not submitted along the correct chain of command.

Article 25. Revocation of Award Decisions and Recovery of Award Money and Items

1. If a collective or individual violates regulations by falsely declaring achievements to obtain awards, the award decision shall be revoked and the award money and items recovered based on the severity of the violation, and administrative sanctions (or criminal liability) may be pursued.

2. The agency proposing awards for collectives or individuals who falsely declare achievements shall have the responsibility to submit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (the Competition and Reward Council) for revocation of the award decision and recovery of award money and items, or to submit to the competent authority for revocation of the award decision and recovery of award money and items within their jurisdiction.

3. After the decision of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development or the competent authority, the award-proposing agency shall be responsible for recovering the award money and items according to the regulations.

Chapter V
COMPETITION AND COMMENDATION FUND

Article 26. Sources and Levels of Fund Contributions

1. Sources of the Competition and Reward Fund: From the annual state budget allocation assigned by the competent authority to agencies and units; from contributions for making Commemorative Medals, printing Certificates of Merit, and printing Awards of Merit by units; from contributions from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals for competition and reward purposes; from other lawful sources permitted to establish a competition and reward fund.

2. Contribution Levels:

For units under the Ministry that contribute to the common competition and reward fund of the Ministry, it is 0.6% of the salary fund based on rank and grade of the number of officers and civil servants in the Ministry's establishment and approved annual wages (establishment numbers paid by the office), and the contribution level from units under the Ministry is 0.6% of the salary and wage fund of civil servants and officials at the units.

For a State-owned Limited Liability Company: implement Circular No. 138/2010/TT-BTC dated September 17, 2010, issued by the Minister of Finance, guiding profit distribution regulations for limited liability companies wholly owned by the State.

Article 27. Principles for Managing and Using the Competition and Reward Fund

1. Any basic unit proposing awards, after receiving the award decision from the competent authority, shall extract its own competition and reward fund to pay bonuses to the collectives and individuals within the unit that have been awarded by superiors.

2. The competition and reward fund must be used for its intended purpose, transparently, and annually report on the fund usage situation according to current regulations.

3. The remaining balance of the competition and reward fund at the end of the year that has not been fully utilized can be carried over to the next year for continued use in competition and reward activities.

Article 28. Contents of Expenditure from the Competition and Reward Fund

1. The common competition and reward fund of the Ministry:

a) Expenditure for making items for competition titles and reward forms of the Ministry;

b) Expenditure for cash rewards, making items, or commemorative gifts accompanying competition titles and reward forms for collectives and individuals eligible for sudden and special rewards decided by the Minister;

c) Expenditure for cash rewards, making items, or commemorative gifts accompanying Commemorative Medals for overseas Vietnamese and foreigners awarded by the Minister;

d) Dedicate 20% of the total common competition and reward fund of the Ministry for expenditure on organizing inspections, guidance, and directing competition and reward work; expenditure on organizing training and communication activities about competition and reward; expenditure on investing in equipment serving competition and reward work.

2. The competition and reward fund of units under the Ministry:

a) Expenditure for cash rewards, making items, or commemorative gifts accompanying competition titles and reward forms for collectives and individuals within the authority to award by the unit head;

b) Expenditure for cash rewards, making items, or commemorative gifts accompanying competition titles and reward forms for collectives and individuals proposed for awards by the unit and awarded by the superior competent authority.

Chapter VI
IMPLEMENTATION

Article 29. Responsibilities of agencies and units

Complete, decide to establish and issue regulations on the operation of the Commendation and Award Council of the unit; assign leadership responsibility, allocate dedicated or concurrently assigned staff to handle commendation and award work;

Establish the grassroots innovation council according to the authority prescribed in Clause 2, Article 16 of this Circular.

Article 30. Responsibilities of the Cadre and Civil Servant Organization Department

1. Assist the Minister in managing state administrative tasks related to the promotion and commendation work throughout the sector as stipulated.

2. Advise on organizing mid-term and final review meetings for the promotion movement and commendation work, launching promotion movements throughout the sector, either periodically or thematically.

3. Propose the activities of the Ministry's Promotion and Commendation Council, the Standing Body of the Ministry's Promotion and Commendation Council.

4. Organize inspection guidance activities, communication activities, and professional training for staff handling promotion and commendation work at subordinate agencies and units under the Ministry, State-owned Corporations; compile, monitor, inspect, and evaluate the implementation of promotion and commendation work at these agencies and units.

Article 31. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from March 27, 2014.

2. This Circular replaces Circular No. 63/2011/TT-BNN issued on September 30, 2011, by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding the promotion and commendation work in the Agriculture and Rural Development sector.

3. Heads of subordinate agencies and units under the Ministry, Vietnam Rubber Corporation, State-owned Corporations, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Associations shall organize the implementation of this Circular.

4. In the course of implementation, if there are difficulties, agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly reflect to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (through the Cadre and Civil Servant Organization Department) for compilation and reporting to the Minister for consideration and decision./.