Circular No. 07/2017/TT-BTTTT on national postal code

CIRCULAR

REGULATIONS ON NATIONAL POSTAL CODES

Pursuant to the Law on Posts dated June 17, 2010;

Pursuant to Decree No. 17/2017/NĐ-CP dated February 17, 2017, issued by the Government, on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

At the proposal of the Director of the Post Department,

The Minister of Information and Communications issues this Circular to regulate National Postal Codes.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular regulates National Postal Codes, including: objects assigned codes; principles for construction; structure; construction, issuance, management, use, amendment, and supplementation of National Postal Codes.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals related to the construction, issuance, management, use, amendment, and supplementation of National Postal Codes.

Article 3. Objects Assigned National Postal Codes

National Postal Codes are assigned to one or a group of specific addresses, including the following objects:

1. Wards, communes, and equivalent administrative units.

2. Postal service points within the public postal network.

3. Postal service points and service objects within the postal network serving Party and State agencies according to the Decision of

4. Diplomatic missions, consular offices of foreign countries, and representative offices of international organizations in Vietnam.

Article 4. Principles for Constructing National Postal Codes

1. Ensuring scientific nature, stability, comprehensiveness, and non-repetition.

2. Based on administrative geography, population density, and administrative management levels across the country.

3. Ensuring allocation nationwide and having reserves when there are changes in administrative geography and objects assigned National Postal Codes.

4. Following international practices and guidelines from the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

Article 5. Structure of National Postal Codes

National Postal Codes consist of a set of five (5) numerical characters, specifically as follows:

1. The first two (2) characters identify provinces and centrally-administered cities.

2. The first three (3) or four (4) characters identify districts, counties, and equivalent administrative units.

3. The five (5) characters identify the objects assigned National Postal Codes.

Article 6. Amendment and Supplementation of National Postal Codes

1. In cases of division or establishment of new administrative units, the new unit will be assigned codes from the reserve pool and must comply with the principles stipulated in Article 4 of this Circular.

2. In cases of merger of administrative units, the merged unit will use the codes of the units being merged.

3. Unused National Postal Codes will be placed in the reserve pool.

Article 7. Implementation Organization

1. The Post Department shall be responsible for:

a) Taking the lead and coordinating with relevant units to organize the construction and submit to the Minister of Information and Communications for issuance of National Postal Codes;

b) Taking the lead in constructing, managing, maintaining, and updating the database of National Postal Codes;

c) Providing guidance, promoting, and disseminating the implementation and use of National Postal Codes nationwide.

2. Provincial Departments of Information and Communications shall be responsible for:

a) Cooperating in the construction, management, and use of National Postal Codes within their jurisdictions;

b) Providing guidance, promoting, and disseminating the implementation and use of National Postal Codes within their jurisdictions.

3. The Central Post Office, enterprises designated to manage and operate the public postal network, shall be responsible for:

a) Cooperating in the construction of National Postal Codes;

b) Implementing and using National Postal Codes in postal activities;

c) Providing guidance, promoting, and disseminating the implementation and use of National Postal Codes during service provision.

4. Other postal service providers shall be responsible for implementing the provisions at points b and c of Clause 3 of this Article.

Article 8. Implementation clause

1. This Circular takes effect from September 1, 2017.

2. Decision No. 05/2004/QĐ-BBCVT dated January 20, 2004 of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on the issuance of Regulations on National Postal Codes shall cease to be effective from the date this Circular takes effect.

3. The Head of the Office, Heads of the Post Department, Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Information and Communications, Directors of Provincial Departments of Information and Communications, General Directors, Directors of postal service providers, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

4. During the implementation process, if any issues arise or difficulties occur, organizations and individuals should promptly report them to the Ministry of Information and Communications for review, amendment, and supplementation.