JOINT CIRCULAR No. 169/2013/TTLT-BTC-BTTTT ON THE REGIME OF REMUNERATION FOR READING AND REVIEWING, EVALUATING PRINTED MATERIALS IN PROOF

JOINT CIRCULAR

Regulations on remuneration for readers and reviewers, examiners of stored publication samples

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Based on the Law on Publishing dated November 20, 2012;

Pursuant to Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 6, 2003 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the State Budget Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 118/2008/NĐ-CP dated November 27, 2008, of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

Pursuant to Decree No. 187/2007/NĐ-CP dated December 25, 2007 of the Government stipulating functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications; Decree No. 50/2011/NĐ-CP dated June 24, 2011 of the Government amending and supplementing Decree No. 187/2007/NĐ-CP;

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Information and Communications issue this Circular stipulating the remuneration system for readers and reviewers, examiners of stored publication samples.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates the remuneration system for readers and reviewers, examiners of stored publication samples, including:

1. Types of stored publication samples to be read and reviewed, examined, and advised on handling.

2. Standards and methods for calculating remuneration for reading and reviewing, examining, and advising on handling stored publication samples.

3. Sources of funds and management and use of funds for reading and reviewing, examining, and advising on handling stored publication samples.

Article 2. Applicability

1. The Publishing Department under the Ministry of Information and Communications (hereinafter referred to as the Publishing Department); Provincial Departments of Information and Communications under centrally governed cities (hereinafter collectively referred to as Provincial Departments of Information and Communications).

2. Readers and reviewers, examiners, and advisors on handling stored publication samples, including:

a) Civil servants assigned the task of regularly reading and reviewing stored publication samples under the Publishing Department and Provincial Departments of Information and Communications (hereinafter collectively referred to as civil servants in publishing);

b) Collaborators, including:

- Individuals contracted by the Publishing Department and Provincial Departments of Information and Communications to serve as collaborators for reading and reviewing stored publication samples;

- Civil servants of the Publishing Department and Provincial Departments of Information and Communications not falling within the scope defined in point a of this clause, who are contracted by the Publishing Department and Provincial Departments of Information and Communications to serve as collaborators for reading and reviewing stored publication samples.

c) Members of the content examination board established by the Ministry of Information and Communications and People's Committees of centrally governed cities, or by the Ministry of Information and Communications and People's Committees of centrally governed cities entrusting the administrative agency responsible for publishing activities stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article to establish the examination board (hereinafter collectively referred to as members of the examination board);

d) Advisors on handling stored publication samples contracted by the Ministry of Information and Communications and People's Committees of centrally governed cities, or by the Ministry of Information and Communications and People's Committees of centrally governed cities entrusting the administrative agency responsible for publishing activities stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article to contract advisors (hereinafter collectively referred to as advisors).

Article 3. Types of stored publication samples to be read and reviewed, examined, and advised on handling

1. Stored publication samples to be read and reviewed:

a) Publications of publishers; non-commercial materials of central agencies and organizations and foreign organizations issued with publication permits by the Publishing Department;

b) Non-commercial materials of other agencies and organizations with legal personality, branches, and representative offices at local levels of central agencies and organizations issued with publication permits by Provincial Departments of Information and Communications.

2. Stored publication samples must undergo content examination if they fall into any of the following cases after being read and reviewed:

a) Publication samples showing signs of violation of the provisions of Clause 1, Article 10 of the Publishing Law;

b) Publication samples with differing opinions on their content.

3. Stored publication samples need advice on handling if they fall into any of the following cases after undergoing content examination:

a) Publication samples currently under consideration for handling violations but with differing opinions in assessment and evaluation;

b) Publication samples containing specialized content in fields where there are differing opinions in assessment and evaluation.

Article 4. Standards for reading and inspecting stored publication products

1. The basis for determining standards for reading and inspecting stored publication products is specified as follows:

a) For printed publications on paper:

- Calculated based on standard book pages. A standard book page has dimensions of 14.5 cm x 20.5 cm;

- Conversion factors from books, illustrations, photographs, maps, posters, loose sheets, folded sheets, and non-standard calendar types to standard book pages for calculating standards are calculated using the following formula:

b) For electronic publications:

- Electronic publications read are calculated based on character volume for Vietnamese language publications and word volume for foreign language publications contained therein;

- Electronic publications listened to or viewed are calculated based on the duration of the publication.

2. The standard for reading and inspecting stored publication products is the standard applicable to one working day of a publishing civil servant, as stipulated in Appendix No. 1 attached hereto.

Article 5. Calculation of remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products

1. For publishing civil servants:

a) The basis for calculating remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products is determined according to the following formula:

A = B - (C x D)

Where:

A: Number of standard book pages, number of characters, number of words, listening and viewing time of publications exceeding the prescribed standard in a month;

B: Number of standard book pages, number of characters, number of words, listening and viewing time of publications actually performed by the publishing civil servant in a month;

C: Actual number of days in a month that the publishing civil servant performs the task of reading and inspecting stored publication products;

D: Reading standard prescribed in Clause 2 of Article 4 of this Circular.

Example: Publishing civil servant Nguyen Van X was assigned the task of reading and inspecting stored publication products, which are literary books. According to this Circular, the reading standard for literary books is 90 pages/day. If in a month, publishing civil servant Nguyen Van X reads 2000 standard book pages in 20 days, then the number of standard book pages exceeding the prescribed standard in that month for publishing civil servant Nguyen Van X is calculated as follows:

A = 2000 - (20 x 90) = 200 standard book pages

b) Remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products exceeding the standard is paid according to the following formula:

E = A x G

Where:

E: Remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products exceeding the standard;

A: Number of standard book pages, number of characters, number of words, listening and viewing time of publications exceeding the prescribed standard in a month;

G: Remuneration payment rate for reading and inspecting prescribed in Appendix No. 1 attached hereto.

Example: Publishing civil servant Nguyen Van T exceeded the prescribed standard in a month by 200 standard book pages of literary books. According to the provisions in Appendix No. 1 attached hereto, the remuneration payment rate for reading and inspecting literary books is 2,126 dong per standard book page. Therefore, the remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products exceeding the standard for publishing civil servant Nguyen Van T is calculated as follows:

E = 200 x 2,126 = 425,200 dong

c) The number of standard book pages, number of characters, number of words, listening and viewing time of publications exceeding the standard for calculating remuneration payable to a publishing civil servant shall not exceed 1.5 times the reading standard prescribed in Clause 2 of Article 4 of this Circular within a period of 01 (one) year of the publishing civil servant.

2. For cooperating personnel, remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products is paid according to the following formula:

H = B x G

Where:

H: Remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products paid;

B: Number of standard book pages, number of characters, number of words, listening and viewing time of publications actually performed by the cooperating personnel in a month;

G: Remuneration payment rate for reading and inspecting prescribed in Appendix No. 1 attached hereto.

Example: In a month, cooperating personnel Nguyen Van N read and inspected stored publication products, which are literary books, totaling 2000 standard book pages. According to the provisions in Appendix No. 1 attached hereto, the remuneration payment rate for reading and inspecting literary books is 2,126 dong per standard book page. Therefore, the remuneration for reading and inspecting stored publication products for cooperating personnel Nguyen Van N is calculated as follows:

H = 2000 x 2,126 = 4,252,000 dong

Article 6. Method for Calculating Remuneration for Content Review and Advisory Services on Stored Publication Products

1. The level of remuneration for review is specified in Appendix No. 1 attached to this Circular.

2. The remuneration for review shall be calculated according to the following formula:

I = K x L

Where:

I: Remuneration for review paid;

K: Number of standard pages of books, number of syllables, number of words, duration of audio and visual publication products to be reviewed;

L: Level of remuneration for review as prescribed in Appendix No. 1 attached to this Circular.

Example: Member M reviews the content of 200 pages of literary books (calculated based on standard pages). According to the provisions in Appendix No. 1 attached to this Circular, the remuneration for reviewing literary books is 4,019 dong per standard page. Therefore, the remuneration for member M's review work is calculated as follows:

I = 200 x 4,019 = 803,800 dong

3. The maximum remuneration for advisory services shall not exceed 600,000 dong per issue per participating document (maximum five opinions per issue).

Article 7. Expenditure for Organizing Meetings of the Review Board and Scientific Seminars Related to Stored Publication Products

The expenditure level shall be implemented in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology regarding the budgeting system for organizing conferences and seminars.

Article 8. Source of Funds and Application of Remuneration Payment Levels for Reading, Checking, Reviewing Content, and Advisory Services on Stored Publication Products

1. Sources of funds for paying remuneration for reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products include:

a) Central budget and local budget;

b) Other lawful sources of funding as stipulated by law (if any).

2. The application of remuneration payment levels for reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products is regulated as follows:

a) The remuneration payment levels for reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products as prescribed in this Circular are the maximum levels;

b) The Director of the Publishing Department and the Director of the Department of Information and Communications shall base on the budget capacity and actual situation of their agencies and units to specify specific expenditure levels that are appropriate and must be stipulated in the internal expenditure regulation of the agency or unit.

Article 9. Budget Preparation, Management, and Settlement of Accounts

The preparation of budgets, allocation, assignment of budgets, payment, and settlement of accounts shall be carried out in accordance with current regulations. This Circular provides additional guidance on certain points as follows:

1. Budget Preparation: Annually, during the time for preparing the state budget according to the State Budget Law; based on the implementation of the previous year's budget for remuneration systems for reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products; based on the plan for reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products for the planning year, the Publishing Department and the Departments of Information and Communications shall have the responsibility to prepare the necessary budget for implementing these tasks in the planning year.

The consolidation into the annual state budget for submission to the competent authority for approval shall be carried out in accordance with current regulations, specifically as follows:

a) For the Publishing Department:

The necessary budget for implementing the tasks of reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products in the planning year (with detailed calculation basis attached) shall be consolidated into the regular budget expenditure plan of the Publishing Department and sent to the Ministry of Information and Communications for consolidation and sent to the Ministry of Finance for examination and consolidation into the state budget plan to be submitted to the competent authority for approval in accordance with the State Budget Law.

b) For the Departments of Information and Communications:

The necessary budget for implementing the tasks of reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products in the planning year (with detailed calculation basis attached) shall be consolidated into the regular budget expenditure plan of the agency and sent to the Provincial Finance Department for examination and consolidation to submit to the competent authority for decision in accordance with the State Budget Law.

2. Allocation and Assignment of Budgets: Based on the budget assigned by the competent authority, the head of the agency or unit shall be responsible for allocating and assigning budgets to subordinate units (including the budget for implementing the remuneration system for reading, checking, reviewing content, and advisory services on stored publication products) after receiving the audit opinion from the financial department at the same level.

3. Payment:

a) Remuneration for reading and checking stored publication products for civil servants is regulated as follows:

- Over-quota remuneration for reading and checking stored publication products is paid monthly. In cases where the quota is not met in a month, the shortfall in the number of pages, syllables, words, and audio and visual duration of publication products compared to the monthly quota will be added to the next month's quota for remuneration calculation.

- Payment documents include:

+ Monthly reading and checking report form for stored publication products (according to Model Appendix No. 2);

+ Copy of the Monthly Reading and Checking Form for stored publication products (according to Model Appendix No. 4).

b) Remuneration for reading and checking stored publication products for collaborating members is regulated as follows:

- Remuneration for reading and checking stored publication products for collaborating members is paid monthly based on the number of pages, syllables, words, and audio and visual duration of publication products read and checked in the month.

- Payment documents include:

+ Monthly reading and checking report form for stored publication products (according to Model Appendix No. 3);

+ Copy of the Monthly Reading and Checking Form for stored publication products (according to Model Appendix No. 4).

c) Remuneration for reviewing the content of stored publication products for review members is regulated as follows:

- Remuneration for reviewing the content is paid based on the number of pages, syllables, words, and audio and visual duration of publication products to be reviewed.

- Payment documents include:

+ Copy of the Content Review Form for stored publication products (according to Model Appendix No. 5);

+ Decision to establish the Review Board of the Ministry of Information and Communications, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, and state management agencies for publishing activities as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Circular;

d) Remuneration for advisory services on stored publication products for consulting experts is regulated as follows:

- Remuneration for advisory services is paid based on the number of pages, syllables, words, and audio and visual duration of publication products requiring advisory services.

- Payment documents include:

+ Copy of the Advisory Service Form for stored publication products (according to Model Appendix No. 6);

+ The consultancy contract between the consultant and the Ministry of Information and Communications, People's Committees of centrally governed cities and provinces, state management agencies for publication activities as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 2 of this Circular.

4. Settlement:

a) The use and settlement of funds to ensure the implementation of remuneration systems for reading and inspecting, reviewing, and consulting on the handling of stored publications in accordance with the State Budget Law and guiding documents.

b) At the end of each year, the agency or unit shall aggregate the settlement of funds for implementing the remuneration system for reading and inspecting, reviewing, and consulting on the handling of stored publications into their annual budget settlement in accordance with regulations.

Article 10. Implementation Organization

1. This Circular takes effect from January 1, 2014, and replaces Joint Circular No. 01/2007/TTLT/BVHTT-BTC dated January 22, 2007, issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance on guiding norms and remuneration systems for reading stored publications.

2. The levels of payment for remuneration for reading and inspecting, reviewing, and consulting on the handling of stored publications as prescribed in this Circular shall be reviewed and adjusted by the Joint Ministries of Information and Communications and Finance when there is an unreasonable situation or significant changes in wage policies, labor costs, and market prices.

3. During the implementation of this Circular, if there are difficulties or obstacles, relevant agencies and units are requested to promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Finance for research and appropriate amendments.