Circular No. 171/2011/TT-BTC guiding the management and use of funds for implementing the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen their roles as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in 62 poor districts approved pursuant to Decision No. 170/QĐ-TTg dated January 26, 2011 of the Prime Minister.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for managing and using funds to implement the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen positions as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in 62 poor communes

having a strengthened university degree to serve as Deputy Chairman of the People's Committee of communes located in the 62 poor districts

pursuant to Decision No. 170/QĐ-TTg dated January 26, 2011 of the Prime Minister approving the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen positions as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in 62 poor communes;

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

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 Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government on the program to rapidly and sustainably reduce poverty in 61 poor communes nationwide;

Pursuant to Decision No. 70/2009/QĐ-TTg dated April 27, 2009 of the Prime Minister on policies for rotating and strengthening key cadres in 61 poor communes and preferential policies to encourage young intellectuals and technical professionals to participate in working teams in these communes according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government;

Implementing Decision No. 170/QĐ-TTg dated January 26, 2011 of the Prime Minister approving the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen positions as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in 62 poor communes;

Implementing Decision No. 1097/QĐ-TTg dated July 8, 2011 of the Prime Minister amending and supplementing the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen positions as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in 62 poor communes approved by Decision No. 170/QĐ-TTg dated January 26, 2011 of the Prime Minister;

The Ministry of Finance provides guidance on certain aspects of managing and using funds to implement the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen positions as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in 62 poor communes as follows:

Article 1. Scope and Applicability

The subjects and scope of application of this Circular are agencies, units, and individuals utilizing state budget funds and other lawful financial sources to implement the Pilot Project to select 600 outstanding young intellectuals with university degrees to strengthen positions as Deputy Heads of People's Committees in poor communes (hereinafter referred to as the Project) according to Decision No. 170/QĐ-TTg dated January 26, 2011 and Decision No. 1097/QĐ-TTg dated July 8, 2011 of the Prime Minister.

Article 2. Contents of expenditures for implementing activities under the Project

1. Expenditures managed and implemented by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth Union of Vietnam, including:

a) Expenditures for communication activities.

b) Expenditures for publicizing the Project through mass media.

2. Expenditures managed and implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs, including:

a) Expenditures for organizing training sessions for 20 provinces with poor communes.

b) Expenditures for selecting project members, including: Expenditures for receiving, compiling, classifying, and reviewing member applications; organizing interviews for young intellectuals who have registered to work in poor communes.

c) Expenditures for enhancing knowledge and skills necessary for project members and organizing practical visits for project members, including: Developing pre-deployment training materials for project members; handbooks and reference guides for project members; organizing training sessions to update knowledge and share work experience for project members.

d) Expenditures for sending project members to poor communes to settle in and start work.

e) Expenditures for monitoring and supervising project activities in 20 provinces with poor communes.

f) Expenditures for building information databases and websites to connect with project members during their time working in communes, including: Building a website, editing and processing information, operating the project’s electronic portal.

g) Expenditures for evaluating the performance of project members during their time working in poor communes, including: Expenditures for researching and proposing amendments to national policies for project members; developing questionnaires and conducting interviews; organizing surveys to assess the effectiveness of the Project and national policies encouraging young intellectuals to volunteer in poor communes.

h) Expenditures for summarizing and concluding project activities.

i) Expenditures for activities of the Project Management Board, including: Payments for contracted staff working for the Project Management Board; overtime payments; office supplies and travel expenses for project management staff and other direct costs supporting project activities; purchasing equipment to support Project Management Board operations.

Other related expenditures for organizing the project.

3. Expenditures managed and implemented by local authorities, including:

a) Direct payments to project members after they are strengthened at the grassroots level, including: salaries, allowances, deductions (social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance), and other attraction policies as prescribed by law.

b) Support and subsidies for project members as stipulated in Clause 5, Article 2 of Decision No. 70/2009/QĐ-TTg dated April 27, 2009 of the Prime Minister on policies for rotating and strengthening key cadres in 61 poor communes and preferential policies to encourage young intellectuals and technical professionals to participate in working teams in these communes according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP, including:

- Initial support equivalent to 10 months of the minimum wage.

- In cases where project members move with their families, they are entitled to transportation and baggage allowance for accompanying family members and relocation subsidy equivalent to 12 months of the minimum wage for a household.

- Additional monthly subsidy equivalent to 70% of the current salary plus leadership position allowance and seniority allowance (if applicable). This subsidy is paid concurrently with monthly salary and does not stop for social insurance and health insurance contributions.

- Reimbursement for transportation costs when visiting family during annual leave, holidays, and personal leave with salary as prescribed.

c) Surveying and listing communes within the scope of the Project that require strengthening of project members.

d) Organizing meetings to implement the Project at provincial, district, and commune levels.

Other related expenditures for organizing the project.

Article 3. Budget Allocation Levels

1. For organizing conferences and seminars, travel expenses shall be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 97/2010/TT-BTC dated July 6, 2010, issued by the Ministry of Finance on regulations for travel expenses and conference organization costs for state agencies and public service units.

2. Training, capacity building, and professional skill development costs for project members shall be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 139/2010/TT-BTC dated September 21, 2010, issued by the Ministry of Finance on the preparation of budget estimates, management, and utilization of state budget funds for training and capacity building activities for officials and civil servants.

3. Other regular expenditure tasks shall be carried out in accordance with current regulations within the approved budget estimate by the competent authority.

Article 4. Sources of Project Funding

The funding for implementing the project shall be allocated from the state budget and other legitimate financial sources, including:

1. The portion of funding managed by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of Home Affairs shall be sourced from the central budget and included in the annual budget estimates of these agencies for implementation. Each year, based on the project implementation plan, the agencies responsible for specific tasks shall prepare detailed budget estimates (with comments from the Ministry of Home Affairs) at the time of preparing the state budget estimates, consolidate them into their unit's budget estimates (Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of Home Affairs), and submit them to the Ministry of Finance for consolidation into the state budget estimates, to be submitted to the competent authority for approval.

2. The portion of funding managed by localities:

a) For funding related to salaries, allowances, and other salary-like payments directly paid to project members: Localities shall base the number of project members and relevant regulations to determine the funding needs from the targeted supplementary central budget for salary reform (during implementation, localities shall base the actual number of project members to compile the funding requirements for salary reform, reported to the Ministry of Finance for review according to regulations). Project members shall receive their salaries, allowances, and other salary-like payments directly from the commune where they work.

b) For funding to cover transportation costs for annual leave and holiday visits home for project members, the People's Committee of the commune where the project member works shall pay and implement in accordance with Circular No. 141/2011/TT-BTC dated October 20, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Finance on regulations for annual leave payment for officials, civil servants, and contractual employees working in state agencies and public service units.

c) For funding to conduct surveys and compile lists of communes within the scope of the project requiring increased staffing; organizing provincial, district, and commune-level meetings to implement the project, and other related organizational costs, the Provincial Departments of Home Affairs shall consolidate and prepare detailed budget estimates, submit them to the Provincial Department of Finance for consolidation, and report to the People's Council for decision in the annual budget.

3. Unspent central funding from the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and localities in previous years shall be carried over to the next year for continued use in the project and not used for other purposes.

Article 5. Wages and allowances of the Project Management Board

1. For contractual staff working exclusively at the Project Management Board, the provisions of Decree No. 68/2000/NĐ-CP dated November 17, 2000 of the Government on implementing the contract system for certain types of work in administrative agencies and public institutions shall be followed, along with current State regulations from the project management budget.

2. For officials, civil servants, and employees assigned to concurrently hold leadership positions at the head of the Project Management Board, they shall receive concurrent position allowances as stipulated in Circular No. 78/2005/TT-BNV dated August 10, 2005 of the Ministry of Home Affairs guiding the implementation of concurrent position allowances for officials, civil servants, and employees concurrently holding leadership positions at other agencies and units.

Article 6. Establishing Budget Estimates, Implementing and Finalizing Expenditures

The preparation, execution, and settlement of project management funds to ensure the fulfillment of project tasks shall be carried out in accordance with the State Budget Law, guiding documents of the Law, and the provisions of this Circular. Additionally, this Circular provides further guidance on the following:

For activities of the Project conducted by the leading agency signing contracts with collaborating agencies or hiring external units to perform certain tasks during implementation, the leading agency shall sign contracts with collaborating agencies and external units hired. Supporting documents for settlement and finalization retained by the leading agency include: detailed task performance contract (accompanied by a detailed budget approved by the leading agency), completion report, contract termination record, payment authorization or payment voucher, and other directly related documents. Specific expenditure supporting documents are retained by the executing agency or unit according to current regulations.

Article 7. Implementation Provisions

1. The systems and policies stipulated in this Circular shall take effect from the date of Decision No. 170/QĐ-TTg dated January 26, 2011

2. This Circular takes effect from January 10, 2012. Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported to the Ministry of Finance for consideration and resolution./.