Joint Circular No. 18/2012/TTLT-BTC-BTTTT guiding management and use of funds to support high-quality press works at central and local levels for the period 2011-2015.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for managing and using funds to support high-quality press works

at central and local levels during the period 2011-2015

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

BASED ON THE GOVERNMENT DECREE NO. 187/2007/NĐ-CP OF DECEMBER 25, 2007 ON THE FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS;

Implementing Decision No. 369/QĐ-TTg dated March 14, 2011 of the Prime Minister approving the Project to continue supporting creative activities of literary and artistic works and press works at the central level and local literature and art associations; supporting high-quality press works at the local level during the period 2011-2015;

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information and Communications jointly issue guidelines on managing and using state budget funds to support high-quality press works at the central and local levels during the period 2011-2015 as follows:

Article 1. General Provisions

1. Topics reflected in high-quality press works that are supported:

a) Press at the central level:

- History, periods of anti-enemy resistance wars, national cultural traditions.

- The renewal process of building and defending the country, positive factors, outstanding individuals in society, and in the era.

- Youth, children, ethnic minorities, agriculture, and rural areas.

- The cause of economic, cultural, and social development in the new period;

- Countering peaceful evolution by hostile forces against the construction and defense of the homeland.

b) Press at the local level:

- About the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, national heroes; national solidarity; disseminating and promoting the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress and policies of the Party and State; promptly and deeply reflecting important political events and major anniversaries of the nation at the local level; about revolutionary history, resistance wars, with emphasis on the resistance against French colonialism and American imperialism at the local level.

- About industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas; poverty reduction; exemplary cases in labor production, in fighting corruption and negative phenomena, maintaining local security and politics; about mountainous regions, remote areas, ethnic minority groups, youth, and children.

2. Criteria for evaluating high-quality press works:

High-quality press works are those that bring practical benefits to the whole society or a region, locality; have many discoveries of new issues arising in daily life; have content and form suitable and attractive to the public; align with the guiding viewpoints, propaganda, policies, and laws of the Party and State; recognized by the Review Board.

3. Sources of funding support

a) Central government funding according to Decision No. 369/QĐ-TTg dated March 14, 2011 of the Prime Minister approving the Project to continue supporting creative activities of literary and artistic works and press works at the central level and local literature and art associations; supporting high-quality press works at the local level during the period 2011-2015;

b) Other lawful sources of funding from domestic and foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals (if any).

Article 2. Scope of application and range of support

1. Scope of application:

a) The Vietnam Journalists' Association and provincial-level journalists' associations;

b) Authors or groups of authors who are members of the Vietnam Journalists' Association and listed in the association's roster, actively creating high-quality press works;

c) Authors or groups of authors who have contributed to journalism activities, focusing on creating high-quality press works or authors or groups of authors with the potential to create high-quality press works approved by the support review boards at various levels;

d) The objects specified in points b and c of Clause 1 of this Article shall be considered for support by the support review boards at various levels when meeting the following conditions: (i) having a plan or outline approved; (ii) having high-quality press works published on mass media platforms within the topics defined in Article 1 of this Circular.

2. Range of support:

a) Supporting field trips for creating press works, training courses, seminars, conferences to enhance political and professional skills in journalism, particularly focusing on equipping specialized knowledge, modern reporting skills, and nurturing young talent in the creation of high-quality press works;

b) Supporting the review, selection, evaluation, and assessment of outlines, and recommending excellent press works for awards;

c) Supporting research and collection of materials;

d) Supporting the dissemination and publication of works;

e) Supporting tasks directly related to the organization and implementation of support for high-quality press works;

f) Supporting regional investment in the creation of high-quality press works.

Article 3. Methods of Support

1. Supporting the creation of high-quality journalism works at the central level through the Vietnam Journalists' Association.

2. Supporting the creation of high-quality journalism works at the local level through local journalists' associations.

3. Implementation methods for support:

a) For research, compilation of materials, dissemination, publication of works, and other activities directly related to creative activities of authors: The Press Associations at all levels (or through authorized agreements with affiliated Branch Associations and Branches having legal personality) shall enter into direct contracts with authors or groups of authors eligible for support as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Circular;

b) For other forms of support: The Press Associations at all levels shall directly implement support for activities according to the current financial expenditure regulations of the law and provisions of this Circular.

Article 4. Content and Amounts of Support Expenditure

1. Expenditure on supporting members participating in practical sessions for creating high-quality press works, training courses, seminars, conferences related to the creation of high-quality press works; including:

a) Expenditure on travel expenses, food, accommodation, transportation costs for participants (regardless of whether they receive salary from the state budget or not): the content and amount of expenditure shall be applied according to the provisions of Circular No. 97/2010/TT-BTC dated July 6, 2010, issued by the Ministry of Finance, regarding travel expense regulations and expenditure regulations for organizing meetings for state agencies and public service units, and must be specified in the "Support Expenditure Regulation" of each level of Association.

In cases where individuals receiving salaries from the state budget have already been supported, they shall not be reimbursed for travel expenses at their workplace.

b) Expenditure on supporting members participating in scientific seminars for creating high-quality press works: the content and amount of expenditure shall be applied according to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 44/2007/TTLT-BTC-BKHCN dated May 7, 2007, issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology, guiding the establishment and allocation of budgets for scientific and technological projects funded by the state budget, and must be specified in the "Support Expenditure Regulation" of each level of Association.

c) Expenditure on supporting members participating in training courses: the content and amount of expenditure shall be applied according to the provisions of Circular No. 139/2010/TT-BTC dated September 21, 2010, issued by the Ministry of Finance, regarding the preparation of budgets, management, and use of state budget funds for civil servant training and development, and must be specified in the "Support Expenditure Regulation" of each level of Association.

d) Expenditure on purchasing materials, documents, supplies, renting machinery and equipment directly serving training courses, seminars, conferences, and practical sessions for creating high-quality press works, based on ensuring compliance with procurement regulations and valid invoices and receipts.

2. Expenditure on supporting activities directly assisting the creation of high-quality press works, including: remuneration; printing of materials; photocopying; office supplies; communication; postal items; and other administrative expenses; the amount of expenditure is based on actual conditions annually and current state regulations (excluding payment of royalties).

3. Expenditure on organizing the evaluation of outlines, assessment, and acceptance of high-quality press works. The direct expenditure for members of the Evaluation Board or Review Committee for outlining, assessing, and accepting high-quality press works shall be decided by the Executive Board (for the Vietnam Journalists' Association), the Executive Committee, and Secretariat of each level of Association based on the allocated state budget and specified in the "Support Expenditure Regulation" of each level of Association.

4. Expenditure on disseminating and publishing high-quality press works. The amount of support expenditure shall be based on the "Support Expenditure Regulation" and implemented through contract signing.

5. Expenditure on organizing, guiding, evaluating, inspecting, summarizing, and concluding policies for supporting high-quality press works at central and local levels of the Vietnam Journalists' Association: the content and amount of expenditure shall be applied according to the provisions of Circular No. 97/2010/TT-BTC dated July 6, 2010, issued by the Ministry of Finance, regarding travel expense regulations and expenditure regulations for organizing meetings for state agencies and public service units, and must be specified in the "Support Expenditure Regulation" of each level of Association.

6. Other expenditures related directly to supporting the creation of high-quality press works. The content of support and expenditure amounts shall be based on current financial expenditure regulations and must be specified in the "Support Expenditure Regulation" of each level of Association.

7. Special support expenditures (if any) outside the prescribed contents and amounts of support in this Circular and current financial expenditure regulations must be agreed upon in writing by the Ministry of Finance (for the Vietnam Journalists' Association) or the People's Council of the province (for local Journalists' Associations).

Article 5. Preparation, execution, and settlement of funding for support

The preparation, execution, and settlement of funding for supporting high-quality press works shall be carried out as follows:

1. Preparation: Each year, the Vietnam Journalists' Association and local journalists' associations shall prepare plans for using support funds according to the project approved by the Prime Minister's Decision No. 369/QĐ-TTg, consolidate these within their budget estimates, and submit them to the competent authority for approval in accordance with the State Budget Law and current guiding documents.

2. Management and utilization:

a) The Vietnam Journalists' Association and local journalists' associations are responsible for issuing the "Regulation on Support Expenditure" based on public discussion and consensus within the Standing Committee (for the Vietnam Journalists' Association); the Executive Board, Secretariat at all levels of the association. The "Regulation on Support Expenditure" shall be publicly disseminated to all members and submitted to the financial authorities at the same level for monitoring and supervising implementation; sent to the State Treasury where the unit has an account for transaction control purposes; sent to the Vietnam Journalists' Association for monitoring and supervising implementation. The content of building the "Regulation on Support Expenditure" is guided by Article 6 of this Circular.

b) The Chairpersons of the journalists' associations at all levels shall establish a Council or Review Board to review, select outlines, evaluate, inspect, and appraise high-quality press works and examine the use of funds according to the issued "Regulation on Support Expenditure," ensuring that support funds are correctly allocated to the intended recipients, purposes, effectively, and economically.

3. Settlement and inspection:

a) Each year, the Vietnam Journalists' Association and local journalists' associations shall settle the funding for supporting high-quality press works, consolidate these within the annual financial settlement report of the association, and submit it to the financial authorities at the same level in accordance with current regulations.

b) Financial transparency shall be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 21/2005/TT-BTC dated March 22, 2005, issued by the Ministry of Finance, guiding the implementation of financial transparency regulations for budgetary units and organizations supported by the state budget; and other current regulations.

c) Internal financial and accounting audits shall be conducted at the unit in accordance with the Accounting Law, Decision No. 67/2004/QĐ-BTC dated August 13, 2004, issued by the Minister of Finance regarding the issuance of internal financial and accounting audit regulations for agencies and units using state budget funds, and other current regulations.

4. At the end of the year, unused support funds shall be transferred to the following year for continued support in accordance with Decision No. 369/QĐ-TTg and the provisions of this Circular.

Article 6. Content of Building the "Regulation on Support Expenditure"

1. Provisions on organizing seminars, training sessions, and field trips for creative work as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 4 of this Circular:

a) The duration of organizing seminars shall not exceed three days;

b) The duration of organizing training sessions shall not exceed seven days;

c) The duration of organizing one field trip shall not exceed fifteen days.

2. Based on assigned tasks; national expenditure standards and regulations already established; provisions in this Circular; actual conditions in implementing political and professional tasks of the Vietnam Journalists' Association and local journalists' associations; within the scope of the support fund for high-quality press works of the association, the Vietnam Journalists' Association and local journalists' associations shall build specific expenditure levels suitable for each task according to the guidance on support expenditures from the state budget in Article 4 of this Circular.

3. The use of funds shall follow the principle of centralization and depend on actual conditions, based on the nature of the work, the situation in the previous year, the Chairperson or Secretary of the journalists' associations at all levels shall determine the allocation of support funds for the year (allocating funds for major items: direct support to authors, author groups, field trips for creative work, training sessions, seminars, maximum support levels, inspection, appraisal, publication of works on mass media channels, deadlines for completing works) in the "Regulation on Support Expenditure" after reaching consensus with the Council or Review Board.

4. State budget funds for supporting high-quality press works shall not be used for activities outside the project already approved.

Article 7. Implementation Organization

1. Local Journalists' Associations:

a) Regularly conduct annual summaries, evaluations, and reports on the implementation of support for high-quality press works to the Vietnam Journalists' Association and concurrently send to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities for oversight and direction;

b) Cooperate with news agencies in publishing and announcing high-quality press works; cooperate with relevant government agencies at the local level to organize creative activities for producing high-quality press works.

2. Vietnam Journalists' Association:

a) Serve as the focal point for compiling annual implementation reports of journalists' associations at the central and local levels; select and appraise outstanding works to consider support, publish works, and propose commendations to the competent authority as prescribed; serve as the focal point for coordinating with relevant government agencies in implementing support regulations at the central and local levels according to current regulations and guidelines.

b) Organize training classes, seminars, and conferences to enhance political, professional, and theoretical knowledge for members regionally, provincially, and nationally, in line with the Party and State's orientation.

c) Annually, the Vietnam Journalists' Association shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Finance, and related ministries and agencies to inspect the implementation of support for high-quality press works and the use of support funds at the central and local levels.

d) The Vietnam Journalists' Association shall take the lead and coordinate with related ministries, sectors, and levels of associations to summarize, evaluate, and promptly report to the Prime Minister any difficulties encountered during the implementation of support for creating high-quality press works (if any).

e) Summarize and report on the situation and results of the use of support funds at the central and local levels;

3. Ministry of Information and Communications:

a) Coordinate with the Vietnam Journalists Association, relevant ministries, agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to direct the implementation process and promptly provide opinions for adjustments to contents that are not in line with the goals and orientations of the Party and the State;

b) Coordinate with the Vietnam Journalists Association to propose appropriate forms of reward for outstanding journalism works to the Prime Minister;

4. The Ministry of Finance shall coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Vietnam Journalists Association to conduct inspections on the use of funds supporting high-quality journalism works at both central and local levels;

5. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall direct the organization and implementation of plans to support high-quality journalism works at the local level in accordance with current regulations; create conditions for local Journalists Associations to fulfill their assigned tasks;

Article 8. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from April 1, 2012, and applies to the entire fiscal year 2012;

2. Settlement of accounts for the implementation costs of the Project in 2011, which have been assigned by competent authorities, shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Joint Circular No. 17/2007/TTLT-BVHTT-BTC dated June 14, 2007, issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance guiding support for high-quality journalism works at both central and local levels during the period of 2006-2010;

3. In the course of implementation, if there are difficulties or obstacles, they should be reported to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information and Communications for study and amendment as necessary;