Circular No. 18/2017/TT-BTC stipulates the common electronic directory system in the Finance sector.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on the Common Electronic Catalogue System in the Financial Sector

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Pursuant to the Law on Electronic Transactions dated November 29, 2005;

Pursuant to the Law on Information Technology dated June 29, 2006;

Pursuant to Decree No. 64/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 10, 2007 of the Government on the Application of Information Technology in the Activities of State Agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 43/2011/NĐ-CP dated June 13, 2011 of the Government on the Provision of Information and Online Public Services on the Websites or Portals of State Agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 215/2013/NĐ-CP dated December 23, 2013, promulgated by the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

Implementing Decision No. 714/QĐ-TTg dated May 22, 2015 of the Prime Minister promulgating the List of National Databases to be Prioritized for Development as a Foundation for E-Government Development;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics;

The Minister of Finance hereby issues this Circular stipulating the Common Electronic Catalogue System in the Financial Sector.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates the construction, updating, exploitation, and use of the Common Electronic Catalogue System in the Financial Sector.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to the following subjects:

1. Units under and affiliated with the Ministry of Finance.

2. Departments of Finance of provinces and centrally-administered cities and Financial Planning Offices of districts, counties, towns, and cities under provinces and centrally-administered cities.

3. Agencies, organizations, units, and individuals within and outside the Financial Sector involved in the construction, updating, exploitation, and use of the Common Electronic Catalogue System in the Financial Sector.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. A catalogue is a classification code system issued and uniformly used by state agencies authorized to do so.

2. The Common Electronic Catalogue System in the Financial Sector (referred to as the Common Catalogue System) is a database that aggregates classified catalogues, which have been reviewed, evaluated, processed, integrated, digitized, standardized, and systematically organized for updating, exploitation, and use in the Financial Sector through electronic means.

3. Database administrator is an officer, civil servant, or staff member of the Ministry of Finance assigned the task of managing and operating the Common Catalogue System.

4. User of the Common Catalogue System (referred to as the User) is an officer, civil servant, or staff member of agencies, organizations, and units accessing the database according to certain exploitation rights to perform tasks assigned by competent authorities.

5. XML Schema (Extensible Markup Language) is a data schema using the XML technology platform to describe the structure of data exchanged between information systems encoded in XML language.

Article 4. Principles for Construction, Management, Exploitation, and Use of the Common Catalogue System

1. The construction, management, exploitation, and use of the Common Catalogue System must be based on the functions, tasks, and authorities of relevant units and comply with legal regulations regarding the use and provision of information and data from catalogues issued by authorized state agencies, ensuring compliance with authority and law, and being consistent with the actual management situation in the Financial Sector.

2. The Common Catalogue System provides standardized catalogue data for uniform use in application software, management information systems, specialized databases, national financial databases, accounting work, statistics, and business operations in the Financial Sector, ensuring data integration and exchange among units both within and outside the Financial Sector to serve the management activities of the Ministry of Finance.

3. Data and information in the Common Catalogue System must be collected, provided fully, accurately, promptly, uniformly, systematically, and legally.

4. Catalogues issued by the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, sectors, and localities in accordance with the law shall be updated into the Common Catalogue System through a mechanism of cooperation, sharing, connection, and integration of data between the Ministry of Finance and other ministries, sectors, and localities.

5. The Common Catalogue System is constructed and developed in accordance with the Vietnam E-Government Architecture Framework, the ministry-level E-Government Architecture, meeting national database construction technical standards, information technology application technical standards, information security standards, and economic-technical norms issued by authorized state agencies.

6. Clearly define the authorities and responsibilities of agencies and users based on their functions and tasks for updating, exploiting, and using the Common Catalogue System.

7. Updates and modifications to the Common Catalogue System via electronic means shall be carried out through user accounts.

8. Exploitation and use must be for intended purposes.

9. The Common Catalogue System shall be strictly managed to ensure information security, facilitate exploitation and use, and promote activities through the online environment.

Article 5. Prohibited Actions

1. Unauthorized access to the Common Catalog System.

2. Failure to provide, receive, or update information and data in the Common Catalog System, or intentionally delaying such actions.

3. Obstructing or illegally interfering with the transmission, sending, or receiving of data between the Common Catalog System and application software, information systems, specialized databases, and the National Database on Finance.

4. Illegally distorting, changing, deleting, or destroying data in the Common Catalog System.

5. Providing illegal information or exploiting the provision of information about the Common Catalog System for personal gain.

6. Disclosing the data connection methods and login credentials for accessing the Common Catalog System that have been issued.

Article 6. Provisions on the Common Catalog System

The Common Catalog System includes:

1. Catalogs issued, established, and managed by the Ministry of Finance according to its state management functions and tasks as specified in Appendix I attached to this Circular.

2. Catalogs issued by the Government, Prime Minister, ministries, and sectors in accordance with the law, which are uniformly used by the Ministry of Finance throughout the industry, including those listed in Appendix II attached to this Circular. The updating and integration of catalog data from ministries, sectors, and localities into the Common Catalog System shall be carried out through a cooperation mechanism, sharing, connecting, and integrating data between the Ministry of Finance and other ministries, sectors, and localities as stipulated by relevant laws.

3. The Common Catalog System as defined in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article is a mandatory standard catalog system applied throughout the finance sector.

The Ministry of Finance encourages and creates conditions for the use of the Common Catalog System by the information systems of state agencies, organizations, and enterprises participating in electronic data exchange with the Ministry of Finance to ensure seamless connectivity, synchronization, and secure, convenient information sharing and exchange between state agencies, organizations, and enterprises and the Ministry of Finance.

The catalogs in Appendix I and Appendix II are regularly reviewed and updated based on the legal documents issuing the catalogs.

Article 7. Budget for Building, Developing, and Updating Electronic Information in the Common Catalog System

1. The budget for building and developing the Common Catalog System is allocated and arranged within the annual state budget estimate of the Ministry of Finance and other legitimate sources of funding as prescribed by law (if applicable).

2. The budget for creating, converting, and digitizing information updates into the Common Catalog System is allocated within the regular budget estimate according to the Ministry of Finance's regulations on expenditure items and levels for creating, converting electronic information, and digitizing information on the network to serve the ongoing operations of budget-funded agencies and units.

Chapter II
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

Article 8. Construction of the Common Catalog System

1. The Common Catalog System is constructed in accordance with the model for establishing the National Database on Finance as prescribed by the Minister of Finance, serving as a database providing various types of catalog data (reference data) to ensure system integration, uniformity, and synchronization of data and information among information systems and databases in the finance sector.

2. Construction of the Common Catalog System includes the following activities:

a) Organizing the construction, upgrading, and development of the database;

b) Collecting, standardizing, integrating, and updating data;

c) Storing, securing, and ensuring information safety in the database;

d) Training, instructing, and organizing staff to manage and operate the database;

đ) Other activities as prescribed by law.

3. Catalog data must be inspected, classified, evaluated, processed, integrated, digitized, and standardized before being updated into the Common Catalog System in accordance with the regulations. Depending on the type of catalog data, frequency, form, content, characteristics, nature of the data, level of processing, and the degree of popularity of the data, the organization of updating the data into the database should be reasonable, scientific, ensuring accuracy, convenience, and effectiveness in management, exploitation, and use, while meeting the requirements for data security and confidentiality.

Article 9. Provision of Data for the Common Catalogue System

1. Forms of Data Provision:

a) The provision of data shall be carried out through integration, exchange, and transmission of data via electronic networks or delivery of data in writing via postal services;

b) The provision of data through electronic network transmission shall be conducted in accordance with regulations, procedures, and technical standards uniformly prescribed by the data management agency.

2. The deadline for updating data into the Common Catalogue System shall not exceed one working day from the date when the units responsible for updating, as assigned in Appendix I and Appendix II attached to this Circular, receive information and data provided by the relevant units within the timeframes stipulated in the documents promulgating the catalogue or the coordination regulations between the Ministry of Finance and other ministries, sectors, and localities.

3. The Common Catalogue System management agency and related units and organizations shall be responsible for the legality, accuracy, and truthfulness of the data they provide.

4. Connection, Sharing, and Integration of Data with the Common Catalogue System:

a) The connection and sharing of data between applications, information systems, and databases with the Common Catalogue System shall be implemented according to national standards and technical specifications on the application of information technology in state agencies. Connections within units under the Ministry of Finance shall be carried out through the unified communication infrastructure of the finance sector and unified technical solutions for information technology between the managing unit and the Ministry of Finance (Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics).

b) Depending on the type of data, the conditions of information technology infrastructure, the characteristics of the catalog data, frequency, form, content, features, nature, processing level, and popularity of the data, the regulations on the operation and management of information systems, application software, and specialized databases managed by units under the Ministry of Finance must connect to the Common Catalogue System to uniformly utilize catalog data.

c) National databases and information systems of ministries, sectors, and localities shall be connected to the Common Catalogue System if they meet the following conditions:

- Having an information infrastructure for connection;

- Meeting the connection standards as prescribed in the national standards and technical specifications on the application of information technology in state agencies;

- Having a consistent regulation document, request document, coordination mechanism, sharing, connection, and integration of data agreed upon between the Ministry of Finance and other ministries, sectors, and localities.

Article 10. Modification of Information in the Common Catalogue System

1. Modifying data and information about the catalogue in the Common Catalogue System refers to adjusting catalogue information when there is a change or error in the process of collecting and updating common catalogue information in the database.

2. The modification of information about the common catalogue must ensure the following requirements:

a) Modify information about the catalogue only when there is a change in information as prescribed or an error is detected during the collection and updating of catalogue information in the Common Catalogue System;

b) There must be an approval document or a proposal from an authorized person regarding the change of information about the catalogue in the Common Catalogue System.

Article 11. Storage and Ensuring Safety of the Common Catalog System

1. The storage of data in the Common Catalog System must ensure complete information such as: Information about the issuance of the catalog, the date of issuance of the catalog, the creation date of the catalog, the creator of the catalog, the history of the modification, supplementation, and replacement process of the catalog.

2. Ensuring database security:

a) Using encrypted channels and user authentication for activities: system management login; application function login; automatic data integration and transmission between server systems; data entry and editing;

b) Implementing data transmission encryption;

c) Applying measures to ensure data authenticity and integrity in the database;

d) Recording logs (logging) of information creation, change, and deletion to serve system management and monitoring;

đ) Establishing and maintaining backup and recovery systems for data in the storage and backup systems of the Ministry of Finance according to regulations; implementing management, operational, and technical measures to ensure data security, secure data access on the network; data confidentiality, service restoration protection, ensuring computer and network security so that the database operates continuously and stably.

Article 12. Application of Information Technology to the Common Catalog System

1. The Common Catalog System is designed, built, and developed based on a suitable technology platform regarding operating systems, software development tools, database management systems to ensure smooth, timely data integration, exchange, sharing, and guarantee information security and safety.

2. The technical infrastructure for information technology of the Common Catalog System includes systems of servers, workstations, data storage systems, networking equipment, peripheral devices, and other supporting devices must comply with national standards and technical regulations on the application of information technology in state agencies according to the law and regulations of the Ministry of Finance.

Article 13. Exploitation and Use of the Common Catalog System

1. Units under, directly under the Ministry of Finance, provincial finance departments, district finance-planning departments, and county, district, town, city finance-planning departments under provinces and centrally-administered municipalities exploit and use the Common Catalog System through the unified communication infrastructure network of the financial sector. The exploitation and usage methods are implemented as follows:

a) Exploitation and use through the website interface of the application software database;

b) Connection through using web services (web service) between information systems and the Common Catalog System;

c) Connection through the common sharing and integration platform system of the Ministry of Finance (LGSP) or through the connection and interconnection system of central and local information systems according to regulations;

d) Direct connection to databases in special data exchange cases, special exchange purposes, or when the common sharing and integration platforms have not yet been established;

đ) The exploitation and use are carried out in the following ways:

- Accessing to download data from the website;

- Accessing the system to integrate, share, and exchange data;

- Exchanging data through web service (web service) method;

- Sending data files (file) via email.

2. Ministries, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals outside the financial sector with data exchange activities with the Ministry of Finance implement the exploitation and use of the Common Catalog System through specialized data transmission networks of Party and State agencies; on the Ministry of Finance's electronic portal; through the Internet with full network security solutions.

3. The Ministry of Finance (Department of Informatics and Financial Statistics) coordinates with ministries, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals outside the financial sector to consider requests for exploiting the Common Catalog System to provide and guide specific technical requirements for exploitation and use of the system if the unit's request is valid and the provided data falls within the management responsibility of the Ministry of Finance.

4. The processing time and provision of data upon receiving a request for coordinated data provision for catalog data within the scope of provision and management of the Ministry of Finance is:

a) For catalog data with a small size under 100MB and low update frequency, within the latest three working days from the date of receipt of a valid exploitation request;

b) In the case of large-sized catalog data requests from 100MB or more, with daily catalog updates, the latest deadline is fifteen working days from the date of receipt of a valid request document and both parties have agreed on the technical solution for data exchange and integration. For large-sized data with daily catalog updates, the requesting unit needs to coordinate with the Department of Informatics and Financial Statistics to develop technical solutions for data exchange and integration with the Common Catalog System.

Article 14. Tasks and Authorities of Related Units

1. Tasks and Authorities of the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics:

a) Establishing, managing centrally, and uniformly using the Common Catalogue System;

b) Leading and coordinating with units under the Ministry of Finance to assist the Minister of Finance in collecting data, checking their legal validity before updating and providing common electronic catalogue data; implementing coordination with specialized agencies under ministries and ministerial-level agencies to develop cooperation regulations, sharing, connecting, and integrating catalogue data for submission to competent authorities for issuance and implementation;

c) Implementing and supervising the adjustment of information on catalogues within the Common Catalogue System;

d) Ensuring the security of the Common Catalogue System;

đ) Organizing the development, standardization, and publication of catalogue data provision services within the scope of management of the Ministry of Finance. The data structure published shall be in the form of an XML schema fully describing the data structure provided from the Common Catalogue System;

e) Leading and coordinating with related units to manage, grant access rights, and support units in exploiting and using the Common Catalogue System;

g) Organizing training sessions and guidance on the exploitation and use of the Common Catalogue System for exploiting units;

h) Collecting and updating common electronic catalogue data assigned in Appendix I and Appendix II attached hereto; Within the latest one working day after receiving written or electronic data about catalogues provided by units (documents, data issued or amended, supplemented catalogues), organize updates into the Common Catalogue System and ensure that related units have the right to exploit according to regulations;

i) For catalogues in Appendix I but without formal provisions on code structure, the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics is responsible for coordinating with cataloguing units to update into the Common Catalogue System based on the principle that these catalogues reuse standardized code sets already defined regarding code structure (such as tax codes, budget-related unit codes) to ensure no new code structures are generated;

k) During the operation of the Common Catalogue System, the Director of the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics reports to the Minister of Finance on additional, amended, or replaced common catalogues to ensure compliance with management requirements and timely application in financial information technology business processes. Regularly inspecting and reporting to the Minister of Finance on the implementation of units under the Ministry of Finance;

l) Studying, building, and submitting to the Minister of Finance for promulgation of the Regulation on Management, Exploitation, Protection, and Maintenance of the Common Catalogue System.

2. Tasks and Authorities of Units Engaged in Building, Updating, Exploiting, and Using the Common Catalogue System Under the Ministry of Finance:

a) Coordinating with the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics to organize the construction, development, and unified use of the Common Catalogue System;

b) Collecting and updating catalogue data within the scope of state management of the unit into the Common Catalogue System. Responsibilities for collecting and updating common electronic catalogue data are stipulated in Appendix I attached hereto;

c) When assigned tasks to build and develop specialized applications, information systems, databases, and the National Financial Database, units under the Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for:

- Surveying and determining all attributes of catalogue tables in the system, analyzing and identifying catalogue tables used uniformly from the Common Catalogue System;

- Analyzing and designing the system's data architecture, data exchange and integration architecture with the Common Catalogue System as a basis for designing, building, deploying, managing, and operating the system to ensure compatibility and smooth connection between systems;

- Leading and coordinating with the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics and related units to use the data exchange architecture as a basis for designing the system's data; designing technical and technological connection solutions to the Common Catalogue System ensuring compliance with published documents on the structure of common catalogue data, ensuring compatibility and smooth data usage when exchanging between systems;

d) Heads of units under the Ministry of Finance are responsible for the legality and accuracy of information and data within their management scope before modifying, updating, and integrating information and data into the Common Catalogue System;

đ) Heads of units under the Ministry of Finance have the authority to permit exploitation of catalogue information within the scope of state management of their units.

3. Tasks and Authorities of Provincial Departments of Finance:

a) Coordinating with the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics to organize the construction, development, and unified use of the Common Catalogue System;

b) Processing and standardizing data on budget-related unit codes and other catalogues managed at the decentralized level, updating into the Common Catalogue System. Implement monitoring and checking the updating of information within their specialized field on the System. Be responsible for the accuracy and completeness of information within their management authority updated into the Common Catalogue System and ensure consistency with paper records stored at the unit;

c) Organizing the implementation of guidelines on management, operation, and exploitation of the Common Catalogue System issued by the Ministry of Finance. Issuing guidelines within their authority to organize operation and exploitation of the Common Catalogue System in accordance with conditions of the agency and unit following the guidelines of the Ministry of Finance;

d) Being granted accounts to exploit and use information on the Common Catalogue System. Implementing the confidentiality of personal and unit account information accessing the system according to regulations. In case of loss or forgetting the login password to the Common Catalogue System, cooperate with the software management department to obtain a new password.

đ) Recommend and propose to the Ministry of Finance amendments and supplements to the relevant regulations concerning the update, use, management, and exploitation of information on the Common Catalog System.

4. Agencies, organizations, units, and individuals exploiting and using the Common Catalog System through the electronic network must comply with the provisions of the Law on Electronic Transactions, the Law on Information Technology, the Law on Cybersecurity, and other related laws.

Chapter III
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 15. Effective Date

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

2. Repeal Decision No. 35/QD-BTC dated January 6, 2010 of the Minister of Finance regarding the common electronic catalog system for the finance sector from the date this Circular takes effect.

3. In case the documents cited in this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, they shall be applied according to the amended, supplemented, or replacing documents.

Article 16. Implementation Organization

1. The Director of the Ministry's Office, the Director of the Department of Information Technology and Financial Statistics, the General Director of the Tax General Department, the General Director of the Customs General Department, the General Director of the State Reserve General Department, the Director of the State Treasury, the Chairman of the Securities Commission, the Directors of Provincial and Central City Finance Departments, and the Heads of units under and directly under the Ministry of Finance within their respective functions and authorities shall be responsible for organizing the implementation, guiding the execution, and supervising the enforcement of this Circular.

2. During the implementation process, if any difficulties arise, agencies, units, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly report to the Ministry of Finance for research, consideration, and resolution./.