Decision No. 185/1999/QD-TTg On support policies for areas prone to flooding and delayed flooding within the Red River system

Pursuant to …;

Regarding support policies for flood diversion and delay areas

within the Red River system

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to the Water Resources Law dated May 20, 1998;

Pursuant to the Law on Dikes dated November 9, 1989 and the Law on Flood and Typhoon Prevention and Control dated March 8, 1993;

Pursuant to Decree No. 62/1999/NĐ-CP dated July 31, 1999 of the Government promulgating the Regulation on Flood Diversion and Delay within the Red River System to ensure the safety of the capital city of Hanoi;

At the proposal of the Ministers of the Ministries of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance, the Head of the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Typhoon Prevention and Control, and the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces within the flood diversion and delay areas.

DECISION:

Article 1. When implementing the tasks of flood diversion and delay according to the Government's plan, the People's Committees of provinces within the flood diversion and delay areas and relevant ministries and sectors according to their functions and responsibilities shall concentrate on mobilizing all resources to assist the people in moving persons and property to safe places, organizing the protection of the lives and property of the people and the State, ensuring public security in the area; immediately addressing relief, famine relief, and drinking water supply for the people, ensuring the stability of people's livelihood during the flood diversion and delay period, restoring and developing production after the flood diversion and delay period.

Article 2.

1. Financial support for relocation, purchasing tents, tarpaulins, medicines, essential items, and foodstuffs:

a) Provide financial support for relocating people, livestock, and necessary items at a rate of VND 50,000 to 100,000 per household.

b) Provide tents and tarpaulins for temporary shelter at a rate of VND 100,000 to 150,000 per household.

c) Provide financial support for addressing drinking water needs at a rate of VND 20,000 to 25,000 per household; provide medicine for disease prevention and treatment for people at a rate of VND 15,000 to 20,000 per household.

d) Provide food aid based on the extent of damage caused by flood diversion and delay, deciding to provide food aid to households facing difficulties with food supplies at a rate of 10 to 15 kilograms of rice per person per month for a period of 1 to 4 months; in cases where poor households have no food reserves and suffer severe and prolonged damage, food aid may be provided for up to 12 months.

2. Financial support for injured persons, funeral expenses for deceased persons, and support for households whose houses are damaged, collapsed, or washed away:

a) Provide support at a rate of VND 200,000 to 400,000 per injured person.

b) Provide VND 1,000,000 for funeral expenses per deceased person.

c) Provide support at a rate of VND 500,000 to 1,000,000 per household for those whose houses require repair due to damage; at a rate of VND 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 per household for those whose houses have collapsed, fallen down, or been washed away.

3. Financial support and medicines for environmental sanitation and disease prevention. In cases where injuries, illnesses, or diseases require treatment at state health facilities, medical fees may be waived or reduced.

The People's Committee of the province shall base its decisions on guidelines from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant ministries and sectors, and the specific level of damage suffered by each household to determine appropriate levels of support and implementation periods.

Article 3. Support for restoring and developing production

1. Implementing tax exemption policies for agricultural land use taxes on flooded agricultural land as follows:

a) Exempt agricultural land use taxes for one year for annual crops and aquaculture, and two years for perennial crops.

b) Exempt agricultural land use taxes for replanted perennial crops during the construction phase and the two years following harvest commencement.

2. For enterprises under various economic components and business households located in flood diversion and delay areas that face genuine difficulties in production and business operations, tax exemptions and reductions will be considered as guided by policies for disaster-stricken regions.

3. For agricultural land that has eroded, drifted, and formed ponds, hills, etc., the land classification for calculating agricultural land use taxes will be reassessed appropriately, decided by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

4. Households that borrowed funds from national programs to address unemployment, poverty reduction, etc., and suffered significant losses due to flood diversion and delay will be eligible for debt deferral, debt freeze, and risk management mechanisms under current policies.

Direct the State Bank of Vietnam to guide the freezing of old debts and new loans to help the people restore and develop production; study preferential loan mechanisms to build flood-resistant houses for residents in flood diversion and delay areas, to be submitted to the Prime Minister for decision.

Article 4. Waive school tuition fees for one academic year for students and pupils from families in flood diversion and delay areas according to Decision No. 70/1998/QĐ-TTg dated March 31, 1998 of the Prime Minister on the collection and use of tuition fees at public educational institutions, and consider social allowances according to Decision No. 1121/1997/QĐ-TTg dated December 23, 1997 of the Prime Minister on scholarships and social allowances for students and pupils at public training institutions, while also considering reductions in contributions to schools for the academic year.

Article 5. Financial sources for implementing support policies include: State budget; funds raised through mobilization efforts at all levels, sectors, economic organizations of all economic components, political and socio-political organizations, central and local mass organizations; assistance from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals (if any).

Article 6. The People's Committees of provinces within the flood diversion and delay areas are responsible for implementing support policies as stipulated in this Decision, while also taking measures to mobilize all provincial resources to implement relief and support for the people; review and adjust regional development plans to develop specific solutions for residential planning, housing construction, infrastructure projects, economic and social welfare projects to minimize damage caused by flood diversion and delay.

Article 7. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after the date of signature. Relevant ministries and sectors according to their assigned functions and responsibilities shall be responsible for guiding localities in implementing the policies and systems prescribed in this Decision.

Article 8. Ministers, The Minister, the Head of an agency at the ministerial level, the Head of an agency under the Government, and the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.