Joint Circular No. 187/2014/TTLT-BTC-BCA guiding the coordination in performing tasks to ensure security and safety of money and assets within the State Treasury System.

 JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for coordinating the implementation of security andmoney safety,

asset protection within the State Treasury System

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

Pursuant to Decree No. 77/2009/NĐ-CP dated September 15, 2009 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Public Security; Pursuant to Decree No. 21/2014/NĐ-CP dated March 25, 2014 of the Government amending and supplementing Clause 3 of Decree No. 77/2009/NĐ-CP dated September 15, 2009 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Public Security;

Pursuant to Decree No. 37/2009/NĐ-CP dated April 23, 2009 of the Government stipulating important political, economic, diplomatic, scientific and technological, cultural, and social targets to be guarded and protected by the People's Police Force;

Pursuant to Decision No. 108/2009/QĐ-TTg dated August 26, 2009 of the Prime Minister stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the State Treasury under the Ministry of Finance;

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Public Security issue this Circular guiding the coordination in implementing security and money safety, asset protection within the State Treasury System.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Article 1. This Circular stipulates the principles, contents, scope, forms, and responsibilities between agencies and units under and affiliated with the Ministry of Public Security and State Treasuries (ST) at all levels under the Ministry of Finance in coordinating work to ensure security and money safety, asset protection within the ST system.

Article 2. This Circular applies to agencies within the ST system and related public security agencies from central to local levels.

Article 2. Principles of Coordination between ST and Public Security Agencies

Point 1. Coordination work between ST and units under and affiliated with the Ministry of Public Security shall be unified from central to local levels and ensure horizontal coordination principles.

Point 2. Adhere to the Party’s guidelines, policies, and state laws within the scope of functions, tasks, and powers of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Finance, and create favorable conditions to complete assigned tasks effectively.

Point 3. Ensure promptness, proactivity, timeliness, completeness, effectiveness, and mutual agreement before making decisions without hindering each unit’s work when handling issues related to security and money safety, asset protection managed by ST.

Point 4. Resolve promptly any difficulties arising during coordination. In special cases exceeding authority or beyond capability, report to the directly supervising superior agency for coordination in resolution.

Point 5. Ensure enhanced security and money safety, asset protection within the ST system.

Article 3. Contents of Coordination Work to Ensure Security and Money Safety, Asset Protection within the ST System

Point 1. Ensure internal security within the ST system and safeguard state secrets regarding information, data, and documents listed in the state secret directory of the finance sector as prescribed.

Point 2. Ensure money and asset safety of ST, including Vietnamese dong, foreign currencies, and other equivalent value papers, gold, silver, precious metals, gems, special seals, and other valuable assets at ST headquarters, in storage, and during transportation.

Point 3. Ensure security and confidentiality in the information technology field of the ST system, including network and infrastructure security, computer security, data security, and application of information technology.

Point 4. Organize work to prevent unauthorized entry, counterfeit currency, fire prevention, firefighting, typhoon, flood, and natural disaster prevention at ST units.

Point 5. Exchange and provide information; prevent, detect, and combat schemes aimed at disrupting security and money safety, asset protection of state assets entrusted to ST management.

Point 6. Prevent crime and related political security issues involving ST officials and civil servants.

1. Issuing joint documents between the President of the Supreme People's Court and the Minister of National Defense.

Point 1. Exchange and provide information on ST activities related to internal security and money safety, asset protection (through written exchange, direct exchange, regular and periodic exchange, and urgent exchange when incidents occur).

Point 2. Train and enhance professional knowledge and equip necessary tools for dedicated ST security forces through various forms: ST organizes training courses taught by public security officers; public security agencies organize training courses, with ST personnel attending.

Point 3. Deploy police guards and armed escorts for transporting cash, valuable papers, and assets. Assign officers to participate in inspections and audits (regular and surprise) of security and money safety, asset protection at STs.

Point 4. Implement coordination regulations and plans for protecting security and money safety, asset protection within the ST system.

Point 5. Hold meetings, review, and summarize coordination work for security and money safety, asset protection within the ST system.

Article 5. Responsibilities of State Treasury at all levels

1. Continuously maintain internal security, educate political awareness, sense of responsibility, improve professional expertise, and vigilance for protecting the agency for each State Treasury staff member; organize propaganda, dissemination, and training on knowledge about the state's information security policies and regulations on information security for party members, officials, and civil servants. Promote and expand models and exemplary figures in mass movements to protect national security within State Treasury units.

2. Based on the regulation on protecting state secrets issued by the Ministry of Finance, establish specific provisions and internal rules regarding the work of protecting state secrets suitable to the nature and characteristics of State Treasury management; transaction and contact regulations with customers; transaction and contact, working regulations with foreigners; issue regulations, internal rules, fire prevention and extinguishing plans; protection and anti-intrusion plans; cash management regulations, valuable securities, precious assets, and other regulations related to ensuring security and safety of money and assets. Disseminate and guide officials and civil servants to strictly implement these regulations, internal rules, and plans stipulated in this clause.

3. Exchange information with the police agency at the same level about internal security situations (information about State Treasury officials and civil servants exhibiting signs of violating laws; information about incidents that may pose risks to the security and safety of money and assets managed by State Treasury); information about guidance documents implementing financial regulatory legal documents related to State Treasury, samples of various seals used in the State Treasury system. Information about policy and management system violations through budget revenue and expenditure control; information about counterfeit currency activities or seizures of counterfeit currency discovered through banking operations conducted by State Treasury. Provide relevant documents and materials managed and stored by State Treasury upon request of the police agency during investigations and verifications. Exchange and provide other relevant information to ensure security and safety of money and assets within the State Treasury system.

4. Ensure security and confidentiality for the field of information technology throughout the system: protect network and infrastructure security, computer security, data, and information technology applications; when drafting documents, systems, procedures, and designing, building, and deploying IT applications in business operations, must ensure security factors for the system's activities.

5. Assign individuals with sufficient professional qualifications, moral character, and sense of responsibility to essential and important departments directly related to managing state money and assets under State Treasury management.

Organize and allocate specialized security forces in adequate numbers and quality (as prescribed by the state):

a) The headquarters of State Treasury, State Treasury provincial headquarters, and centrally-administered city headquarters shall allocate a minimum of three dedicated security personnel. State Treasury district, county, city, and town headquarters under centrally-administered provinces and cities (referred to as State Treasury county-level headquarters) shall allocate a minimum of two dedicated security personnel;

b) Security work at each State Treasury must be carried out 24/24 hours a day. Depending on the situation and work requirements, the head of State Treasury may assign other staff members to support security work;

c) Establish and strengthen part-time security teams (self-defense units) to support security work during holidays, festivals, storms, floods, and promptly handle unexpected situations.

6. Build and consolidate cash storage facilities meeting technical standards as prescribed. Equip specialized transportation means, communication systems, alarm and fire detection systems, firefighting equipment, protective fences, lighting, surveillance cameras, and technical equipment to serve security and asset protection work.

7. Strictly implement legal regulations on fire prevention and extinguishing. Establish and maintain the operation of fire prevention and extinguishing teams; ensure funding for fire prevention and extinguishing activities; equip and maintain fire prevention and extinguishing equipment. Closely cooperate with local authorities to promptly and effectively address fires.

8. Arrange accommodation and necessary working conditions for security police forces at State Treasuries. Apply allowances for security police forces when performing escort and transportation tasks for money, valuable securities, and precious assets as for dedicated security personnel (or civil servants, drivers) of State Treasury according to the standard and expense quota for business operations of State Treasury.

9. Regularly organize inspections and audits on compliance with state policies, industry regulations, and related regulations concerning security and asset protection work of State Treasury. Identify, prevent, and promptly address any loopholes, deficiencies, and internal security breaches and asset safety risks.

10. Heads of State Treasury at all levels shall take the lead and coordinate with heads of police agencies at the same level:

a) Develop specific cooperation regulations on security and asset protection work of State Treasury within their jurisdiction according to the content of this Circular and specific local conditions; hold regular meetings every six months to evaluate the implementation of cooperation regulations;

b) Propose competent authorities to issue documents determining restricted areas and prohibited locations for State Treasury headquarters to organize security in accordance with the law;

c) Organize annual reviews, phase summaries, commendations, and recommend higher authorities to commend outstanding collectives and individuals in implementing this Circular;

d) Report to superior management agencies and People's Committees of centrally-administered provinces and cities on security and asset protection work within their jurisdiction.

Article 6. Responsibilities of local public security units participating in activities to ensure the security and safety of money and assets within the State Treasury system

1. Coordinate with the same-level State Treasury to develop security plans for State Treasury agencies; protect and ensure the safety of money and asset transportation trips; participate in developing regulations, internal rules, guidelines, and plans as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 5 of this Circular.

2. Coordinate with the same-level State Treasury to organize the implementation of necessary measures to prevent, detect, stop, and combat activities that infringe upon internal security, economic security, and information security in the field of information technology of the State Treasury. Investigate, verify, and handle individuals who engage in acts of destroying the information technology systems and data serving the operations of the State Treasury; circulating counterfeit money and fake documents; embezzlement and theft of state assets managed by the State Treasury; and other violations of the law related thereto. Coordinate with State Treasury agencies to recover lost money and assets according to the provisions of the law.

3. Regularly exchange information and materials on political situations, current events, peaceful evolution plots of hostile forces; new methods and tactics of economic crime and high-tech crime; criminal forecasts in the financial and banking sectors to proactively coordinate preventive measures.

4. Coordinate with the same-level State Treasury to periodically and randomly inspect the implementation of relevant regulations concerning the security and safety of money and assets of the same-level State Treasury or subordinate State Treasuries.

5. Deploy sufficient police guards according to regulations, relatively stable, with specialized expertise, patrolling day and night to absolutely secure targets: State Treasuries, provincial and centrally-administered city State Treasuries. In counties where there are complex areas and large amounts of cash transactions, additional police support forces should be deployed; the Provincial or Centrally-Administered City State Treasury Director and the head of the same-level Public Security Agency shall discuss and decide.

6. Armored escort protection for money, valuable documents, and precious assets transportation trips of the same-level State Treasury.

7. County-level Public Security Agencies shall proactively coordinate with county-level State Treasuries without direct police protection to develop patrol and guard plans and be ready to provide rapid and timely support when incidents occur at the State Treasury.

8. Coordinate with State Treasuries in the area to conduct training sessions on specialized duties for dedicated State Treasury guards. Guide dedicated State Treasury guards on the use of equipment, means, and supporting tools provided according to current laws; issue permits for their use within the scope of authority or guide procedures for registering such means and tools according to state regulations; organize fire prevention and firefighting training and issue certificates of training for fire prevention and firefighting team members.

9. Coordinate with State Treasuries to promote and expand exemplary models and advanced examples in mass movements for national security protection in State Treasury units.

10. The heads of local Public Security Agencies at all levels shall be responsible for:

a) Issuing specific plans to organize the implementation of the tasks of the Public Security Agency as stipulated in Clauses 1, 7, and 8 of this Article;

b) Coordinate with the head of the same-level State Treasury agency in the area to implement the tasks as stipulated in Clause 10 of Article 5 of this Circular.

Article 7. Implementation Organization

1. Heads of relevant agencies under the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Security; heads of State Treasury agencies at all levels in localities; heads of Public Security Agencies at all levels in localities are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The Ministry of Finance assigns the State Treasury (Financial Affairs and Management Department) as the lead unit and responsible for implementation; the Ministry of Public Security assigns the Second General Bureau of Security (Security Bureau of Finance, Currency, and Investment) as the lead unit and responsible for implementation. These units are responsible for advising and assisting the leadership of the two Ministries in organizing and guiding the implementation of the contents of this Circular.

Article 8. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from February 1, 2015, and replaces Circular No. 40/TT-LB dated July 25, 1996, jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs (now the Ministry of Public Security), guiding the work of protecting the security and safety of assets within the State Treasury system.

2. During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties, they should be reported to the Ministry of Finance (through the State Treasury) and the Ministry of Public Security (through the Second General Bureau of Security) for timely guidance on amendments and supplements./.