Circular No. 199/2011/TT-BTC guiding the implementation of training and issuing Certificates for Chief Accountants

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for organizing training and issuing certificates for Chief Accountants

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CPursuant to the Accounting Law No. 03/2003/QH11 dated June 17, 2003;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 128/2004/NĐ-CP dated May 31, 2004 on detailed regulations and guidance on implementation of certain provisions of the Accounting Law in the public sector, and the Government Decree No. 129/2004/NĐ-CP dated May 31, 2004 on detailed regulations and guidance on implementation of certain provisions of the Accounting Law in business operations;

Pursuant to the 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;

The Ministry of Finance issues guidelines for organizing training and issuing certificates for Chief Accountants as follows:

Article 1. Purpose and requirements for training and issuing certificates for Chief Accountants

1. Equipping, updating, and systematizing basic and specialized knowledge in economic management, finance, accounting, and auditing for those who are to be trained as Chief Accountants, thereby enhancing their capacity in economic and financial management, organizing accounting work, establishing accounting structures, and directing accounting activities within the organization.

2. Standardizing professional and vocational qualifications in finance, accounting, auditing, and organizational skills in accounting work and accounting structures for the cadre of Chief Accountants in the national economy.

Article 2. Eligibility criteria for participants in the Chief Accountant training course

1. Vietnamese individuals participating in the Chief Accountant training course must meet the following criteria:

a/ Possess professional ethics, honesty, integrity, and a sense of compliance with laws;

b/ Have a minimum level of expertise in finance, accounting, and auditing at the college level or higher, and have at least the following years of practical experience in finance, accounting, and auditing:

- At least two years from the date of graduation recorded on the bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or auditing;

- At least three years from the date of graduation recorded on the associate or college degree in finance, accounting, or auditing;

c/ Submit an application form, which includes confirmation of practical working experience in finance, accounting, and auditing from the current employer, along with a certified copy of the graduation certificate in finance, accounting, or auditing.

2. Foreign individuals holding a Certified Public Accountant Certificate, a Practicing Certificate in Accounting, an Auditor Certificate, or a bachelor's degree from foreign organizations (recognized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance) may participate in the Chief Accountant training course organized by units that meet the conditions for organizing such courses for foreign individuals.

Article 3. Forms of organizing the Chief Accountant training course

The Chief Accountant training course can be organized in a concentrated period continuously or divided into multiple periods for one course, but the actual study time for one course shall not exceed six months and must ensure sufficient time and cover all contents of the program as stipulated in this Circular.

A class of the Chief Accountant training course shall not exceed 100 students.

Article 4. Conditions for organizing the Chief Accountant training course

1. Educational and training institutions (Academies, Universities, Colleges, Training Centers) may organize the Chief Accountant training course if they meet the following conditions:

a/ Possess functions of training and upgrading in the field of accounting and auditing;

b/ Have at least 50% of full-time lecturers (Among the total number of lecturers teaching subjects in each course) with a minimum bachelor's degree and at least five years of teaching experience in the fields of economics, finance, accounting, and auditing;

c/ Have adequate material conditions, such as classrooms, desks, blackboards, teaching aids, etc., to conduct the Chief Accountant training course.

2. Professional associations in accounting and auditing may collaborate with educational and training institutions meeting the conditions stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article to organize the Chief Accountant training course.

3. Educational and training institutions meeting the conditions stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article wishing to organize the Chief Accountant training course for foreign individuals must obtain written approval from the Ministry of Finance.

Article 5. Rights and responsibilities of training and development institutions in organizing accounting director training courses

1. Training and development institutions meeting the conditions to organize accounting director training courses have the right:

a/ To proactively implement tasks related to organizing accounting director training courses in accordance with their own unit's conditions.

b/ To collect tuition fees from participants in the training course at levels consistent with state regulations on education tuition fees. The collection, management, and use of revenue from tuition fees must be carried out in accordance with current laws.

c/ To issue Accounting Director Training Certificates in accordance with Article 9 of this Circular.

2. Training and development institutions meeting the conditions to organize accounting director training courses have the responsibility:

a/ To ensure that student recruitment meets the standards stipulated in Article 2 of this Circular.

b/ To comply with regulations on the format and procedures for opening accounting director training courses as stipulated in Articles 3 and 6 of this Circular.

c/ To strictly organize and manage the accounting director training course, ensuring the implementation of all content, programs, and timeframes as prescribed in Article 10 of this Circular.

d/ To strictly comply with regulations on examinations, evaluations, classification of results, and issuance of certificates as stipulated in Articles 7, 8, and 9 of this Circular.

đ/ To be subject to inspection and supervision by the Ministry of Finance in implementing the provisions of Article 12 of this Circular.

e/ To strictly adhere to reporting regimes as prescribed in this Circular.

f/ To be responsible for the accuracy and legality of the Accounting Director Training Certificate issued by their unit.

Article 6. Procedures for organizing accounting director training courses

1. Training and development institutions must submit a dossier to the Ministry of Finance before opening each accounting director training course, including the following documents:

a/ Decision to open the accounting director training course by the head of the training and development institution;

b/ List of students in the training course (Annex No. 01);

c/ List of lecturers in the training course (Annex No. 02);

d/ List of the course management board;

đ/ Content, program, and schedule of the training course.

2. Documents in the dossier specified in Clause 1 of this Article and other related documents such as: Teaching contracts; Attendance sheets and payment vouchers for lecturers participating in teaching; Sign-in sheets for each class session signed by lecturers; Photocopies of certificates of students with notarization; Application forms for training with confirmation from the working unit; Examination papers of students must be retained by the organizing institution for a minimum of five years from the end date of the course.

Decisions recognizing successful completion of the accounting director training course and lists of successful students (Annex 03) must be retained by the organizing institution for a minimum of ten years from the end date of the course.

Article 7. Examination and evaluation of learning outcomes

1. Examination and evaluation of learning outcomes shall be conducted as follows:

At the end of each section in the curriculum, a final examination for that section must be organized with a minimum duration of 180 minutes.

2. Final examinations shall be conducted in writing. Marks for final examinations are graded on a scale of 10 points. A score below 5 points is considered unsatisfactory.

3. Only students who have attended at least 80% of the scheduled class time for each section may take the final examination for that section. Only students who achieve a score of 5 points or higher in both final examinations will meet the course requirements.

4. Upon completion of the accounting director training course, the organizing institution bases its assessment on the average mark of two final examinations (first attempt) and categorizes them into four types:

- Excellent: Average marks of two final examinations reach 8 points or higher (with no mark below 7);

- Good: Average marks of two final examinations reach 7 points or higher (with no mark below 6);

- Average: Average marks of two final examinations reach 5 points or higher (with no mark below 5);

- Unsatisfactory: There is a final examination mark below 5 points.

Students have the right to retake one of the two final examinations they did not pass but can only retake it once. Retesting for students who did not pass is organized at the end of the course.

Article 8. Certificate for Accounting Manager Training

1. The form "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training" (Annex No. 04) and the Code Number of the training organization for Accounting Managers shall be issued and managed uniformly nationwide by the Ministry of Finance.

2. Training organizations conducting Accounting Manager courses must be responsible for monitoring and managing the certificate forms they have been granted (the number received, the number used, the number damaged, and the number unused), and must report periodically every six months (on January 1 and July 1 each year) to the Ministry of Finance to serve as the basis for national consolidation.

Article 9. Issuance of "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training"

1. Students who achieve satisfactory results (at least average) in the examination will have their training organization issue a decision to grant the "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training".

2. Upon completion of each Accounting Manager training course, the organizing unit must send the "Decision Recognizing Satisfactory Course Results" along with the "List of Students Achieving Satisfactory Course Results" (Annex No. 03) to the Ministry of Finance for review, approval, and issuance of the training certificate form. Only the head of the training organization (or a deputy authorized by the head) has the authority to sign and issue the "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training".

3. The "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training" must be stamped by the training organization on the back of the student's photograph.

4. The "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training" is valid for five years from the date of issuance for the initial appointment as an Accounting Manager according to Clause 2 of Article 53 of the Accounting Law. After this period, students wishing to obtain a new certificate must retake the Accounting Manager training course.

5. Those holding a "Certificate for Accounting Manager Training" who have already been appointed as an Accounting Manager once may still use the certificate for subsequent appointments, provided that the time interval between two appointments does not exceed five years.

6. In case of loss or misplacement, students should contact the training organization (where the certificate was issued) to apply for reissuance.

Article 10. Content and Program of Accounting Manager Training

1. The content, program, and minimum duration of an Accounting Manager training course for state agencies, public institutions, organizations using state budget funds, and other non-budgetary public institutions, including budget revenue and expenditure units and military forces (collectively referred to as state accounting units) are as follows:

Total course duration: 4 weeks (including examination time)

(4 weeks x 6 days x 8 hours = 192 hours. One hour consists of 50 minutes of study and 10 minutes of break.)

I - COMMON KNOWLEDGE SECTION:

II - SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE SECTION:

2. The content, program, and minimum duration of an Accounting Manager training course for enterprises in various economic sectors, including cooperatives (collectively referred to as enterprise accounting), are as follows:

Total course duration: 6 weeks (including examination time)

(6 weeks x 6 days x 8 hours = 288 hours. One hour consists of 50 minutes of study and 10 minutes of break.)

I - COMMON KNOWLEDGE SECTION:

II - SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE SECTION:

3. Training organizations conducting courses may adjust the content and program of each course to suit the target audience but must ensure the basic content and course duration as prescribed.

Article 11. Training materials for chief accountants

1. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead in organizing the compilation of training materials for chief accountants to be uniformly used throughout the country.

2. The training materials for chief accountants must be consistent with the content and program specified in Article 10 of this Circular. Lecturers must update new policies, regulations, and current situations up to the time of the course organization to teach students.

Article 12. Inspection and supervision of the organization of chief accountant training

1. The Ministry of Finance shall directly or indirectly inspect and supervise (through reports or public information) the organization of chief accountant training and issuance of chief accountant certificates by training institutions.

2. The inspection and supervision content includes all provisions from Article 2 to Article 11 of this Circular.

Article 13. Administrative sanctions for violations in organizing chief accountant training courses and issuing Chief Accountant Training Certificates

1. Training institutions must comply with the provisions of this Circular in organizing chief accountant training courses and issuing chief accountant training certificates to qualified students. If there is a violation, depending on the severity, administrative sanctions will be imposed, the issued certificates may not be recognized, or the right to organize chief accountant training courses may be suspended.

2. The authority, procedures for imposing fines, and the acts and levels of fines shall be implemented according to the provisions of Decree No. 39/2011/ND-CP dated May 26, 2011, and Decree No. 185/2004/ND-CP dated November 4, 2004 of the Government on administrative sanctions in the field of accounting, and Circular No. 169/2011/TT-BTC dated November 24, 2011 guiding the implementation of certain provisions of Decree No. 39/2011/ND-CP dated May 26, 2011, and Decree No. 185/2004/ND-CP dated November 4, 2004.

Article 14. Implementation Organization

This Circular takes effect from April 1, 2012, and replaces Decision No. 98/2007/QD-BTC dated December 3, 2007, of the Minister of Finance on the issuance of the "Regulations on the Organization of Chief Accountant Training and Issuance of Chief Accountant Certificates."

2. Relevant organizations and individuals have the responsibility to implement this Circular./.

DEPUTY MINISTER

DEPUTY MINISTER

Tran Xuan Ha