Circular No. 2/TC-HCVX stipulates allowances for state officials, workers, and employees going on official business within the country (travel expenses).

CIRCULAR

DECREE NO. 2/TC-HCVX OF JANUARY 31, 1983
REGULATING THE ALLOWANCE SYSTEM FOR STATE EMPLOYEES, WORKERS, AND CIVIL SERVANTS ON DOMESTIC BUSINESS TRAVEL (BUSINESS TRAVEL ALLOWANCE)
STATE TRAVEL WITHIN THE COUNTRY (TRAVEL ALLOWANCE)

To alleviate difficulties for state employees, workers, and civil servants traveling far from their offices or usual residences, after reaching consensus with relevant sectors, the Ministry of Finance hereby regulates the allowance system for state employees, workers, and civil servants dispatched on domestic business travel (business travel allowance) as follows.

PART I
GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. Business travel allowance is a supplementary payment for state employees, workers, and civil servants dispatched on domestic business travel to:

- Pay for train, bus, boat, or other transportation tickets for themselves and reasonable baggage (documents) necessary for work, which they are allowed to carry according to the agency's approval.

- Compensate for additional expenses related to food, accommodation, and transportation during the journey and at the destination.

The business travel allowance includes transportation costs; travel allowance; lodging allowance; and accommodation allowance.

2. The business travel allowance is applied in two forms:

- Allowance for individuals traveling on specific trips.

- Fixed allowance for individuals frequently traveling within a certain area.

PART II
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

PART A. REGIME OF ALLOWANCES FOR INDIVIDUALS TRAVELING ON SPECIFIC TRIPS
PER TRIP

SECTION 1. TRANSPORTATION COSTS.

1. State employees, workers, and civil servants dispatched by administrative agencies, public institutions, party and mass organizations, economic enterprises... (hereinafter referred to as agencies and enterprises) using state-owned or joint-stock transportation means (cars, trains, boats, river or coastal vessels...) with valid tickets as proof, shall be reimbursed for transportation costs based on the state-regulated ticket prices.

2. In cases where there are no state-owned or joint-stock transportation means available on the route of business travel, or if such means are very inconvenient, state employees, workers, and civil servants must use private transportation means (rickshaws, motorbikes, bicycles...) with valid tickets as proof, and shall be reimbursed for transportation costs based on the prices set by the People's Committee of the district, county, or town (as per Decision No. 33-CP dated February 4, 1978 of the Council of Ministers).

In places where the People's Committee of the district, county, or town has not yet regulated and managed prices, the People's Committee of the province, city, or special zone shall direct the districts, counties, or towns to regulate and manage prices, preventing private parties from increasing prices.

The transportation costs mentioned above include the price of train sleeper tickets and baggage (document) fares necessary for work (if approved by the head of the agency or enterprise); ferry and boat fares; and telephone booking fees, if applicable.

For business travel outside the province, state employees, workers, and civil servants shall be reimbursed for transportation costs on the section of the route (up to 10 kilometers) from the employee's usual residence to the transportation terminal and back, and from the terminal to the workplace and back. If this section lacks state-owned or joint-stock transportation means, and the traveler must use private transportation (at higher rates), they shall be granted a fixed allowance of 1 dong per kilometer, starting from the first kilometer, with a maximum of 10 dongs.

Throughout the entire journey, if multiple types of transportation means are used (some sections by car, some by train, some by boat...), reimbursement will be made based on the actual transportation means used on each section and the prices specified above.

3. When traveling by the agency's or enterprise's vehicle, rented vehicles, or borrowed vehicles from other agencies or enterprises (including pick-up and drop-off services from home to the transportation terminal and vice versa), no transportation costs shall be reimbursed.

4. For sections without public transportation (as stipulated in Points 1 and 2) or where public transportation is inconvenient, if state employees, workers, and civil servants use their own bicycles, motorcycles, or motorbikes for business travel over 10 kilometers in one trip, with permission from the agency or enterprise head, they shall be granted a fixed allowance of 20 dongs per 100 kilometers to compensate for the wear and tear of the means of transport.

Due to limited air transport capacity, airfare reimbursement for business travel is currently only provided to officials with a basic salary (old salary scale) of 115 dongs per month or more.

In exceptional cases requiring urgent travel for timely service or medical emergencies, the heads of ministries, councils, central-level provincial people's committees, and general departments under the Council of Ministers may decide to travel by air (recorded and signed on the business travel order), and such officials shall be reimbursed for airfare as if they had a basic salary of 155 dongs per month or more.

Officials traveling by air, in addition to airfare, shall also be reimbursed for bus fare provided by airlines for pick-up and drop-off services between the city center and the airport.

For travel by air not in accordance with the provisions above, state employees, workers, and civil servants shall only be reimbursed based on train fares (if the route has train service) or state-owned or joint-stock bus fares (if the route does not have train service).

PART II. TRAVEL ALLOWANCE.

1. In addition to the transportation costs mentioned above, officials, workers, and civil servants are also entitled to a travel allowance.

The travel allowance is an additional amount of money intended to cover extra expenses incurred during actual travel time, ensuring necessary living conditions for officials, workers, and civil servants while on official business trips.

The levels of travel allowance specified below are categorized based on the type of transportation used, the minimum distance required to qualify for the allowance, and the region (destination) of the official business trip:

Traveling on official business by airplane does not qualify for a travel allowance since meals are included in the ticket price.

The People's Committee of provinces, cities, and centrally governed municipalities shall specify the mountainous and island regions in their respective localities that apply the aforementioned travel allowance rates.

2. Calculation of travel allowance.

a) Officials, workers, and civil servants traveling on official business using which mode of transportation will be entitled to a travel allowance according to that mode of transportation.

b) When using only one type of transportation throughout the entire journey from departure to destination, the travel allowance rate for each kilometer of that mode of transportation is multiplied by the number of kilometers traveled, provided that the minimum distance is reached or exceeded.

If multiple types of transportation are used during the same official business trip, the travel allowance will be calculated based on the actual modes of transportation used for each segment of the journey. For segments that do not reach the minimum distance requirement for the mode of transportation used, these segments will still be combined to calculate the travel allowance according to the respective modes of transportation used.

Example: Official A travels to a plain region and uses three different modes of transportation over a distance of 165 kilometers:

Official A will receive the following travel allowance:

c) If traveling from a plain or midland region to a mountainous or remote island region, the travel allowance rate for the plain or midland region applies for the outbound trip; the travel allowance rate for the mountainous or remote island region applies for the return trip. Conversely, if traveling from a mountainous or remote island region to a plain or midland region, the travel allowance rate for the mountainous or remote island region applies for the outbound trip; the travel allowance rate for the plain or midland region applies for the return trip.

d) Drivers employed by the organization who drive vehicles on official business trips are entitled to double the travel allowance of those traveling by official vehicle.

d) In cases where, within a single day, there is both travel time and work time at multiple destinations, the segments of travel completed within the day (if they meet the minimum distance requirements set out in Part II) will be combined to calculate the travel allowance.

PART III. SUBSIDY FOR LODGING

1. In addition to travel expenses and transportation allowances, officials, workers, and employees on business trips shall also be entitled to a lodging subsidy.

The lodging subsidy is an additional compensation for daily meal expenses incurred by officials, workers, and employees who are dispatched by their agencies or enterprises to work away from their offices or usual places of residence due to work requirements and need to stay at the destination.

The lodging subsidy shall be calculated from the day the officials, workers, and employees leave their agencies or enterprises to reach the place of work until they return, including days spent traveling, days staying at the place of work, days waiting to purchase tickets for return travel, and days when they must stop along the way due to objective reasons such as unexpected accidents, storms, floods, etc., confirmed by local authorities or police where the incident occurred.

2. The distance from the departure point to the place of work must meet the minimum kilometers specified below to be eligible for a lodging subsidy.

3. Based on the violation and the distance of the business trip, the lodging subsidy rate is stipulated as follows:

In special cases, if the minimum distance required to qualify for a lodging subsidy is not met (regardless of whether the business trip is within the district, province, or outside the province), but due to special work requirements, they must stay, they will receive a lodging subsidy of 6 dong per day (equivalent to the lodging subsidy within the district where the agency's headquarters is located).

4. Duration of entitlement to the lodging subsidy during each business trip

To enhance the efficiency of business trips, to emphasize the responsibility of agencies and enterprises in using labor and strictly managing business trip expenses, in addition to the days spent traveling, days waiting to purchase return tickets, and days when they must stop along the way due to objective reasons mentioned in Point 1, Section III, the duration of staying at the unit to work and receiving the lodging subsidy is stipulated as follows:

a) Staying within the district for 15 days.

b) Staying within the province for 30 days.

c) Staying outside the province for 45 days.

For business trips from northern provinces to southern provinces or vice versa, the duration of entitlement to the lodging subsidy is 60 days.

In cases where business trips outside the province require extension beyond the prescribed duration of stay (but not exceeding three months) due to work requirements, officials, workers, and employees must write letters or make calls requesting permission to extend the duration of the business trip, clearly stating the reasons. After returning from the business trip, they must request confirmation from the head of the agency, Ministry, State Council, General Department under the Council of Ministers, and People's Committees of provinces, cities, and special zones directly under the central government on the business trip certificate to serve as evidence for payment of the lodging subsidy for the excess days beyond the prescribed period.

The following cases shall not be entitled to a lodging subsidy.

5. The following cases do not qualify for lodging allowance.

b) Days spent studying at concentrated training schools, long-term courses above university level, universities, colleges, vocational high schools, secondary schools, and worker training programs.

c) Cases assigned to reside permanently or temporarily at another location or agency.

c) Cases where individuals are assigned permanent residence or temporary duty at another locality or office.

PART IV. SUBSIDY FOR LODGING FEES.

During business trips, officials, workers, and employees who must stay at lodges, guesthouses, or hotels according to the standard room or bed categories prescribed by the Commerce Department and actually incur lodging expenses (with valid receipts as proof) shall be reimbursed for such expenses.

B. REGIME OF MONTHLY ALLOTMENT SUBSIDIES FOR TRANSPORTATION COSTS FOR INDIVIDUALS USING THEIR OWN MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION FOR REGULAR BUSINESS TRAVEL IN A SPECIFIED AREA.

Officials, workers, and employees assigned by their agencies or enterprises to regularly travel within a specific area for more than 16 days in a month using their own means of transportation (such as bicycles, motorcycles, boats, canoes, etc.) shall be entitled to monthly allotment subsidies (referred to as monthly allotment subsidies) as stipulated below in Point 2.

1. Individuals eligible for monthly allotment subsidies.

- County or district-level officials (suburban areas) assigned to oversee villages and regularly visit them for work.

- Market management staff regularly traveling for work.

- Traffic police officers.

- State-owned collection officers and financial managers of enterprises; managers of budgetary units.

- Mobile tax inspectors.

- Anti-smuggling inspection teams.

- Supply personnel, mobile staff of construction sites, and personnel of construction companies regularly traveling for work.

- Mobile purchasing staff of various sectors; canteen supply personnel.

- Communication officers of agencies; personnel collecting house, electricity, and water fees; personnel managing production and processing facilities; debt collectors; personnel collecting rental fees for loudspeakers.

- Mobile reporters of news agencies and press organizations.

- Forest inspectors.

- Inspectors from various sectors and levels regularly traveling for work; goods appraisers of Vietnam Insurance Corporation and Customs Department.

- Investigators from the Procuracy, Courts, and Ministry of Interior.

2. Monthly allotment subsidy rates are specified as follows.

Within the aforementioned allocation limits, Ministries and Provincial People's Committees may subdivide these allocations to suit the specific conditions of their respective sectors and localities.

In cases where individuals are required to carry goods or materials on a regular basis as requested by their agencies or enterprises, the above-mentioned monthly allotment subsidies will be increased as follows:

- By 30% if they regularly carry heavy loads between 15 to 30 kilograms.

- By 40% if they regularly carry loads exceeding 30 kilograms.

If they only occasionally carry goods or materials, they will not receive additional allowances.

3. Heads of agencies and enterprises shall base their determinations on the provisions above to identify the number of officials, workers, and employees within their units who are eligible for regular business travel and set monthly allotment subsidy rates based on the average monthly distance traveled by each individual (calculated over three months) excluding any irregular business trips outside the regular travel area (which have already been compensated with travel expenses).

4. Method of paying monthly lump-sum allowances.

- The monthly subsidy amount shall be paid out at the end of each month. Months without regular business travel (due to study, illness, maternity leave, or business trips outside the regular travel area, etc.) shall not be eligible for monthly allotment subsidies.

- Officials, workers, and employees eligible for regular business travel and monthly allotment subsidies who purchase tickets for regular business travel during the month must cover these costs themselves and are not entitled to travel expense reimbursement for individual trips as previously stipulated.

- If officials, workers, and employees do not have their own means of transportation and must use public transportation for regular travel, they shall be reimbursed for transportation ticket costs according to state-prescribed prices and shall not be eligible for monthly allotment subsidies.

The above regime of monthly allotment subsidies for regular business travel does not apply to travel from residence to workplace.

PART III
ESTABLISHING BUDGET PROJECTIONS, MANAGING, AND SETTLING ACCOUNTS FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES.

1. Budget projections for travel expenses are established by units based on the operational needs of the agency, with a spirit of utmost frugality, in accordance with prescribed regulations, and within the approved annual budget.

2. Heads of sectors, levels, and grassroots units are responsible for strictly managing travel expense expenditures in accordance with the provisions of this circular. Officials, workers, and employees going on business trips must obtain approval from their agency or enterprise heads for the content and completion time of their tasks to ensure that the trip yields practical results.

Each unit should monitor the settlement of travel expense payments, particularly focusing on drawing lessons from monthly allotments to implement strict management measures and ensure compliance with regulations.

Financial authorities and accounting departments at all levels and sectors are responsible for assisting their respective People's Committees and sector heads in guiding subordinate units to properly implement the travel expense regulations stipulated in this circular.

3. Administrative and service agencies shall settle accounts for travel expenses under Item X "travel expenses" (according to the current state budget classification). For production and business units, these expenses shall be accounted for in cost of production and circulation fees.

Personnel responsible for settling travel expense payments and chief accountants shall assist their agency or enterprise heads in thoroughly examining all supporting documents (travel permits, transportation tickets, accommodation duration, etc.) before making travel expense payments. Payments shall not be made for invalid or non-compliant documents.

4. To alleviate difficulties faced by officials, workers, and employees when traveling far from home or their offices and to facilitate the implementation of new travel expense regulations, the Ministry of Finance suggests:

a) The Transportation Sector should organize travel well for officials, workers, and employees on business trips, facilitating easy access to public transportation means, and organizing for these individuals to purchase transportation tickets conveniently and at regulated prices.

b) The People's Committees of provinces, cities, and centrally governed special economic zones shall assign responsibilities to relevant sectors to organize, maintain, and develop networks for providing accommodation and catering services for officials, workers, and staff members working in their respective localities.

c) Officials, workers, and staff members who work at agencies and enterprises and are provided with accommodation and catering services at guesthouses of such agencies and enterprises must use their subsistence allowance and daily food allowance to settle accounts.

d) The domestic trade sector needs to expand its network of domestic hotels to accommodate officials, workers, and staff members traveling on business, ensuring convenient, safe, and cost-effective accommodation and dining.

The travel expense regime stipulated in this Circular shall be uniformly applied to all administrative and public service agencies; production and business units; party and mass organizations financially subsidized by the State from the district level upwards, and shall take effect from January 1, 1983. For cases of business trips before January 1, 1983 that have not yet been settled for travel expenses, they shall be settled according to the old regime.

This Circular replaces Circulars No. 5-TC/HCVX dated January 28, 1980; No. 28-TC/HCVX dated December 29, 1980; No. 17-TC/HCVX dated July 10, 1981, and Circular No. 12-TC/HCVX dated April 8, 1981 issued by the Ministry of Finance.

Any regulations of agencies and enterprises regarding travel expenses that contravene this Circular must be abolished. Heads of agencies and enterprises that fail to comply with the travel expense regime prescribed in this Circular shall bear material responsibility for non-compliance with the State Financial Regulations.

Financial authorities at all levels; financial departments of sectors, agencies, and grassroots units have the right to refuse to issue and approve expenditures on travel expenses that contravene the provisions of this Circular.