Decision No. 20/1999/QĐ-TTg on the establishment and issuance of the operational regulations of the Steering Committee for Rice Export and Fertilizer Import Management

DECISION

Regarding the establishment and issuance of the Operational Regulations of the Steering Committee

 for Exporting Rice and Importing Fertilizers

______________________

PRIME MINISTER

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

To assist the Prime Minister in managing the business activities of exporting rice and importing fertilizers,

DECISION:

Article 1. Establish the Steering Committee of the Prime Minister to manage the business activities of exporting rice and importing fertilizers (hereinafter referred to as the Steering Committee).

Article 2. The contents of the Steering Committee's operations are stipulated in the "Operational Regulations of the Steering Committee for Exporting Rice and Importing Fertilizers" attached to this Decision.

Article 3. This Decision replaces Decision No. 39/1998/QĐ-TTg dated February 18, 1998, and takes effect from the date of signing. Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to ministries, Heads of government agencies, and Chairmen of provincial people's committees directly under the central government are responsible for implementing this Decision.

REGULATIONS

On the operational content of the Steering Committee for Exporting Rice and Importing Fertilizers

(Attached to Decision No. 20/1999/QĐ-TTg dated February 13, 1999)

In order to gradually reform mechanisms and promptly address emerging issues in the business of exporting rice and importing fertilizers, establish the Steering Committee for Exporting Rice and Importing Fertilizers (hereinafter referred to as the Steering Committee).

The Steering Committee has the following components and main tasks:

I. ON MANAGING RICE EXPORTS:

1. Based on the quota approved by the Prime Minister and assigned by the Chairman of the People's Committees of provinces to enterprises, monitor the signing of contracts and the progress of delivery in accordance with production and market conditions both domestically and internationally, ensuring national food security, effective exports, and avoiding fluctuations in food prices.

The Steering Committee shall define the system and related contents regarding rice exports for enterprises to report; the Management Team is responsible for compiling the reports of enterprises to assist the Steering Committee in timely management, closely following the development of rice and rice business activities.

2. Provide general guidance and regularly inform about the market and customers; report to the Ministry of Trade to take appropriate measures, warning or preventing cases of price-dumping purchases and sales of Vietnamese rice; at the same time, adopt consistent policies towards customers purchasing Vietnamese rice who show signs of non-cooperation.

3. Monitor the price trends of rice on the world market to form and regularly publish a guiding price range for various types of exported rice, in line with domestic rice prices.

4. Supervise and urge key enterprises to strictly follow the directives of the Prime Minister regarding the purchase of agricultural products from farmers.

Guide enterprises to implement regulations on rice exports according to the annual management decisions of the Prime Minister; handle or recommend the Prime Minister to handle enterprises violating these regulations in accordance with the law.

5. Coordinate and allocate targets to key enterprises participating in implementing rice contracts signed in accordance with agreements made by the Government.

6. Recommend that the Chairmen of provincial people's committees coordinate quotas among enterprises within their provinces and recommend the Prime Minister to coordinate quotas among provinces and central enterprises allocated quotas in the annual management decisions of the Prime Minister, to ensure the common interests of the State and effective rice exporting enterprises.

II. ON MANAGING FERTILIZER IMPORTS:

1. Based on the import quotas for various types of fertilizers approved by the Prime Minister and assigned by the Chairmen of provincial people's committees to enterprises, monitor and urge imports to be delivered on time, in quantity, type, and area as directed.

2. Determine the end-of-season inventory to guide and urge the signing of contracts and the delivery of goods for the upcoming production season, ensuring supply-demand balance in each region.

3. Monitor global market price trends and regularly publish fertilizer import prices from different regions to guide enterprises in timely and effective imports.

Monitor and report to relevant agencies on the supply situation and prices of fertilizers from domestic production sources so that agencies can compile and report to the Prime Minister measures to stabilize domestic fertilizer prices promptly.

4. Urge and inspect fertilizer-importing enterprises and build a convenient distribution network for fertilizers beneficial to farmers.

5. Recommend that the Chairmen of provincial people's committees coordinate import quotas among enterprises within their provinces and recommend the Prime Minister to coordinate import quotas among central enterprises and between provinces allocated quotas in the annual management decisions of the Prime Minister, to ensure the common interests of the State and effective fertilizer-importing enterprises.

6. Handle issues arising from the implementation of fertilizer imports according to the storage plan approved by the Prime Minister.

III. MEMBERS OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE:

 The Steering Committee for Managing Rice Exports and Fertilizer Imports consists of the following members:

1. Deputy Minister of Trade, Head.

2. Vice Chairmen of the People's Committees of Long An, An Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Can Tho, Vinh Long Provinces, Members.

3. Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Import and Export Grains, Member.

4. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Vietnam, Office of the Government, Government Price Board, General Customs Department, each agency sends one department-level official as a member.

5. The Steering Committee establishes a Permanent Management Team, working at the Ministry of Trade office in Ho Chi Minh City, to assist the Steering Committee in handling daily issues arising in managing rice exports and fertilizer imports.

The operational rules of the Permanent Management Team are defined by the Head of the Steering Committee.

The Head of the Permanent Management Team is responsible for reporting updates to the Head of the Steering Committee and members from provinces.

IV. PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE:

1. Members of the Steering Committee work under the principle of democratic discussion to examine and handle or recommend handling issues related to rice exports and fertilizer imports.

2. Members of the Steering Committee are responsible for implementing their assigned tasks and the issues that have been agreed upon in meetings.

V. LIVING REGIME AND REPORTING:

1. The Steering Committee convenes regularly once every quarter in the first month of each quarter (extraordinary meetings may be held when necessary) to assess the implementation status of enterprises, propose directions for activities, and address emerging issues. In cases where necessary, the Steering Committee may invite key units to attend its meetings.

For issues beyond the Committee's capacity to handle and exceeding the authority of relevant ministries and sectors, the Chairperson reports to seek opinions.

2. Monthly, the Chairperson of the Steering Committee reports to the Prime Minister on the situation of rice exports, fertilizer imports, and difficulties arising from mechanisms outside the scope of the annual decision on rice export management and fertilizer import management issued by the Prime Minister.