Circular No. 207/2009/TT-BTC on the expenditure regime and settlement of funds supported from the State Budget for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009

CIRCULAR

Regulations on expenditure and settlement of funds from the State budget for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009

Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009

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Pursuant to Decree No. 118/2008/NĐ-CP dated November 27, 2008 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

Pursuant to Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 6, 2003 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the Law on State Budget;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 30/2008/NQ-CP dated December 11, 2008 of the Government on urgent measures to prevent economic decline, maintain economic growth, and ensure social welfare;

Implementing Decision No. 529/QĐ-TTg dated April 24, 2009 of the Prime Minister on funding for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009;

The Ministry of Finance hereby stipulates the regulations on expenditure and settlement of funds from the State budget for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009 as follows:

Article 1. Scope and Applicability

This Circular provides guidance on the regulations on expenditure and settlement of funds from the State budget for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009

Article 2. Source of Funding for Implementation of the Program

The funding for implementing the program shall be sourced from the allocation for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009 as specified in Decision No. 529/QĐ-TTg dated April 24, 2009 of  the Prime Minister on funding for the Domestic Market Trade Promotion Program in 2009.

Article 3. General Provisions on Management of Expenditure

1. All expenditures must comply with current standards and regulations on expenditure and the levels of expenditure for the program contents as prescribed in this Circular.

2. In cases where actual expenditures occur without existing guidelines, they shall be based on valid invoices and receipts in accordance with the law. The head and chief accountant of the unit implementing the project shall bear legal responsibility for the authenticity of the expenditures and accompanying documents.

3. For agencies approving the projects, if expenditures as prescribed require tendering, they shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Bidding and guiding documents thereof; Circular No. 63/2007/TT-BTC dated June 15, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of bidding for asset procurement to maintain the regular operation of state agencies using state budget funds; and Circular No. 131/2007/TT-BTC dated November 5, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance amending and supplementing Circular No. 63/2007/TT-BTC.

Article 4. Levels of Expenditure for Program Contents

1. Expenditure for market research activities concerning consumers, distribution networks, and traders: Support 100% of the costs incurred based on the expenditure levels prescribed in Circular No. 120/2007/TT-BTC dated October 15, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance on guiding the management, use, and settlement of funds for conducting surveys from state budget sources.

2. Expenditure for organizing seminars and roundtables to seek business cooperation opportunities and share experiences in developing the domestic market: Support 100% of the costs incurred according to the expenditure levels set forth in Circular No. 23/2007/TT-BTC dated March 21, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance prescribing the travel expense allowance and expenditure regulations for organizing conferences for state agencies and public service units; Circular No. 57/2007/TT-BTC dated June 11, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance prescribing expenditure regulations for hosting foreign guests and organizing international conferences and seminars in Vietnam; and Circular No. 127/2007/TT-BTC dated October 31, 2007 of the Ministry of Finance amending and supplementing Circular No. 57/2007/TT-BTC.

3. Expenditure for organizing trade fairs and bringing Vietnamese goods to sell in rural areas, industrial zones, and urban areas:

- For organizing trade fairs for agricultural products and traditional craft villages in the South and North: Support 70% of the costs forming the booth based on the bid price. The bid price must correspond to the rental price of the booth.

- For bringing Vietnamese goods to sell in rural areas, industrial zones, and urban areas: Support 70% of the transportation, stall, and labor costs.

4. Expenditure for communication activities aimed at raising public awareness about Vietnamese goods: Support 100% of the costs for writing and publishing articles in mass media outlets.

Article 5. Advance payment of support funds

The Ministry of Finance shall advance 70% of the support fund amount to implement projects according to the content and expenditure levels specified in Article 4 of this Circular based on:

- A request for advance payment from the implementing unit;

- The decision approving the successful bidder to implement the project by the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

- The contract signed between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the implementing unit (specific implementation content, budget estimate for each project component in accordance with cost management regulations);

- Other relevant documents related to organizing the implementation of the project (if any).

Article 6. Settlement of Financial Support Funds

1. Collecting vouchers

The implementing unit is responsible for collecting all expense vouchers in accordance with the content, time, location, and other conditions stipulated in the contract signed between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the implementing unit.

2. Retention of Accounting Vouchers

The implementing unit is responsible for retaining original vouchers related to the items of the funded content supported by the state in accordance with the provisions of the law.

3. Settlement of support funds

3.1 The Ministry of Finance shall approve the settlement of support funds for implementing the project based on: - A request for approval of settlement from the implementing unit; - The acceptance record of the project's implementation results and contract termination between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the implementing unit; - Other relevant documents related to organizing the implementation of the project (if any).

3.2 The implementing unit is responsible for settling the funds and sending them to the Ministry of Finance no later than 45 days after the completion of the project. Based on the approved settlement, the Ministry of Finance will proceed to provide additional support funds or require repayment of excess support funds. The support funds according to the settlement shall not exceed the approved project support fund level.

3.3 In cases where the implementing unit delays in settling the support fund amounts, the advanced funds will be recovered and handled in accordance with current laws.

Article 7. Time limit for review to temporarily allocate and approve settlement of support funds by financial authorities

- Time limit for review to temporarily allocate: Within 10 working days from receiving complete application documents from the implementing unit, the Ministry of Finance shall conduct a review and allocate support funds to ensure the program proceeds as planned.

- Time limit for review and approval of settlement: Within 15 working days from receiving the settlement report from the implementing unit, the Ministry of Finance is responsible for reviewing, preparing a record of the review results, and notifying the settlement approval results to the implementing unit and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Article 8. Implementation organization

This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of signature.

During implementation, if there are any difficulties or emerging issues, units are requested to report to the Ministry of Finance for prompt resolution.