Decree No. 23/2003/NĐ-CP on the Operational Regulations of the Government

DECREE

Issuing the Rules of Operation of the Government

____________________

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

At the proposal of the Minister and Head of the Government Office,

DECREE:

Article 1. These Rules of Operation of the Government are promulgated together with this Decree.

Article 2. These Rules shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette and shall replace the Rules of Operation of the Government issued together with Decree No. 11/1998/NĐ-CP dated November 24, 1998.

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall issue their own Rules of Operation consistent with these Rules.

Article 3. The Minister, Head of the Government Office shall be responsible for supervising and inspecting the implementation of the Rules of Operation of the Government.

Members of the Government, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of People's Councils, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, and Heads of related agencies shall be responsible for implementing this Decree.

 REGULATIONS
OPERATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT
(Issued together with Decree No. 23/2003/NĐ-CP dated March 12, 2003 of the Government)

Chapter 1:

PRINCIPLES, SCOPE AND METHODS OF HANDLING BUSINESS

Article 1. Principles of operations of the Government

1. The Government operates under a system combining collective leadership of the Government with individual management by the Prime Minister, emphasizing the responsibility of each member of the Government. The Government handles business according to the following principles:

a) Handling business within the scope of authority and responsibility; superiors do not perform tasks that should be done by subordinates, and collectives do not perform tasks that should be done by individuals, and vice versa;

b) Each matter has only one person in charge and primarily responsible. The head of the agency assigned the work must be primarily responsible for the assigned work;

c) Adhering to procedures, formalities, and deadlines for handling business as prescribed by law, the Government's program, and work plan; while implementing administrative reform to ensure clarity, transparency, timeliness, and effectiveness;

d) Ensuring coordination in work, information exchange in handling business, and all activities according to functions, duties, and powers prescribed by law.

2. All activities of the Government, its members, and state administrative agencies must ensure Party leadership, comply with legal provisions, and protect the rights and interests of the people.

Article 2. Scope and methods of handling business of the Government

1. Within the scope of authority and responsibility prescribed by law, the Government collectively decides on the following matters:

a) The program of activities for the entire term and the annual work program of the Government;

b) The program for legislative development for the entire term and annually; draft laws, ordinances, and other projects submitted to the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; resolutions and decrees of the Government;

c) The action program of the Government to implement the resolutions of the Party;

d) Important issues concerning policies and mechanisms for economic, social, national defense, security, internal, and external affairs;

đ) Long-term, five-year, and annual strategies, plans for socio-economic development; major national projects; the State budget estimate, proposed allocation of the central budget, and additional funding from the central budget for local budgets, and the annual final settlement of the State budget to be submitted to the National Assembly;

e) Proposals on ethnic policy and religious policy to be submitted to the National Assembly;

g) Proposals to the National Assembly regarding the organizational structure of the Government, the establishment, abolition of ministries, and equivalent ministries; the establishment of new, merger, division, adjustment of provincial and centrally governed city boundaries, and the establishment and dissolution of special administrative-economic units;

h) The establishment, merger, dissolution of agencies under the Government; the establishment of new, merger, division, and adjustment of lower-level administrative unit boundaries below the provincial and centrally governed city levels;

i) Reports of the Government to the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, and the President;

k) Review of guidance and management, implementation of the Rules of Operation of the Government;

l) Other matters prescribed by law within the jurisdiction of the Government.

2. Methods of handling business of the Government:

a) Discussing and deciding on each issue, proposal, project at regular or extraordinary meetings of the Government;

b) For some issues that do not necessarily require discussion at a Government meeting or urgent issues that cannot be decided due to lack of conditions for a Government meeting, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, or the Government Office will send the entire dossier of the proposal (as stipulated in Point c Clause 1 Article 9 of these Rules) and the Opinion Solicitation Form to each member of the Government. If the majority of Government members agree, the Government Office will submit it to the Prime Minister for decision and report the result to the Government at the next meeting. If the majority of Government members do not agree, the Government Office will report to the Prime Minister to bring the issue to the Government for discussion at the next meeting.

The deadline for Government members to respond to the Opinion Solicitation Form as stipulated in Point c Clause 3 Article 17 of these Rules.

3. Collective decisions of the Government as specified in Clause 2 of this Article must be approved by more than half of the total number of Government members.

In voting at meetings or using Opinion Solicitation Forms, if the number of votes for and against are equal, the decision will follow the opinion of the Prime Minister.

Article 3. Responsibilities of Government members

1. In addition to specific tasks prescribed in Articles 2, 4, 5, and 6 of these Rules, Government members must fulfill personal responsibilities such as:

a) Allocating sufficient time to participate in resolving common matters of the Government; jointly with the Government to decide on matters within the Government's authority and responsibility; researching and proposing to the Government and the Prime Minister necessary policies, mechanisms, and legal systems within the authority of the Government and the Prime Minister, both within and outside their areas of responsibility;

b) Attending all Government meetings and fully responding to Opinion Solicitation Forms sent by the Government Office instead of voting at meetings.

c) Carry out specific tasks within their respective areas of responsibility and according to the authorization or assignment of the Government or the Prime Minister, such as preparing and reporting draft projects to the leading agencies of the Party and the National Assembly; supervising and directing localities and grassroots levels; participating in government working groups; chairing press conferences and receiving citizens... and reporting the results to the Prime Minister.

Members of the Government must have plans for working trips to localities and grassroots levels; inspect and guide the implementation of policies, laws, tasks, and plans, and decisions of the Government and the Prime Minister; grasp the situation at localities and grassroots levels to enhance the effectiveness of their work.

2. In their activities, members of the Government must maintain regular contact with agencies of the Party, the National Assembly, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and central agencies of people's organizations; fully perform their duties according to relevant regulations and rules; study, resolve, and respond to recommendations from the National Ethnic Council and committees of the National Assembly, questions from National Assembly deputies, and recommendations from the Vietnam Fatherland Front and people's organizations.

3. Members of the Government shall not speak or act contrary to decisions of the Government or the Prime Minister. If they have different opinions on these decisions, they must still comply but may present their views to the Government or the Prime Minister regarding that issue. Any violations must be reviewed before the Government to clarify responsibility.

Article 4. Scope and methods of handling matters by the Prime Minister

1. The Prime Minister handles the following matters:

a) Issues prescribed by the Constitution, the Law on the Organization of the Government, other legal documents, and those assigned by the Government to be handled by the Prime Minister;

b) Leading and managing the operations of the Government and its members, heads of governmental agencies;

c) Important cross-sectoral issues that have been jointly addressed by ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and heads of governmental agencies but remain unresolved due to differing opinions;

d) Issues proposed by the Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees, the Chairperson of the Central Steering Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and heads of central agencies of people's organizations that exceed the authority of ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and heads of governmental agencies; issues related to multiple sectors and regions that have been assigned to a lead agency but remain unresolved due to differing opinions;

e) Unexpected, newly emerging issues, serious incidents such as natural disasters, epidemics, accidents... that exceed the capacity of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, governmental agencies, provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees;

f) Signing and promulgating legal documents within the authority of the Government and the Prime Minister.

2. The Prime Minister does not handle matters within the jurisdiction of ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of governmental agencies, and Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees.

3. Methods of handling matters by the Prime Minister:

a) Handling matters based on files and documents submitted by relevant agencies compiled in the Work Resolution Processing Form of the Government Office as stipulated in Article 17 of this Regulation.

b) Holding meetings and working with leaders of relevant agencies, consulting organizations, and experts to seek advice before making decisions. The procedures for meetings are carried out according to the provisions of Article 18 of this Regulation.

c) Establishing advisory organizations for the Prime Minister to address complex and important issues involving multiple sectors and regions and requiring long-term resolution. The tasks, operational methods, composition, and duration of advisory organizations are specified in the establishment documents issued by the Prime Minister.

d) Other methods as provided for in this Regulation, such as conducting fieldwork and resolving matters on-site, receiving guests...

4. In their activities, the Prime Minister maintains regular contact with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the State President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Chairperson of the Central Steering Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and heads of central agencies of people's organizations.

5. The Prime Minister decides the work plan of the Government with the Central Steering Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and leadership bodies of central agencies of people's organizations to review cooperation, exchange on proposals from the Vietnam Fatherland Front and people's organizations concerning the Government's work, and create conditions for these organizations to operate effectively.

Article 5. Scope of handling matters by Deputy Prime Ministers, relations between the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers

1. Deputy Prime Ministers, upon assignment by the Prime Minister, handle matters according to the following principles:

a) Each Deputy Prime Minister is assigned to direct certain areas of Government work and activities of some ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and governmental agencies;

b) Deputy Prime Ministers exercise the powers of the Prime Minister and act on behalf of the Prime Minister when handling matters within their assigned areas and are responsible to the Prime Minister;

c) Deputy Prime Ministers proactively handle assigned matters; if issues involve another Deputy Prime Minister's area, they directly coordinate with that Deputy Prime Minister to resolve them. If issues require the Prime Minister's opinion or there are differing opinions among Deputy Prime Ministers, the Deputy Prime Minister currently handling the matter reports to the Prime Minister for decision;

d) The Prime Minister is responsible for decisions made by Deputy Prime Ministers while performing tasks assigned by the Prime Minister.

đ) Pursuant to operational requirements at specific times, the Prime Minister may adjust the division of work among Deputy Prime Ministers.

2. Within the scope of their assigned tasks, Deputy Prime Ministers have the following duties and authorities:

a) Direct Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to develop regulatory legal documents, mechanisms, policies, strategies, plans, sectoral and regional development plans; proposals on security, defense, diplomacy to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister;

b) Supervise and urge Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, People's Councils, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities in implementing Government and Prime Minister's documents, policies, laws within their respective areas of responsibility; identify and propose issues requiring amendment or supplementation. If violations of laws are discovered by Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, People's Councils, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, they shall represent the Prime Minister to decide to suspend the implementation of such documents and actions, and simultaneously propose measures for handling according to the law;

c) Handle regular matters within the Prime Minister's authority in the assigned fields; seek the Prime Minister's opinion to address issues that differ from current Government and Prime Minister regulations and other issues deemed necessary;

d) Sign on behalf of the Prime Minister documents within the Prime Minister's authority in the assigned fields;

đ) Monitor organizational structures and direct the resolution of internal issues within the Prime Minister's authority in assigned agencies;

3. In addition to the above duties, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister has the following responsibilities:

a) Assist the Prime Minister in coordinating the overall activities of the Government according to the Government's work programs and operational directives;

b) Be authorized by the Prime Minister to sign Government documents and handle matters directly overseen by the Prime Minister when the Prime Minister is absent;

4. When both the Prime Minister and the Acting Deputy Prime Minister are absent, the Prime Minister designates another Deputy Prime Minister to temporarily assume the acting role;

5. Deputy Prime Ministers do not directly handle matters within the authority of Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, and Chairpersons of provincial and centrally governed city People's Committees;

6. Deputy Prime Ministers handle matters in accordance with the method stipulated in Clause 3, Article 4 of this Regulation;

7. Decisions made by each Deputy Prime Minister must be promptly communicated by the Government Office to the Prime Minister and other Deputy Prime Ministers;

Article 6. Scope of Work of Ministers, Heads of Agencies at the Ministerial Level, Heads of Government Agencies

1. Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies handle the following matters:

a) Matters within their authority as prescribed in the Constitution, the Law on Government Organization, and other legal documents;

b) Resolve or review proposals from Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, provincial and centrally governed city People's Committees, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and people's organizations regarding issues within their state management responsibilities;

c) Participate in discussions with heads of other government agencies, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally governed city People's Committees to address issues within those agencies' authority but related to their own functional sectors;

2. Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies must take personal responsibility, fulfill their assigned powers (including delegated and authorized matters by the Government and the Prime Minister), not transfer matters within their functions and authority to the Prime Minister or other agencies, nor resolve matters within the authority of lower-level agencies or other agencies;

3. When necessary, Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies directly meet with the Prime Minister to seek guidance on issues within their sectors, and propose opinions to the Prime Minister on Government-wide matters;

4. Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies are personally responsible before the Government and the Prime Minister for all matters within their functions and authority, including when they have delegated or authorized subordinates;

Article 7. Working Relationships between Ministers, Heads of Agencies at the Ministerial Level, and Heads of Government Agencies

1. When resolving matters within their authority that relate to other agencies' responsibilities, Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies must consult with the head of the relevant agency; the consulted head has the obligation to respond and is responsible for the content of the response. Consultations are conducted in accordance with the provisions of Clause 3, Article 13 of this Regulation;

2. For issues exceeding their authority and capacity to resolve, Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies must proactively work with heads of related agencies to complete files for submission to the Government and the Prime Minister for consideration and decision;

Article 8. Working Relationships between Ministers, Heads of Agencies at the Ministerial Level, and Heads of Government Agencies with Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of Provincial and Centrally Governed City People's Committees

1. The Chairman of the People's Council, the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities may request to work with the Minister, the Head of a ministerial-level agency, or the Head of an agency under the Government regarding the management sector in their locality. They must prepare thoroughly on the content and notify the relevant agencies in advance. The Minister, the Head of a ministerial-level agency, or the Head of an agency under the Government must meet and work directly (or delegate a deputy) with the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) of the People's Council, the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities.

2. The Minister, the Head of a ministerial-level agency, or the Head of an agency under the Government shall be responsible for resolving requests from the Chairman of the People's Council, the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities within their authority and must reply in writing within fifteen working days from the date of receipt of the request if no opinions from other agencies are required, and within thirty working days if opinions from other agencies are required regarding the related matters. If no reply is received by the end of this period, the Chairman of the People's Council, the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities may request the Head of the responsible agency to reply; at the same time, report to the Prime Minister for guidance to resolve the matter.

3. In cases where local recommendations fall within the jurisdiction of Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, or agencies under the Government but involve multiple sectors, the Chairman of the People's Council, the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities may propose that one agency primarily involved in the main content of their recommendation handle the resolution. The agency designated by the locality to lead has the responsibility to coordinate with related agencies to process the recommendations of the locality. Related agencies must clearly respond to each issue raised by the locality. If related agencies cannot reach an agreement on the resolution, the leading agency must report the differing opinions to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision; simultaneously, inform the relevant locality. The time from receiving the proposal from the locality to completing the dossier for submission to the Prime Minister shall not exceed thirty working days.

4. The Office of the Government shall complete the dossier and procedures for submission to the Prime Minister to decide on issues proposed by localities that exceed the authority of the Minister, the Head of a ministerial-level agency, or the Head of an agency under the Government once all relevant agencies have provided written opinions.

5. The Minister, the Head of a ministerial-level agency, or the Head of an agency under the Government shall regularly cooperate with the Chairman of the People's Council, the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities to guide and direct on professional and technical matters; inspect and urge the agencies of the People's Council, the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities in the implementation of laws and regulations concerning the sector and field; strictly manage central units located in the locality, promptly correct and address improper actions of subordinates.

Article 9. Procedures for Sending Official Letters and Proposals to Resolve Matters

1. Necessary procedures when submitting to the Government, the Prime Minister to resolve matters:

a) Official letters and proposals to the Government, the Prime Minister must be signed by the Minister, the Head of a ministerial-level agency, the Head of an agency under the Government, the Chairman of the People's Council, the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities, the heads of central organizations and mass organizations (or authorized by a deputy), and stamped according to their authority.

b) For matters related to the functions and responsibilities of other agencies, the dossier must include formal written opinions of those agencies (or explain why they were asked for opinions but did not reply within the prescribed timeframe).

c) For projects mentioned in Point a Clause 1 Article 10 of this Regulation, the dossier includes:

Proposal to the Government, the Prime Minister, clearly explaining the main content of the project, the basis for the recommendations, and different opinions;

Legal documents of the agency reviewing the project as stipulated by law;

Report on incorporating the opinions of related agencies, including advisory opinions (if any);

Draft of the main document and draft of the implementing guidelines. The contents of the drafts must be clear and specific so that the main document can be implemented immediately upon approval;

Plan for organizing implementation when the project is approved and the document is issued;

Other necessary documents.

2. Official letters and proposals requesting resolution of matters should only be sent in one original copy to the competent authority; if it is necessary to send copies to related agencies for information or coordination, only list these agencies in the "To" section of the letter or proposal.

3. Dossiers submitted to the Government, the Prime Minister must be tracked by the Office of the Government through a registration system.

Chapter 2:

||| CHAPTER ON THE WORK PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER

Article 10. Types of Work Programs

1. The work program includes: the annual, quarterly, and monthly work programs of the Government and the Prime Minister; the weekly work program of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers.

a) The projects stipulated in this Regulation and included in the work program of the Government and the Prime Minister include:

- The contents specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Regulation;

- Draft normative legal documents; projects and issues related to policies, mechanisms, strategies, plans, and within the scope of decision-making, approval, and issuance authority of the Prime Minister.

b) The list of projects registered for submission to the Government and the Prime Minister must be developed based on: the guidelines and policies of the Party; provisions of Laws, Ordinances, Resolutions of the National Assembly, Resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Resolutions, Decrees of the Government, Decisions, Directives of the Prime Minister; instructions of the Prime Minister and initiatives of Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities.

2. The annual work program of the Government and the Prime Minister consists of two parts: part one outlines the directions, tasks, and major solutions of the Government in all areas of work; part two is the list of projects to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister in the year.

a) Projects listed in the annual work program must clearly specify whether they will be decided by the Government or the Prime Minister, the lead agency responsible for preparation, and the deadline for submitting each project.

b) The deadlines for submitting projects listed in the annual work program are forecasted down to each quarter and month.

3. The quarterly work program includes a list of projects to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister and the content of Government meetings in the quarter aimed at supplementing, adjusting, and accurately finalizing the projects and submission times.

a) The regular meetings of the Government include projects and reports as specified in Clause 1, Article 2 and Article 44 of this Regulation.

b) Projects listed in the quarterly work program are divided according to sectors assigned to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers.

c) The first quarter work program is determined in the annual work program.

4. The monthly work program includes a list of projects to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister and the content of Government meetings in the month aimed at supplementing, adjusting, and accurately finalizing the projects and submission times.

a) Projects listed in the monthly work program are divided according to sectors assigned to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers.

b) The first month work program of each quarter is determined in the quarterly work program.

5. The weekly work program includes activities of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers on a daily basis throughout the week.

Article 11. PROCEDURE FOR BUILDING THE WORK PROGRAM

1. Annual program of work:

a) By no later than October 15 each year, the Government Office sends a letter requesting Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities (hereinafter referred to as Ministries and agencies) to review their guidance and management in that year, propose major directions, tasks, and solutions of the Government, and register projects for inclusion in the next year's work program.

By no later than November 15, Ministries and agencies send the Government Office a list of projects to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister in the following year. The list includes projects within the scope and decision-making authority of the Government and the Prime Minister as specified in Point a, Clause 1, Article 10 of this Regulation, and must clearly state: the name of the project, the main content of the project, the level of decision-making (Government, Prime Minister), and the deadline for submitting each project.

b) Based on the requirements and tasks set out and the list of registered projects from Ministries and agencies, the Government Office drafts the next year's work program of the Government and the Prime Minister, submits it to the Prime Minister for consideration and comments before presenting it to the Government for approval at the last regular meeting of the year.

c) Within no more than ten working days after the Government's approval at the meeting, the Government Office completes the next year's work program, submits it to the Prime Minister for permission to issue, and sends it to members of the Government, heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of People's Councils, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, and relevant organizations and entities for knowledge and implementation.

2. Quarterly program of work:

a) In the last month of each quarter, Ministries and agencies must evaluate the implementation of the quarterly work program, review the projects of the next quarter already listed in the annual work program, and consider new emerging issues to propose adjustments to the next quarter's work program.

By no later than the 15th day of the last month of the quarter, agencies submit proposed adjustments to the next quarter's work program to the Government Office.

b) Based on the annual work program, the Government and Prime Minister's guidance and management, and the proposals for adjustment from Ministries and agencies, the Government Office drafts the next quarter's work program of the Government and the Prime Minister, submits it to the Prime Minister for permission to issue. By no later than the 25th day of the last month of the previous quarter, the Government Office sends the next quarter's work program to relevant Ministries, agencies, and organizations for knowledge and implementation.

3. Monthly program of work:

a) Based on the progress of preparing projects listed in the quarterly work program, remaining issues, and newly arising ones, Ministries and agencies submit requests for adjustment of the next month's work program to the Government Office by no later than the 20th day of each month.

b) Based on the quarterly work program, the Government and Prime Minister's guidance and management, and the proposals for adjustment from Ministries and agencies, the Government Office drafts the next month's work program of the Government and the Prime Minister, submits it to the Prime Minister for permission to issue. By no later than the 25th day of each month, the Government Office sends the next month's work program to relevant Ministries, agencies, and organizations for knowledge and implementation.

4. Weekly Work Program:

BASED ON the monthly work program and the guidance and management of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, the Government Office coordinates with relevant agencies to develop the weekly work program for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers; send it to relevant Ministries, agencies, and organizations no later than Friday of the previous week.

5. THE PROCEDURE FOR PREPARING THE PROPOSED PROGRAM TO BUILD LAWS, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND DECREES SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW ON ENACTING LEGAL DOCUMENTS.

6. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE WORK PROGRAM SHALL BE MADE BASED ON THE GUIDANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE REQUESTS OF THE MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES. IN CASES WHERE THE MINISTRIES OR AGENCIES REQUIRE ADJUSTMENTS OR THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE DEEMS IT NECESSARY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE SHALL REPORT TO THE PRIME MINISTER FOR CONSIDERATION AND DECISION AND PROMPTLY NOTIFY THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE HEADS OF RELEVANT AGENCIES.

7. THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE IS THE LEAD AGENCY MANAGING THE WORK PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER, RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVISING THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE COMPREHENSIVE SYNTHESIS, DEVELOPMENT, ADJUSTMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORK PROGRAM TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S AND THE PRIME MINISTER'S GUIDANCE AND MANAGEMENT.

THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE MUST REGULARLY COORDINATE WITH THE PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE OFFICE, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OFFICE, THE STATE PRESIDENT OFFICE, AND OTHER RELEVANT AGENCIES TO DEVELOP AND ENSURE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE WORK PROGRAMS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER.

Article 12. PLAN FOR PREPARING PROJECTS

1. BASED ON THE ANNUAL WORK PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY (OR THE GROUP OF EXPERTS ASSIGNED TASKS BY THE PRIME MINISTER OR DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER) IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT (REFERRED TO AS THE PROJECT HEAD) MUST DEVELOP A PLAN TO PREPARE THE PROJECTS, CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE LIST OF ISSUES THAT NEED GUIDANCE ON IMPLEMENTATION WHEN THE LEGAL DOCUMENT OR THE MAIN ISSUE IS APPROVED, THE SCOPE OF EACH PROJECT, THE AGENCIES TO COOPERATE; ENSURE THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING THE PROJECTS AND SEND THE PLAN TO PREPARE THE PROJECTS TO THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR MONITORING AND FOLLOW-UP.

FOR DRAFT LAWS AND ORDINANCES, THE PLAN SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW ON ENACTING LEGAL DOCUMENTS.

2. IF THE PROJECT HEAD WISHES TO CHANGE THE REQUIREMENTS, THE SCOPE OF THE ISSUE TO BE SOLVED, OR THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE, THEY MUST REPORT AND OBTAIN AGREEMENT FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OR THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIELD.

Article 13. COORDINATION IN PREPARING PROJECTS

1. COORDINATION IN THE STAGE OF PREPARING PROJECTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROJECT HEAD AND THE HEADS OF RELEVANT AGENCIES.

2. THE PROJECT HEAD INVITES THE HEADS OF RELEVANT AGENCIES TO DISCUSS THE PREPARATION OF THE PROJECT OR APPOINT STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PREPARATION OF THE PROJECT. THE INVITED AGENCY HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO APPOINT PERSONS TO PARTICIPATE AS REQUESTED BY THE PROJECT HEAD. THE APPOINTED PERSON REPRESENTING THE AGENCY IN THE PREPARATION OF THE PROJECT MUST REGULARLY REPORT AND SEEK THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY’S OPINION DURING THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THE PROJECT.

THE ABOVE COORDINATION ACTIVITIES IN THE PREPARATION OF THE PROJECT DO NOT REPLACE THE OFFICIAL PROCEDURES FOR SEEKING OPINIONS AS PROVIDED FOR IN CLAUSE 3 OF THIS ARTICLE.

3. AFTER THE PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THE PROJECT HEAD MUST COLLECT THE OFFICIAL OPINIONS OF RELEVANT AGENCIES THROUGH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

a) ORGANIZE A MEETING: THE PROJECT HEAD SENDS OUT INVITATIONS AND MATERIALS TO THE INVITED AGENCIES AT LEAST 5 WORKING DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING DATE. THE HEAD OF THE PROJECT HEAD’S AGENCY CHAIRS THE MEETING, INTRODUCES THE CONTENT, AND COLLECTS OPINIONS TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. DISCUSSION POINTS MUST BE RECORDED IN THE MINUTES SIGNED BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE MEETING.

THE INVITED AGENCY MUST APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE WITH SUFFICIENT AUTHORITY TO ATTEND THE MEETING, EXPRESS THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY’S OPINION (IF ANY), AND REPORT THE MEETING CONCLUSIONS TO THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY IN FULL. IF THE APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE IS ABSENT, THE PROJECT HEAD SENDS THE RELATED CONCLUSIONS TO THE AGENCY. WITHIN 5 WORKING DAYS FROM RECEIVING THE LETTER, THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY MUST RESPOND IN WRITING. IF THE RESPONSE IS LATE, THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE AGREED WITH THE PROJECT AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RELATED CONTENTS.

b) SEND A LETTER TO SEEK OPINIONS: THE PROJECT HEAD SENDS THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE PROJECT AND ATTACHED DOCUMENTS TO THE HEAD OF THE RELEVANT AGENCY TO COLLECT OPINIONS. THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY MUST PROVIDE THEIR OFFICIAL OPINION IN WRITING, SEND IT TO THE PROJECT HEAD WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS FROM RECEIVING THE REQUEST WITH ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS. THE COMMENT LETTER MUST SPECIFY THE AGREEMENTS, DISAGREEMENTS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS. IF THE PROJECT DOCUMENTS ARE NOT CLEAR OR THE ISSUE IS COMPLEX AND REQUIRES MORE TIME FOR STUDY, THE AGENCY CAN REQUEST THE PROJECT HEAD TO CLARIFY OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND RECONCILE THE RESPONSE DEADLINE BUT NOT EXCEEDING 15 WORKING DAYS.

IF THE RESPONSE IS LATE, THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE AGREED WITH THE PROJECT AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RELATED CONTENTS.

c) FOR THE PREPARATION OF LEGISLATIVE PROJECTS AND ORDINANCES, IN ADDITION TO FOLLOWING THE REGULATIONS OF THIS CHARTER, THEY MUST ALSO FOLLOW THE REGULATIONS OF THE LAW ON ENACTING LEGAL DOCUMENTS.

Article 14. MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE RESULTS OF IMPLEMENTING THE WORK PROGRAM

1. MONTHLY, QUARTERLY, SEMIANNUALLY, AND ANNUALLY, THE MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES REVIEW AND EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS LISTED IN THE WORK PROGRAM, REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE THE RESULTS OF HANDLING THE PROJECTS THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF, THE REMAINING PROJECTS, THE NEXT STEPS FOR HANDLING, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ADJUST AND SUPPLEMENT THE PROJECTS IN THE UPCOMING WORK PROGRAM.

2. THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER IN REGULARLY MONITORING, INSPECTING, AND URGING THE PREPARATION OF PROJECTS BY THE MINISTRIES, MINISTERIAL-EQUIVALENT AGENCIES, GOVERNMENT-RELATED AGENCIES, AND PROVINCE AND CITY PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES UNDER THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT; PERIODICALLY REPORTING TO THE GOVERNMENT QUARTERLY, SEMIANNUALLY, AND ANNUALLY ON THE RESULTS OF IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIME MINISTER'S WORK PROGRAM.

Chapter 3:

HANDLING REGULAR GOVERNMENT PRIME MINISTER'S BUSINESS

Article 15. METHODS FOR HANDLING REGULAR GOVERNMENT PRIME MINISTER'S BUSINESS

1. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers consider and resolve regular main tasks primarily based on files and documents submitted by Ministries and agencies that have been compiled by the Government Office in the Resolution Submission Form of the Government Office.

2. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers chair meetings to resolve important issues that require immediate attention but cannot be addressed through the method stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 16. Responsibilities of the Government Office in preparing the Resolution Submission Form

1. The Government Office shall only submit to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers those matters within the scope of resolution of the Government and the Prime Minister as specified in Articles 2, 4, and 5, and which have completed procedures as prescribed in Article 9 of this Regulation.

2. Upon receiving project proposal files and tasks from agencies submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister, the Government Office has the responsibility to:

a) Review procedural aspects: If the project proposal or task submission does not comply with the provisions of Article 9 of this Regulation, within no more than two working days, the Government Office shall return the file to the submitting agency and request additional preparation. For urgent matters requiring prompt resolution, the Government Office shall issue a supplementary notification to the submitting agency and simultaneously report to the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

b) Review substantive aspects:

If the content of the project proposal or task submission falls outside the jurisdiction of the Government and the Prime Minister, within no more than three working days, the Government Office must return the file to the submitting agency and clearly state the reasons for returning it;

If the content of the project proposal or task submission contains unclear issues or differing viewpoints among related agencies regarding the handling approach, the Government Office shall request the proposer to provide further explanations; or, upon authorization from the Prime Minister, the Minister-Chairman of the Government Office may organize meetings with the proposer and related agencies, or send documents to other agencies for additional opinions to handle the matter and report to the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister for decision;

Analyze, synthesize, and independently evaluate the content of the project proposal or task submission in terms of legality, consistency with Party and State policies and government directives, effectiveness and feasibility of the work, form of the document to be issued, and recommend handling solutions.

3. At the latest within seven working days (or ten working days for handling the projects mentioned in Point a of Clause 1 of Article 10 of this Regulation) from the date of receipt of properly prepared files, the Government Office must complete the Resolution Submission Form and submit it to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers. The Resolution Submission Form must clearly, fully, and faithfully reflect the opinions of all agencies, including differing opinions; recommendations from the directly assigned staff and leaders of the Government Office. The Resolution Submission Form must be accompanied by all relevant files.

Article 17. Handling the Resolution Submission Form and issuing documents

1. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers process the submitted files and officially comment on the Resolution Submission Form of the Government Office, at the latest five working days after the Government Office submits it.

2. When handling the Resolution Submission Form, for projects and tasks where the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers deem it necessary to seek advisory opinions from experts or require the proposer and related agencies to provide further explanations before making a decision, the Government Office is responsible for coordinating with related agencies to prepare all necessary contents and organize meetings for the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister to consult with experts, the proposer, and related agencies before deciding.

In cases deemed necessary, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers may delegate the Minister-Chairman of the Government Office or another member of the Government to chair these meetings and report in writing to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers about the meeting results.

3. For projects within the scope of collective resolutions of the Government as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 2 of this Regulation, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, according to their assigned areas, shall examine the content and nature of each project to decide:

a) Permitting the proposer to complete the necessary procedures to submit the project to the Government at the regular session;

b) Requesting the proposer to prepare additional materials if the content of the project is deemed insufficient;

c) Assigning the Government Office to follow the procedure to solicit opinions from Government members as provided in Point b of Clause 2 of Article 2 of this Regulation.

The Government Office is responsible for sending, urging, and compiling the results of the opinion solicitation form from Government members within fifteen days.

4. Based on the final decision of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister regarding the content of the project or task, the Government Office is responsible for completing the draft document for signature and issuance:

a) Directives of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers concerning policy and mechanisms must be reflected in documents signed by them;

b) For cases where it is not necessary to issue a document from the Government or the Prime Minister, the Government Office shall notify the submitting agency and related agencies in writing according to the Prime Minister's or Deputy Prime Minister's instructions.

5. At the latest twenty working days (thirty working days if it is a legislative document project) from the date of receipt of all files from the submitting agency, if there is no final decision from the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, the Government Office must send a letter notifying the submitting agency of the reasons.

Article 18. Organizing meetings of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers to handle regular tasks

1. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers have two types of meetings to handle regular tasks:

a) Within their assigned fields, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers meet with experts, proposers, and representatives of related agencies to hear advisory opinions and recommendations before making decisions on resolving tasks;

b) The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers hold briefing meetings to exchange opinions on resolving tasks.

2. The organization of meetings as stipulated in Point a of Clause 1 of this Article shall be carried out as follows:

a) Responsibilities of the Government Office:

Urging the subject agency to prepare all meeting documents fully and send out invitations along with the meeting materials to the invited participants at least three working days before the meeting (except in special cases where such delay is approved by the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister).

Preparing the venue and conditions necessary for the meeting to ensure its safety (if the meeting is held at the Government Office headquarters); coordinating with relevant agencies to carry out these tasks if the meeting is not held at the Government Office headquarters.

Recording the minutes of the meeting and, when necessary, recording audio.

Issuing documents following the conclusions of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister after the meeting.

b) Responsibilities of the project leader:

Preparing all meeting documents according to the announcement of the Government Office.

Preparing explanations on issues related to the meeting content as needed.

After the meeting, coordinating with the Government Office to finalize the project or document to be submitted based on the conclusions of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

c) Subjects, organizations, and individuals responsible for attending the meeting must participate in accordance with the invited components and express their opinions on related issues.

3. The organization of the weekly briefing meetings of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers shall be carried out in accordance with the following provisions:

a) Matters to be resolved through briefings include issues that the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers have not been able to address through reviewing files and Submission Forms from the Government Office but do not require a formal meeting as stipulated in Point a, Clause 1, Article of this Law.

b) At the briefing meetings, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers exchange views to resolve each issue thoroughly.

c) The Minister, Director of the Government Office, and Deputy Directors of the Government Office may attend the Prime Minister's and Deputy Prime Ministers' briefing meetings. If necessary, upon the Prime Minister's directive, the Government Office may invite additional representatives.

d) Briefing meetings are held every Monday, except when otherwise decided by the Prime Minister.

đ) The Government Office is responsible for carrying out the tasks as specified in Point a, Clause 2, Article of this Law.

e) Subjects, organizations, and individuals responsible for attending the meeting must participate in accordance with the invited components and express their opinions on related issues.

Chapter 4:

SESSION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

Article 19. Regular sessions of the Council of Ministers and extraordinary sessions of the Council of Ministers

1. The Council of Ministers convenes regularly once a month.

2. The Council of Ministers convenes extraordinarily as decided by the Prime Minister or upon the request of at least one-third of the total number of members of the Council of Ministers.

Except in special and urgent cases, the preparation, summoning, organization, and other matters related to extraordinary sessions shall be conducted similarly to regular sessions.

3. The Prime Minister chairs the session of the Council of Ministers. In the absence of the Prime Minister, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister shall chair the session.

4. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers preside over discussions on projects presented to the Council of Ministers within their assigned areas.

Article 20. Preparation for the session of the Council of Ministers

1. The Prime Minister decides on the agenda, guest list, time, and program of the Council of Ministers' session.

Regular sessions of the Council of Ministers begin on the last Wednesday of each month. The Prime Minister may decide to change the date of the session when necessary. Such changes must be announced by the Government Office to the members of the Council of Ministers at least five working days before the start of the session.

2. The Government Office is responsible for:

a) Reviewing and compiling project files to be presented at the session.

b) Preparing the agenda and anticipated attendees for the session.

At least seven working days before the start of the session, the Government Office submits to the Prime Minister for formal approval the agenda, program, time, and attendees for the Council of Ministers' session and informs the members of the Council of Ministers about the Prime Minister's decisions on these matters.

3. At least ten working days (in special cases, five working days) before the session of the Council of Ministers, the lead agency must submit the documents reviewed and approved by the Prime Minister (or Deputy Prime Minister) for presentation at the session, as stipulated in Point a, Clause 3, Article 17 of this Regulation to the Government Office. For regular sessions, the number of documents submitted for review by the Council of Ministers is eighty sets.

4. The Minister, Director of the Government Office, acting on behalf of the Prime Minister, invites the State President and the entities listed in Clause 2, Article 21 of this Regulation to attend the Council of Ministers' session.

The Minister, Director of the Government Office, invites the members of the Council of Ministers and the entities listed in Clause 3, Article 21 of this Regulation to attend the Council of Ministers' session.

5. Meeting invitations and meeting documents must be sent to the members of the Council of Ministers and invited representatives at least five working days before the meeting, except in special cases.

Article 21. Attendees at the Council of Ministers' session

1. Members of the Council of Ministers are responsible for attending all sessions of the Council of Ministers fully. If absent from a session or part of a session, they must report in writing and obtain the Prime Minister's approval.

The Prime Minister may allow a member of the Council of Ministers who is absent to be represented at the Council of Ministers' session by a deputy. The representative has the responsibility to present the opinions of the absent member to the Council of Ministers (if any).

The Council of Ministers' session can proceed with the attendance of at least two-thirds of the total number of members of the Council of Ministers.

2. The Council of Ministers invites the State President to attend all sessions of the Council of Ministers.

The Council of Ministers invites the Chairman of the National Ethnic Council of the National Assembly to attend sessions of the Council of Ministers discussing projects related to ethnic policies; invites the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, and heads of central mass organizations to attend the Council of Ministers' session when discussing issues related to them.

3. Heads of government agencies, Chairmen of People's Councils, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, representatives of Party Departments, Committees of the National Assembly, and other invited representatives may attend the Council of Ministers' session as needed.

Representatives who are not members of the Council of Ministers may express their opinions but do not have voting rights.

Article 22. Procedure for the session of the Council of Ministers

The session of the Council of Ministers proceeds in the following order:

1. The Minister, Head of the Government Office reports on the number of government members present, absent, those attending in place of others, and those invited to attend; the content and planned agenda of the meeting session.

2. The chairperson begins to control the meeting session.

3. The government discusses each proposal in sequence:

a) If the proposal has been sent to government members for comments via ballots, the Minister, Head of the Government Office reports on the consolidated results of the ballots seeking opinions from government members regarding the content of the proposal, clearly stating the issues that have been agreed upon, the issues not yet agreed upon requiring discussion and voting by the government.

b) In cases where the proposal and ballots have not been sent beforehand to government members, the proposer presents a summary of the proposal and the issues requiring government's opinion; representatives of the reviewing agencies make statements on their review opinions.

c) Government members express their opinions, clearly indicating agreement or disagreement with specific points raised above, without commenting on issues already agreed upon within the scope of the proposal. Non-government member delegates invited to speak may express their opinions on related issues within the scope of the proposal. Speaking time shall not exceed 10 minutes per session.

d) The Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister chairs the discussion of the proposal, concludes it, and takes the government's vote.

If the discussed issues are not sufficiently clear, the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister chairs the discussion of the proposal, requests the government not to vote yet, and asks the proposer to prepare additional information.

4. If deemed necessary, the Prime Minister decides that government members and heads of government agencies report to the government on certain specialized information about their respective sectors and fields outside regular reports assigned under Article 44 of this Regulation.

5. The Minister, Head of the Government Office reports to the government on resolutions made between sessions.

6. The Minister, Head of the Government Office submits to the government for approval the Resolution of the government session.

7. The chairperson makes concluding remarks to end the government session.

Article 23. Minutes of the government session

1. The minutes of the government session is a document recording fully and truthfully the opinions expressed by government members and attending delegates, the proceedings of the session, conclusions by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers on each proposal, voting results at the session, and the chairperson's conclusion at the session.

The Minister, Head of the Government Office organizes the preparation and signing of the minutes of the government session.

2. The minutes of the session together with documents circulated during the session are filed into the state archive and preserved according to confidentiality regulations.

Accessing and referencing the content of the government session minutes is decided by the Minister, Head of the Government Office.

Article 24. Resolutions of the government session and issuance of documents approved at the session

1. The Minister, Head of the Government Office organizes the drafting of the resolution of the government session.

2. The resolution of the government session must fully and clearly reflect the collective resolutions of the government at the session; responsibilities of government members in implementing government resolutions.

3. Issuance of documents approved at the session is carried out according to the provisions of Chapter V of this Regulation.

Chapter 5:

ISSUANCE AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIME MINISTER'S DOCUMENTS

Article 25. Time limit for issuing government and Prime Minister's documents

1. Within five working days from the end of the government session, or from when the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister has made a decision on proposals and tasks, the Minister, Head of the Government Office, along with the proposer, completes the draft document according to Clause 4, Article 17 of this Regulation for signature and issuance.

2. Directives and circulars guiding the implementation of government resolutions, decrees; decisions and directives of the Prime Minister must be prepared simultaneously with the draft resolutions, decrees, decisions, and directives, and must be issued within ten working days from the date of issuance of the government or Prime Minister's document. In cases where agencies must jointly issue joint directives, the latest deadline shall not exceed twenty working days from the date of issuance of the government or Prime Minister's document.

Article 26. Authority to sign documents

1. The Prime Minister signs government resolutions and decrees and Prime Minister's decisions and directives on important policies, organizational structures, and personnel matters.

2. Deputy Prime Ministers sign on behalf of the Prime Minister for decisions and directives, and documents to handle specific issues in areas entrusted by the Prime Minister.

The Permanent Deputy Prime Minister is authorized by the Prime Minister to sign some of the documents mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. Ministers and heads of ministries equivalent to ministries sign administrative documents on behalf of the Prime Minister when authorized by the Prime Minister.

4. In addition to signing documents on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Minister, Head of the Government Office also signs documents announcing the instructions of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister for relevant agencies to know and implement. These documents only have informational value and serve as reminders, and do not replace normative legal documents.

Article 27. Publication of Documents

1. Government resolutions and decrees, Prime Minister's decisions and directives, decisions, directives, and circulars issued by ministers and heads of ministries equivalent to ministries, and joint circulars are all publicly announced according to the Law on Enacting Normative Legal Documents.

2. The documents mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article and other normative legal documents must be updated onto the government's wide-area network, except for contents listed in the State Secrets Directory.

The Minister, Head of the Government Office organizes the updating of documents on the government's wide-area network and publishes them in the Official Gazette according to the Law on Enacting Normative Legal Documents and this Regulation.

Chapter 6:

INSPECTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DOCUMENTS

Article 28. Purpose of inspection

Inspection of the implementation of legal documents for the following purposes:

1. Urging and guiding the implementation of legal normative documents and administrative documents of competent state agencies; promptly identifying and addressing issues arising in practice.

2. Ensuring smooth command and control activities; maintaining strict discipline within the state administrative system, combating corruption, waste, and all manifestations of bureaucracy, arrogance, and arbitrary power.

3. Promoting individual awareness of discipline and responsibility among heads of agencies and state civil servants.

4. Strengthening grassroots work, summarizing experiences in command and control to ensure that policies and measures enter into life and achieve good results across economic and social fields.

Article 29. Principles of inspection

1. Inspections must be conducted regularly and according to plans. The head of the competent agency decides on the plan and form of inspection.

2. Inspections must ensure democracy, transparency, legality, not causing inconvenience, and not hindering the normal operation of the inspected entity.

3. At the conclusion of inspections, there must be clear conclusions; if violations are discovered, they must be appropriately addressed.

Article 30. Scope of inspection

1. The scope of inspection by the Government is the implementation of documents issued by the National Assembly, Standing Committee of the National Assembly, President, Government, Prime Minister in the command and control activities of the state administrative system.

The Office of the Government assists the Government and the Prime Minister in inspecting the implementation of documents issued by the Government and the Prime Minister for all sectors, localities, and entities.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial People's Committees inspect the implementation of documents within their respective areas of national management.

Article 31. Methods of inspection

1. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, and Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees decide on regular, periodic, or surprise inspections of the implementation of documents within their respective areas of national management.

2. The Prime Minister assigns members of the Government to lead inspections or decides to establish inspection teams for specific fields, programs, and projects with significant concerns about order and discipline to focus on resolving issues thoroughly, creating noticeable changes, and laying the groundwork for establishing overall order and discipline.

3. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers conduct inspections through direct meetings with Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of Provincial People's Councils, and Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees directly under the Central Government.

4. The Government establishes inspection teams in special cases.

Article 32. Reporting on inspection results

1. Upon completion of inspections, the person leading the inspection must report the results; if violations are found, they must be handled according to authority or referred to the competent authority for handling according to the law.

2. Annually at the end of each quarter, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, and provincial People's Committees report to the Prime Minister on the situation of inspections of the implementation of documents within their respective areas of management.

3. The Office of the Government compiles and reports to the Government on the situation of inspections of the implementation of documents at regular monthly meetings in June and December.

Chapter 7:

INSPECTION, RECEIVING CITIZENS, AND RESOLVING COMPLAINTS AND ACCUSATIONS

Article 33. Responsibilities of Ministers, Heads of Ministerial-Level Agencies, Heads of Government-Affiliated Agencies, and Chairpersons of Provincial People's Committees Directly Under the Central Government

1. Within the scope of their functions and tasks in their respective areas of national management, organize inspections or direct inspections of the implementation of policies and laws, assigned tasks of responsible agencies, organizations, and individuals; promptly correct violations; organize and direct the serious implementation of inspection conclusions, recommendations, and directives from the Prime Minister and Ministers or Heads of government-affiliated agencies with specialized management functions.

2. Link the resolution of complaints and accusations with administrative state management; resolve complaints and accusations within their jurisdiction in a timely manner and in accordance with the law.

3. Organize citizen reception in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Complaints and Accusations and current laws; based on specific circumstances, arrange at least one session per month for direct citizen reception; arrange staff for citizen reception who have the necessary capabilities and qualities to perform their duties well; arrange reception locations that are convenient, dignified, courteous, and provide necessary material conditions so that citizens can easily and conveniently present their complaints, accusations, suggestions, and reflections.

4. Bear responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister for deficiencies in management and for situations where corruption, waste, significant losses, unresolved and prolonged complaints and accusations, serious incidents involving large groups of people, and appeals beyond their jurisdiction occur.

Article 34. Responsibilities of the State Inspector General

1. Assist the Prime Minister in organizing and directing inspection, supervision, complaint, and accusation resolution activities within the Prime Minister's authority.

2. Resolve complaints and accusations within their jurisdiction, those assigned or delegated by the Prime Minister in a timely and lawful manner.

3. When discovering that the final decision on a complaint made by a Minister, Head of a ministerial-level agency, or Chairman of a provincial People's Committee violates the law or has new circumstances, request the relevant Minister, Head of a ministerial-level agency, or Chairman of a provincial People's Committee to reconsider the decision or report to the Prime Minister for review and decision.

4. Directly inspect, examine, guide, and urge ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial People's Committees under the central government to carry out inspection work and receive citizens according to the provisions of the law.

5. In the regular meetings of the Government at the beginning of each quarter, the State Auditor reports on the overall situation of inspections, complaints, and denunciations resolved in the previous quarter; proposes measures to handle those responsible for agencies, localities, and units that are negligent in handling complaints and denunciations, resolve them contrary to the law, causing adverse consequences, or deliberately delay the strict implementation of effective decisions resolving complaints.

In special cases, report promptly on the situation of inspections and resolution of complaints and denunciations when requested by the Prime Minister.

Article 35. Responsibilities of the Minister, Head of the Government Office

1. Advise the Prime Minister to direct and resolve complaints and denunciations within the Prime Minister's authority.

2. Inspect and urge ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial People's Committees under the central government to implement decisions, directives, and opinions of the Prime Minister in the field of inspection, receiving citizens, and resolving complaints and denunciations.

3. Dispatch officials to receive citizens in accordance with the law.

4. Receive, classify, and process petitions, reflections, complaints, and denunciations sent to the Government and the Prime Minister.

5. When authorized by the Prime Minister, respond to parties with complaints and denunciations.

Article 36. Responsibilities for coordination between the Minister, head of ministerial-level agency, head of government-affiliated agency, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee under the central government

1. The Minister, head of ministerial-level agency, head of government-affiliated agency, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee under the central government within their scope of state management functions and powers shall cooperate closely and promptly in inspection work and resolution of complaints and denunciations.

2. In complaint resolution work, when requested by ministries, sectors, or localities to resolve matters or seek opinions on issues related to their state management functions, the Minister, head of ministerial-level agency, head of government-affiliated agency, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee under the central government must take responsibility for timely resolution and response in accordance with the law.

Chapter 8:

RECEIVING GUESTS, MEETINGS, FIELD TRIPS

Article 37. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers receive domestic guests

1. The Minister, head of ministerial-level agency, head of government-affiliated agency, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, head of central-level people's organizations, head of social organizations, social-professional organizations, and professional organizations at the central level, when deeming it necessary for the Prime Minister to receive guests for social occasions or organize meetings with delegations organized by their agencies, must submit a written request to the Prime Minister at least five working days before the scheduled reception.

The written request must clearly state the content and form of the reception, the number of guests, time, and location of the reception.

2. The Government Office is responsible for:

a) Submit to the Prime Minister the requests for receiving guests mentioned above; promptly inform the relevant agencies of the Prime Minister's opinion.

b) Coordinate with relevant agencies to prepare the content of the reception. If deemed necessary, upon the Prime Minister's request, the Government Office will issue a letter requesting the relevant ministries and agencies to prepare some aspects of the reception.

c) Decide and invite necessary news agencies and press to film and photograph the receptions for reporting purposes.

d) Organize service and ensure safety during the reception.

e) Coordinate with relevant agencies to organize and implement necessary follow-up tasks after the reception.

Article 38. Receiving foreign guests

1. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers receive foreign guests:

a) In addition to welcoming high-level foreign delegations visiting officially, for work visits, personal visits, and transit as stipulated in Decree No. 82/2001/NĐ-CP dated November 6, 2001, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers also receive other foreign guests, including social receptions and work meetings (official or unofficial) at the request of agencies.

b) The Minister, head of ministerial-level agency, head of government-affiliated agency, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, head of central-level people's organizations, head of social organizations, social-professional organizations, and professional organizations at the central level, if they deem it necessary for the Prime Minister (or Deputy Prime Minister) to receive foreign guests, must submit a written request along with necessary documents. The written request must be submitted to the Prime Minister at least seven working days before the scheduled reception, clearly stating the content and form of the reception, the composition and brief biography of the delegation leader and notable members, activities of the guest and the organization they represent, proposals, and recommendations.

c) In cases where the guest is the head of a foreign diplomatic mission, an international organization of the United Nations, or an intergovernmental organization, and where the content of the meeting involves political foreign relations, the agency proposing the reception must consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and obtain its formal written opinion.

d) Agencies, organizations, and individuals proposing the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister to receive guests are responsible for coordinating with the Government Office to prepare the content and organize necessary follow-up tasks after the reception.

e) The Government Office has the responsibility:

To submit to the Prime Minister (or Deputy Prime Minister) the requests for receiving guests as specified in Point b Clause 1 of this Article and promptly inform the relevant agencies of the Prime Minister's (or Deputy Prime Minister's) opinion.

To coordinate with relevant agencies to prepare the content of the reception.

To organize and serve the reception; coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to ensure security for the reception.

Invite relevant news agencies to report on the reception;

Coordinate with related agencies to organize and implement necessary tasks following the reception;

e) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be responsible for coordinating services for the reception, ensuring requirements regarding foreign political affairs, protocol, and international hospitality practices.

2. Receptions of foreign guests by Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, Heads of Government Agencies, Chairpersons of People's Councils, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities:

a) Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, Heads of Government Agencies, Chairpersons of People's Councils, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities decide to receive foreign guests proposed in writing by subordinate units or other central and local agencies.

In cases where the content of the reception involves complex and important issues concerning foreign relations, before the reception, opinions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or related agencies must be sought.

In special cases involving national security, defense, sensitive and complex political and social issues, prior to the reception, reports seeking the Prime Minister's opinion must be submitted.

b) After the reception, if there are matters requiring resolution but not within the jurisdiction of the agency or locality, a written request must be sent to the competent authority for consideration and resolution; at the same time, a written report must be submitted to the Prime Minister, sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Head of the related agency.

Article 39. Organizing meetings of Ministries, Ministries equivalent to Ministries, and Government Agencies

1. At least once a year, the Prime Minister (or Deputy Prime Minister) attends meetings with leaders of each Ministry, Ministry equivalent to a Ministry, and Government Agency to direct and review the implementation of economic and social development tasks and plans, as well as Party and State policies.

2. Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, and Heads of Government Agencies, when organizing sector-wide summary conferences or regional conferences with the participation of representatives from many central agencies, People's Councils, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, must obtain prior approval from the Prime Minister regarding the content, composition, time, and location of the conference.

3. Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, and Heads of Government Agencies have the right to decide on organizing meetings within their sectors to discuss professional content or training sessions.

4. All such meetings must be organized concisely, practically, and economically.

Article 40. The Prime Minister meets with Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities

1. At least once a year, the Prime Minister meets with Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of all provinces and centrally governed cities to deploy and discuss measures to implement economic and social development plans and state budgets, as well as policies and measures for coordination in state management between the central government and localities.

a) The Office of the Government prepares and submits to the Prime Minister for decision the content, composition, time, and location of the conference;

b) Reports at the conference must be prepared by relevant Ministries and agencies according to the Prime Minister's assignment, similar to preparing draft resolutions for the Government;

c) At the conference, the proposer only presents a summary of the draft and issues for discussion;

d) Organizations, entities, and individuals responsible for attending the meeting must participate according to the invited composition and express opinions on related issues;

đ) Following the conference, Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities must organize the dissemination and implementation of related tasks in their localities.

2. When necessary, the Prime Minister may convene Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of some provinces and centrally governed cities to meet and work on resolving issues related to those localities.

a) According to the assignment of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, and Heads of Government Agencies, in collaboration with Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, prepare the content of reports within their functional scope, tasks, and areas of management to submit to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for review before the meeting;

b) Reports at the meeting must be sent to delegates at least five working days before the meeting, and during the meeting, only summaries should be presented, clearly stating issues requiring opinions and proposals;

c) Organizations, entities, and individuals responsible for attending the meeting must participate according to the invited composition and express opinions on related issues;

d) Following the meeting, Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities must organize the dissemination and implementation of related tasks in their localities.

3. In cases requiring urgent resolution, Chairpersons of People's Councils and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities may directly work, report, and seek guidance from the Prime Minister (or Deputy Prime Minister) if approved by the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

The Office of the Government is responsible for coordinating with People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities and related agencies to prepare, organize, and serve this working session.

Article 41. Traveling to local areas.

1. Based on the Prime Minister's directives, Deputy Prime Ministers' instructions, and the requests of Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, the Office of the Government arranges programs for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers to visit and work officially in localities.

a) The Office of the Government is responsible for coordinating with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly Office, and the President's Office to arrange appropriate times for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers to visit and work in localities;

b) If localities have issues requesting the Government and the Prime Minister to handle, they must prepare reports to submit to the Prime Minister and send to related agencies at least twenty working days before the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers arrive for work.

The content of work related to which agency involves the Prime Minister shall be notified by the Government Office to such agency to prepare reports to be submitted to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers at least five working days before the trip;

c) The plan for official visits and work must be notified by the Government Office to localities and relevant agencies at least five working days in advance;

d) The Government Office shall coordinate with ministries, relevant agencies, and provincial People's Committees under the central government where the visit will take place to prepare the work program, content, time, protocol, and composition of the working delegation to be submitted to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers for decision;

đ) The Ministry of Public Security shall cooperate with localities to ensure safety for the working delegation of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers;

2. In cases of emergency, when localities encounter natural disasters, epidemics, or unexpected accidents causing significant casualties and property damage, the Prime Minister shall decide on the following measures:

a) Directing relevant sectors and levels to organize the mitigation of consequences, restore production, and stabilize people's lives;

b) Establishing a multi-sectoral working delegation of the Government, appointing and delegating certain decision-making powers to the head of the delegation;

c) Personally or through a Deputy Prime Minister, visiting the site and directing disaster prevention, avoidance, and mitigation efforts;

3. The organization of working delegations of the Prime Minister visiting localities must comply with the provisions set out in Chapter I of Regulation No. 60/QD-TW dated February 11, 2003 issued by the Politburo;

4. Members of the Government and heads of government agencies shall allocate time to inspect localities and bases, conduct field surveys to summarize models, meet and interact with the people, listen to their opinions and aspirations. Depending on the content of each mission, appropriate organizational forms should be adopted to ensure practicality and economy, and may or may not notify localities in advance;

Article 42. Overseas Work

1. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers going abroad:

a) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall lead and coordinate with the Government Office to establish the program, composition of the delegation, and prepare the content of the work program abroad for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, to be submitted to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers for decision;

b) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to prepare a report on the results of the trip and propose follow-up tasks to be submitted to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers;

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of Provincial People's Councils, and Chairpersons of municipal People's Committees going abroad for visits or work must comply with the following regulations:

a) Submit a formal letter requesting permission from the Prime Minister, clearly stating the purpose and content of the trip, destination, composition and number of participants in the delegation, duration of stay abroad, anticipated issues and proposed solutions; written comments from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies (if applicable). This document must be sent to the Prime Minister at least 15 working days before the planned departure date, copied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies;

b) Comply with current regulations on分级管理出国和回国团组。

c) Within seven working days after the end of the trip, submit a written report to the Prime Minister, copied to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and heads of relevant agencies, detailing the follow-up tasks.

Chapter 9:

INFORMATION AND REPORTING WORK

Article 43. Duties of Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, and Chairpersons of municipal People's Committees regarding reporting and information dissemination within the administrative machinery

1. General duties: Strengthen and enhance internal information systems to help leaders understand the main developments occurring daily in their respective sectors, fields, and regions; implement the system of reporting and providing information to the Prime Minister and supplying information to subordinate entities under their administrative jurisdiction, providing information to other ministries, sectors, and localities; apply information technology in information and reporting work.

2. Submit periodic reports (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually), special topic reports, and urgent reports as prescribed by the Prime Minister to the Prime Minister.

3. Prepare reports of the Government and the Prime Minister for submission to leading Party bodies, the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, and the President as assigned by the Prime Minister.

4. Regularly exchange information with central and local agencies related to their work; fulfill the duty of providing information upon request from other agencies and localities; notify the Government Office to send officials to attend briefing sessions and summary meetings of their own agencies and localities when necessary.

5. Organize the updating of various types of reports, management information, work programs, and daily activities of leadership into the Government's wide-area network, excluding state secrets.

6. In addition to the duties stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this Article, the Vietnam News Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall regularly provide foreign information and perform daily news briefings to the Prime Minister and other members of the Government.

Article 44. Reports at Government Meetings

1. The Minister of Planning and Investment shall report on the overall situation of the socio-economic development and propose measures to guide and manage the implementation of plans at regular Government meetings.

2. The State Inspector General shall report on the work of preventing and combating corruption, inspection, and handling of citizens' complaints and petitions (every three months, six months, and annually).

3. The Minister and Head of the Government Office shall report on the review of the Government's and Prime Minister's guidance and management, and the implementation of the Government's Working Regulations (every six months and annually).

4. Other reports as directed by the Prime Minister.

Article 45. Duties of the Minister and Head of the Government Office

In addition to the duties of other Ministers, the Minister, Head of the Government Office also has the following responsibilities:

1. Organize the provision of daily information for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers on issues that have been and are being resolved by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers; important issues submitted to the Prime Minister by central and local agencies; and some economic, social, security, defense, foreign affairs, and prominent international situations of the day.

2. Organize the preparation of daily briefings for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, notify their directives on handling issues raised in the press to relevant agencies, and monitor and report the implementation to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers.

3. Prepare a mid-month summary report on the activities of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers and send it to the leadership of certain high-level Party and State agencies.

4. Prepare a monthly comprehensive report on the guidance and management of the Government and Prime Minister, and significant economic and social situations, and send it to members of the Government, heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of People's Councils, Chairpersons of Provincial People's Committees, and leaders of certain Party and State agencies, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and central agencies of people's organizations.

5. Implement the exchange of information and participate in weekly coordination meetings with the Central Party Office, the President's Office, the National Assembly Office, and Party Committees.

6. Guide, supervise, and urge agencies to strictly adhere to the information reporting system, organize the exploitation of this information to serve the Government and Prime Minister's guidance and management.

7. When necessary, the Minister, Head of the Government Office may convene a meeting of Heads of Ministries, equivalent ministries, government agencies, and provincial People's Committees to review the implementation of the information reporting system and other matters related to organizing and serving the Government and Prime Minister's guidance and management.

Article 46. Information about the operation of the state administrative apparatus to the public

1. The Prime Minister is responsible for implementing the system of reporting to the public on important issues through the Government's reports to the National Assembly, responses to questions from National Assembly deputies, and statements to mass media as stipulated in Clause 9, Article 20 of the Law on the Organization of the Government.

2. The Minister, Head of the Government Office or the spokesperson for the Prime Minister shall organize press conferences to provide information to the media and the public on important policies and decisions of the Government and Prime Minister.

3. The Minister, Head of the Government Office shall regularly provide information to the media and the public in various forms about the activities of the Government and Prime Minister; announce the contents of important regulatory documents issued and the implementation of national policies, laws in recent times.

4. The Minister, Heads of equivalent ministries, Heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees have the responsibility:

a) Maintain regular relations and create all favorable conditions for mass media agencies in providing accurate and timely information about events occurring in their sectors, fields, and regions;

b) Organize quarterly press conferences and press conferences before or after issuing important documents, when implementing major policies of the Party and State, and when there are other noteworthy events. Quarterly press conferences do not require permission from the Ministry of Culture and Information;

c) Organize the posting and free distribution of documents and regulations related to citizens' rights and obligations;

d) Regularly read the press and implement responses to the press at the request of press agencies or upon the Prime Minister's request; demand correction or initiate legal proceedings against press agencies that publish false, distorted, or defamatory news;

đ) Strengthen the management of information and press work and establish rules for information provision by their agencies and regions; do not disclose information classified as state secrets;

5. Chairpersons of People's Councils at all levels, Heads of State agencies and people's organizations must publicly announce the situation regarding the collection and use of funds raised from the public (outside of tax obligations to the State) through appropriate methods: publishing in provincial or sector newspapers, broadcasting on local television and radio systems... If signs of corruption or misuse of funds are detected, contributors, representatives of mass organizations, and domestic journalists have the right to request managers and agency heads who decided to collect contributions to provide and explain these figures fully.

6. If there is a need to broadcast or report, journalists may be allowed to film and photograph at meetings, working sessions, and receptions of government agencies and local authorities. After the meeting, the agency organizing the press conference will announce the results of the meeting (if approved by the chairperson of the meeting).

Article 47. External Information

1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant central and local agencies to regularly inform foreign press in Vietnam about the country's situation.

2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall lead and coordinate with the Minister, Head of the Government Office, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, or the Spokesperson for the Prime Minister to organize press conferences to provide information on economic and social situations and the activities of the Government and Prime Minister to foreign press agencies.

3. The Minister, Head of the Government Office shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to apply appropriate forms, including the Government Information Website on the Internet, to expand information dissemination abroad regarding the situation of all aspects of the country.