JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for expenditure regulations for organizing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in 2006 (APEC 2006) in Vietnam

Pursuant to Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 23, 2003 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the State Budget Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 86/2002/NĐ-CP dated November 5, 2002 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of Ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decision No. 195/2005/QĐ-TTg dated August 5, 2005 of the Prime Minister on the establishment of the National Committee for APEC 2006;

Pursuant to Decision No. 1101/QĐ-TTg dated September 22, 2005 of the Prime Minister on the establishment of the Logistics-Supply Sub-committee to serve the activities of the APEC 2006 Conference;

Pursuant to the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, Chairman of the National Committee for APEC 2006, at the first meeting of the National Committee for APEC 2006 (Government Office's Circular No. 147/TB-VPCP dated August 18, 2005);

The Ministry of Finance and the Government Office jointly issue guidelines for expenditure regulations for organizing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in 2006 in Vietnam (APEC 2006) as follows:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS:

1. The subjects implementing this Circular are agencies, units, and organizations assigned funds to carry out the tasks of organizing and serving APEC 2006 in Vietnam.

2. The budget for organizing APEC 2006 includes state budget allocations and other legitimate sources raised from domestic and foreign economic and social organizations.

3. Ministries, sectors, and localities may only use allocated funds to perform tasks and works related to organizing and serving activities within the framework of APEC 2006 approved by competent authorities (Chairman of the National Committee for APEC 2006, Heads of Sub-committees, and Secretary-General of APEC), and shall not use these funds for other regular tasks of ministries, sectors, and localities.

4. In addition to special expenditure regulations with specific content and levels detailed in this Circular, expenditures to implement activities related to organizing and serving APEC 2006 shall be carried out according to current financial expenditure regulations.

5. Management and use of funds and assets for organizing and serving APEC 2006 shall be conducted in accordance with the State Budget Law and current national financial and asset management documents, as well as the provisions of this Circular.

II. CONTENT AND LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE:

1. Funding sources:

Sources of the budget for organizing APEC 2006 include:

- State budget;

- Contributions, support, and sponsorships from organizations, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally;

- Other sources (if any).

2. Expenditure content: The budget for organizing APEC 2006 in Vietnam is used for the following purposes:

- Renting means of transportation, equipment, venues for organizing APEC 2006 as approved by the Chairman of the National Committee, Heads of Sub-committees, and Secretary-General of APEC 2006.

- Expenses for symbols of APEC 2006 activities and gifts, items, and other memorabilia.

- Expenses for printing invitations and making cards for participants in APEC 2006 activities.

- Expenses for organizing conferences, seminars, group sessions, forums, etc., within the framework of APEC 2006.

- Expenses for delegates attending APEC 2006 activities hosted by the Vietnamese Government.

- Expenses for the operations of the National Committee for APEC 2006, its sub-committees, and the Secretariat of APEC 2006.

- Expenses for security, order, hygiene, health, and service provision.

- Communication expenses.

- Direct publicity expenses (printing banners, posters, logos, emblems, filming, photography, flags, slogans, and promotional materials) and publicity through mass media (radio, television, press, etc.).

- Expenses for cultural and artistic activities welcoming and serving delegates attending APEC 2006.

- Expenses for learning experiences, overseas surveys, building, and organizing the operation of the APEC 2006 website.

- Expenses for renovating and repairing facilities serving APEC 2006 activities.

- Expenses for purchasing equipment and other assets serving APEC 2006 activities.

- Other expenses directly related to organizing and serving APEC 2006 activities.

3. Some expenditure levels for organizing the APEC 2006 Summit:

a) For delegates and guest delegations attending the APEC 2006 Summit:

Implement the specific provisions set forth in the Prime Minister's Decision.

b) For staff and personnel serving the APEC 2006 Summit:

- Allowance for serving the Summit: Staff and personnel directly involved in serving the Summit (including holidays and Sundays) shall receive allowances for performing duties at the following rates:

+ Members of the National Committee for APEC 2006, Heads of APEC 2006 Sub-committees, and Secretary-General of APEC 2006: 150,000 VND/day/person.

+ Members of APEC 2006 Sub-committees and the APEC 2006 Secretariat: 120,000 VND/day/person.

+ Members of groups, teams, working committees under Sub-committees and the APEC 2006 Secretariat mobilized by the Heads of Sub-committees and the Secretary-General of APEC 2006 to serve the APEC 2006 Summit: 100,000 VND/day/person.

+ Service personnel (security guards, drivers, receptionists, volunteers, liaison officers, etc.) approved by the Heads of Sub-committees and the Secretary-General of APEC 2006: 50,000 VND/day/person.

If a person performs multiple tasks in one day, they shall only receive the highest allowance rate. The number of days eligible for allowance is the number of official summit days. If work must be implemented earlier or completed later than the official summit days, payment will be made according to the decision approving the extension by the Heads of Sub-committees and the Secretary-General of APEC 2006; the allowance rate shall be based on the actual working period, but the maximum payment period shall not exceed 15 days.

- Mobile phone expense subsidy for staff and personnel: Allocate mobile phone expenses during the APEC 2006 Summit period at the following rates:

+ Members of the National Committee for APEC 2006, Heads of Sub-committees, and Secretary-General of APEC: 500,000 VND/person.

+ Members of the Subcommittees and the Secretariat of APEC: VND 300,000/person.

+ In necessary cases, the Chairpersons of the Subcommittees or the Chairperson of the APEC Secretariat shall decide on the list of staff to be reimbursed for mobile phone charges or hired mobile phones, with a maximum charge not exceeding VND 300,000/person.

4. Some expenditure levels for organizing APEC Ministerial Meetings:

a) For delegates and guest delegations attending the APEC 2017 Ministerial Meetings:

Implement the contents and reimbursement levels as specified in the Decision of

b) For officials and staff serving the APEC 2017 Ministerial Meetings:

- Allowance for duty performance of officials, civil servants, employees, and volunteer forces (drivers, security guards, receptionists, liaison officers, volunteers, short-term contract employees) shall be applied at the level of expenditure at the APEC High-Level Meeting 2006 but the payment period in one batch shall not exceed seven days.

- Expenditure for supporting mobile phone charges of officials and employees: The expenditure level shall be applied as a quota during each APEC Ministerial Meeting 2006 as follows:

+ Members of the National Committee on APEC 2006, Chairpersons of the Subcommittees, and the Chairperson of the APEC Secretariat: VND 300,000/person.

+ Members of the Subcommittees and the APEC Secretariat: VND 200,000/person.

+ In necessary cases, the Chairpersons of the Subcommittees or the Chairperson of the APEC Secretariat shall decide on the list of staff to be reimbursed for mobile phone charges, with a maximum charge not exceeding VND 200,000/person.

5. Some expenditure levels for organizing SOM Meetings:

a) For delegates and guest delegations attending the SOM Meetings:

Implement the contents and reimbursement levels as specified in Decision No. 343/QĐ-TTg dated February 20, 2006 of

b) For officials and staff serving the SOM Meetings:

- Allowance for duty performance of officials, civil servants, employees, and volunteer forces (drivers, security guards, receptionists, liaison officers, volunteers, short-term contract employees) shall be applied at the level of expenditure at the APEC High-Level Meeting 2006. The payment period in one batch shall not exceed fifteen days.

- Expenditure for supporting mobile phone charges for officials and employees: The expenditure level shall be applied as a quota serving the APEC High-Level Meeting 2006.

6. Some expenditure levels for organizing sideline activities of the APEC High-Level Meeting 2006 (Leaders' Forum and Young Entrepreneurs Forum; Network of Women Leaders APEC Meeting...):

a) For representatives attending sideline activities of the APEC High-Level Meeting:

- Representatives participating in sideline activities of the APEC High-Level Meeting shall bear their own expenses for air tickets, food, accommodation, travel, registration fees, and other expenses.

Special cases shall be handled according to the Prime Minister's Decision.

b) For officials and employees serving sideline activities of the APEC High-Level Meeting:

Allowance for duty performance of forces participating in organization and service (officials, employees, drivers, security guards, receptionists, liaison officers, volunteers, short-term contract employees...) shall be applied at a level of VND 30,000/day/person. The payment period is the official event organization time but not exceeding seven days. Mobile phone charges will not be supported for officials and employees serving sideline activities of the APEC High-Level Meeting.

7. Some other expenditures directly related to the organization of meetings and events of APEC 2006:

a) Expenditures for meetings related to the organization of APEC 2006 meetings:

- Meetings of the National Committee on APEC 2006: VND 100,000/person/meeting.

- Meetings of the Subcommittees and the APEC Secretariat 2006: VND 50,000/person/meeting.

b) For meetings where the Chairman of the National Committee permits the Organizing Committee to arrange centralized meals and accommodations for security, health, and service forces (security guards, drivers, receptionists, volunteers, liaison officers...), the maximum meal expenditure is VND 60,000/day/person excluding taxes and service fees; accommodation expenditure is calculated based on actual invoices. No cash payments will be made if centralized meals and accommodations are not provided.

c) Expenses for delegations to conduct surveys and learn from foreign experiences: Implemented according to Circular No. 91/2005/TT-BTC dated October 18, 2005 of the Ministry of Finance regarding travel expenses for state officials on short-term missions abroad.

d) Expenses for building the APEC 2006 Conference website: Implemented according to Circular No. 111/1998/TT-BTC dated August 3, 1998 of the Ministry of Finance guiding expenditure levels for creating electronic information under information technology.

e) Translation costs:

- Written translation:

+ Translation from foreign languages into Vietnamese: VND 35,000/page (300 characters/page).

+ Translation from Vietnamese into foreign languages: VND 40,000/page (300 characters/page).

- Oral translation:

+ Ordinary oral translation: not exceeding VND 100,000/hour/person, equivalent to VND 800,000/day/person working 8 hours; the above-mentioned translation cost standards shall only apply when it is necessary to hire external interpreters; in cases where interpreters are staff members of ministries and sectors assigned to serve the conference, the reimbursement amount shall be calculated at 50% of the above standard and no service allowance shall be paid.

+ Simultaneous oral translation: not exceeding VND 200,000/hour/person, equivalent to VND 1,600,000/day/person working 8 hours; the above-mentioned translation cost standards shall only apply when it is necessary to hire external interpreters; in cases where interpreters are staff members of ministries and sectors assigned to serve the conference, the reimbursement amount shall be calculated at 50% of the above standard and no service allowance shall be paid.

f) Any additional expenditures arising in practice that have not been stipulated in this Circular must be approved by the competent authority (Chairpersons of the Subcommittees, the Chairperson of the APEC Secretariat 2006); at the same time, they must ensure full legal documents, bidding files, contracts, receipts, and legitimate and valid expense vouchers.

g) Departments allocated a lump-sum budget shall be responsible for paying remuneration to staff of those departments.

h) Participants in cultural and artistic activities welcoming and serving delegates at APEC 2006 meetings (performing arts, circus, drama...) shall be paid according to contracts signed between the Organizing Committee and art troupes.

i) Expenditures for renovation, repair, and construction of facilities serving APEC 2006 activities: Shall comply with current regulations on basic construction investment management and procedures for controlling capital investment and public service investment and construction within the country through the State Treasury system.

j) Purchasing or renting assets, equipment, printing documents, producing symbols, gifts... with a value of VND 100 million or more must be conducted through bidding or competitive tendering as stipulated in Circular No. 121/2000/TT-BTC dated December 29, 2000 of the Ministry of Finance on bidding for procurement of office supplies, materials, equipment, and work tools for state agencies, mass organizations, state-owned enterprises; ordinary office supplies and work tools for armed forces using state budget funds.

k) For expenditures on procurement, repair, and other expenses with special characteristics that do not have established expenditure standards or unit prices set by the State, such contents must be agreed upon by the relevant specialized state management agency and approved by the competent authority before the budget estimate is prepared, serving as the basis for finalizing the financial settlement.

8. In addition to the official days of the APEC 2006 events (Summit meetings, Ministerial Meetings, SOM Meetings, and sideline meetings), if Vietnamese officials and staff need to travel for work related directly to APEC 2006 activities, they will be reimbursed for travel expenses according to Circular No. 118/2004/TT-BTC dated December 8, 2004, issued by the Ministry of Finance regarding the regulations on travel expenses and conference fees for administrative agencies and public service units nationwide; in cases of overtime work, they will be compensated according to Joint Circular No. 08/2005/TTLT-BNV-BTC dated January 5, 2005, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of wage regulations for night shifts and overtime work for civil servants, employees, and officials.

III. BUDGET ESTIMATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND FINALIZATION:

1. Establishment of budget projections:

a) Based on the contents of the work related to organizing APEC 2006 meetings that have been approved by the Chairman of the National Committee, the Heads of Subcommittees, and the Secretariat of APEC 2006; based on the current expenditure standards and the levels of expenditure specified in Part II above, the Subcommittees, the Secretariat of APEC 2006, and the main organizing agencies of APEC activities shall prepare necessary budget estimates and submit them to the Subcommittee on Material and Logistics, the Office of the Government.

b) The Subcommittee on Material and Logistics of APEC 2006 shall review the contents of the activities and the levels of expenditure according to the assigned functions and tasks of each Subcommittee, compile detailed budget estimates for organizing APEC 2006 activities by Subcommittee and the Secretariat of APEC 2006, and submit them to the Ministry of Finance.

c) The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with the Office of the Government to review the budget estimates for organizing APEC 2006 meetings and submit them for approval.

2. Allocating the budget:

a) Based on the total budget estimate for organizing APEC 2006 activities that has been

b) For Ministries, central agencies, and localities assigned to implement other tasks (not within the scope of the Subcommittees' responsibilities); based on the budget estimates allocated,

c) Based on the notification of the allocated budget, Ministries, central agencies withdraw the budget from the State Treasury to implement; for the budget for organizing APEC 2006 activities hosted by localities, the Ministry of Finance provides targeted grants to localities to implement.

d) For contributions, support, and sponsorships from organizations, businesses, individuals both domestically and internationally, and other sources of income (if any) for organizing APEC 2006; Ministries, central agencies, and localities must fully reflect the revenue according to regulations, while being responsible for managing and using this source of funds to carry out the tasks related to organizing APEC 2006 in accordance with the current financial expenditure regulations.

đ) Agencies and localities notified of the budget allocation are responsible for implementing the assigned tasks according to the division of labor by the National Committee on APEC 2006.

3. ACCOUNTING AND FINALIZATION:

a) The budget for organizing APEC 2006 activities shall be recorded separately and accounted for under category 13-01 (Administrative Management) according to the corresponding items in the State Budget Manual;

b) Ministries, central agencies, and localities allocated direct budgets from the Ministry of Finance are responsible for managing, using, and finalizing the budget for organizing APEC 2006 activities assigned to them (including other sources of income, if any). Upon completion of APEC 2006 activities, no later than 60 days, Ministries, central agencies, and localities are responsible for finalizing the allocated budget, submitting the finalization report to the Office of the Government for consolidation and reporting to the National Committee on APEC 2006; at year-end, consolidate into the annual finalization report on revenue and expenditure of the State budget of the Ministry, agency, or locality according to the provisions of the State Budget Law and guiding documents.

c) For Ministries, agencies, and localities receiving budgets for organizing APEC 2006 activities from Subcommittees: Upon completion of APEC 2006 activities, no later than 30 days, Ministries, central agencies, and localities are responsible for finalizing the allocated budget, submitting the finalization report on the budget, and the inventory report of fixed assets purchased back to the leading Ministry of the Subcommittee that allocated the budget for approval of the finalization of the allocated budget. The Office of the Government and the leading Ministries of the Subcommittees shall approve the finalization of the APEC 2006 budget of the relevant agencies and units, consolidate into the finalization report on the budget for organizing the APEC 2006 meeting and the annual finalization report on revenue and expenditure of the State budget of the Ministry according to the provisions of the State Budget Law and guiding documents.

d) The Office of the Government shall consolidate the finalization of the budget for organizing the APEC meeting and submit it to the Ministry of Finance and report to the Chairman of the National Committee on APEC 2006 no later than 30 days after receiving complete finalization reports from Ministries, agencies, and localities.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS. 

This Circular takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. The Heads of Subcommittees, the Secretariat of APEC 2006, the Heads of Ministries, central agencies, and the Chairmen of People's Committees of localities organizing and serving APEC 2006 events are responsible for strictly implementing the current State regulations and the guidance provided in this Circular. If any difficulties arise during implementation, they should promptly report to the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Government for study, revision, and supplementation as appropriate./.