Directive No. 26/2005/CT-TTg on Strengthening Fuel Saving in the Consumption of Gasoline and Diesel Oil

DIRECTIVE

On enhancing fuel conservation in gasoline consumption

For many years, the country has focused on investing in the oil and gas industry, but to date, all petroleum products serving production and consumption needs within the country still have to be imported from abroad. To meet domestic demand for gasoline, the State spends billions of dollars annually on importing gasoline. Given the current economic conditions of the country and the increasing global prices of gasoline, it is necessary to carefully calculate the amount of foreign currency allocated by the State budget for gasoline imports to ensure overall economic balance.

Fuel conservation in gasoline consumption is not only a major policy of the Party and the State aimed at promoting and building a thrifty lifestyle and patriotic spirit among the people, but also one of the most effective measures to enhance the competitiveness of the current national economy. Implementing this policy, throughout 2003-2004, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 06/2003/CT-TTg dated March 27, 2003 on intensifying thrift and combating wastefulness in gasoline usage (Directive 06) and Directive No. 23/2004/CT-TTg dated June 18, 2004 on continuing to intensify measures to conserve gasoline (Directive 23).

After more than two years of implementing the Prime Minister's directives on conserving gasoline, most ministries, sectors, and localities have made significant efforts in organizing and implementing necessary measures to reduce wasteful and inefficient gasoline usage, leading to initial positive changes in awareness and actions regarding gasoline consumption. However, due to insufficient understanding and implementation of the purpose, significance, requirements of the policy on thrift and wastefulness reduction, and the policy on conserving gasoline by some leaders or main responsible persons in certain agencies and units, and by some officials and civil servants in these agencies and units; due to lenient and formalistic application of disciplinary measures against violations; and due to inadequate handling of the responsibility of leaders of agencies and units where violations occur, wastefulness in gasoline usage still persists in many agencies and units across various sectors and fields, particularly those funded by the state budget. This not only negatively impacts production and people's lives, the concentration of resources to achieve the goal of accelerating economic growth, but also creates unfavorable public opinion about the enforcement of administrative discipline in state agencies.

To quickly address the issue of wasteful gasoline usage and improve efficiency, thereby saving foreign currency and reducing the burden on the state budget, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1. Ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises must proactively review and assess the results and shortcomings of specific measures implemented during the process of conserving gasoline according to the Prime Minister's directives stipulated in Directive 06 and Directive 23, promptly eliminate unsuitable measures, and supplement new measures appropriate to reality to truly change both individual and organizational perceptions and actions in conserving gasoline consumption.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, and chairmen of provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government must instruct and require all state-owned agencies, units, and enterprises under their jurisdiction to review fuel consumption quotas at all stages, redefining them to ensure that fuel management and usage at any time and for any work must be as economical as possible while still meeting operational requirements; they must also regularly inspect fuel management and usage, reward individuals and organizations that use fuel economically, and strictly penalize cases of wasteful fuel usage that violate state regulations.

3. Agencies and units funded by the state budget must review their tasks, reasonably arrange and organize work to reduce gasoline consumption by at least 10% compared to the 2004 level, viewing this as a task to contribute to saving state budget expenditures. This is also part of the administrative discipline compliance for agencies and units funded by the state budget. The Ministry of Finance will implement a 10% reduction in gasoline usage costs for agencies and units funded by the state budget. This ratio will serve as the basis for reviewing and approving annual budget allocations for agencies and units funded by the state budget.

4. From now on, ministers, chairmen of provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government, and heads of agencies and units with responsibilities in deciding new investment projects or expanding existing ones must prioritize projects using domestic alternative fuels or replacing gasoline to alleviate pressure on gasoline imports.

5. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall study and propose to the Government mechanisms and measures to encourage research and use of alternative fuels to gasoline.

By the third quarter of 2005, the Ministry of Finance shall conduct reviews, inspections, and compile reports on the procurement and use of vehicles by agencies and units funded by the state budget; promptly and appropriately handle violations according to state regulations; and report and propose to the Prime Minister measures to strengthen and improve discipline in complying with the Prime Minister's directives on conserving gasoline usage.

7. The heads of agencies and units using state budget funds must strengthen strict control over the use of gasoline in all fields, especially the use of official vehicles; the organization of conferences, summaries, and competitions; strictly handle any violations, and at the same time bear personal responsibility to their superiors if wasteful use of gasoline by officials and civil servants in their agencies and units due to improper use of official vehicles occurs.

8. The Ministry of Finance shall cooperate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to study and issue within the third quarter of 2005 mechanisms for punishment, monitoring, and supervision of disciplinary actions against individuals and organizations violating the Prime Minister's Directive on saving gasoline; report regularly every quarter to the Prime Minister.

9. The Ministry of Trade shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, provincial people's committees under central jurisdiction, Central Steering Committee 127, and Border Management Steering Committee to focus on researching and directing functional forces to implement appropriate measures to strengthen inspection and supervision of gasoline trading and transportation, particularly in border areas, river ports, and sea ports; detect and strictly handle acts of smuggling gasoline across borders and at sea.

10. The Ministry of Public Security shall cooperate with relevant agencies to promptly and rigorously complete legal procedures to deal with individuals and organizations involved in large-scale gasoline smuggling; at the same time, strictly and promptly handle officials and civil servants who assist or participate in gasoline smuggling. If necessary, strong measures should be applied; if beyond authority, they should recommend that competent authorities handle the situation to immediately stop current gasoline smuggling.

11. The Ministry of Finance shall report to the Prime Minister the roadmap for domestic gasoline prices to align with world market prices; assess the impact and influence on production activities, services, and the entire economy; propose specific measures to gradually reduce, aiming for the state budget not to subsidize gasoline consumption in the domestic market.

12. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall direct news agencies and press to intensify propaganda on the Government's policy on saving gasoline and effective measures implemented by organizations and individuals; encourage and create conditions for the public to access information about monitoring and detecting violations by organizations and individuals in implementing the policy on saving gasoline; simultaneously, provide accurate, comprehensive, and timely information to competent authorities regarding cases of improper gasoline use.

13. Central and local information agencies need to allocate appropriate time to propagate the Party and State's policies on mobilizing and implementing measures to save and combat waste, including the policy on saving gasoline usage; timely inform about fluctuations and impacts of world gasoline prices on production and people's lives, economic and social development of the country, and state funding used to subsidize gasoline consumption in the country so that the public can actively participate in implementing the policy on saving gasoline.

14. The Vietnam Fatherland Front shall cooperate with social organizations to mobilize the whole population to respond and implement concrete and practical measures to reduce gasoline consumption; actively participate in inspecting and supervising the implementation by agencies and units using state budget funds in implementing the Government's policy on saving gasoline usage.

15. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, Chairmen of provincial people's committees under central jurisdiction, heads of units, and related organizations are responsible for implementing this Directive.