Directive No. 27/2000/CT-TTg On organizing the celebration of the Lunar New Year (Tet) in the Year of the Buffalo 2001

 DIRECTIVE

ON ORGANIZING THE TET OF THE YEAR OF THE OX 2001

The Tet of the Year of the Ox 2001 comes to our people in the context where the entire Party and the entire people have made great efforts to overcome many difficulties and successfully completed the plan for the year 2000, maintaining stability and developing the economy and society; actively implementing the tasks for the year 2001 according to the Resolution of the National Assembly, achieving practical achievements to celebrate the Ninth National Congress of the Party. As we enter the new year, we must create new changes, new impetus, take advantage of opportunities, overcome weaknesses and shortcomings to firmly advance the country into the 21st century. In the atmosphere of welcoming the Tet of the Year of the Ox and entering the new year with heavy responsibilities, the Prime Minister requests that ministries, sectors, and localities need to do well the following tasks:

1. Ministries, sectors, People's Committees at all levels need to direct agencies and units under their jurisdiction and localities to organize joyful, healthy, safe, and thrifty Tet activities, opposing extravagance and waste, strictly adhering to labor discipline. Expenditures for organizing entertainment for the people must be reasonable. Strictly prohibit using state funds to give gifts and presents during Tet, taking advantage of festivals, congratulating on achievements, and summarizing work to organize banquets and wasteful eating and drinking. Leaders of ministries, sectors, and People's Committees at all levels should take advantage of the leadership of the Party committees, coordinate with mass organizations to thoroughly disseminate this spirit to civil servants, employees, cadres, and soldiers in the armed forces, considering the use of public funds for gifts and presents and wasteful use of state funds as a social evil, a decline in morality and integrity of cadres, causing negative impacts on society, and resolutely combat this evil. Heads of ministries, sectors, and Chairmen of Provincial People's Committees must inspect and strictly handle collectives and individuals who violate these regulations and bear responsibility before the Prime Minister if such violations occur in their respective sectors or localities.

The Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Vietnam, and People's Committees at all levels need to closely monitor year-end bonuses of enterprises and state agencies, ensuring compliance with current financial regulations.

2. The Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for closely monitoring supply and demand dynamics of food, consumer goods, and other essential commodities during Tet; directing subordinate agencies and units to maintain production pace, ensure smooth circulation of goods, meet sufficient essential goods for people's consumption needs during Tet at stable prices; paying special attention to ethnic minorities, remote areas, border regions, and islands; preventing shortages and price surges.

For areas recently affected by floods in the Mekong Delta and Central Vietnam, where people's lives are still facing many difficulties, the Ministry of Trade will coordinate with provincial People's Committees to check sources of goods and circulation situations in each district and commune to prepare adequate supplies, first meeting the immediate needs of the people for food, fuel, salt, bedding, clothing, school supplies; expanding retail networks, increasing mobile sales points, facilitating people's purchase and sale of goods.

The Ministry of Trade directs market management forces in provinces and centrally governed cities to cooperate with other forces to strengthen inspections, controls, detection, prevention, and strict handling of counterfeit goods, substandard products, and goods not meeting hygiene standards, which cause illness, poisoning, and harm to people's health, especially food and agricultural products.

Inspection and control forces need to perform their duties on transportation routes to create favorable conditions for economic entities to transport goods serving people in various localities and cities during Tet smoothly. Strictly punish individuals and units who arbitrarily stop vehicles for inspection with the aim of extortion and causing inconvenience to cargo owners.

Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and cities, particularly Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hai Phong, need to direct functional agencies in their localities to inspect business units across all economic sectors to stabilize service fees such as urban passenger transport fares, tourist attraction tickets, entertainment venue tickets, public dining charges, and other services; strictly handle cases where prices and service fees are increased during Tet.

3. Local authorities at all levels need to coordinate with mass organizations to repair and beautify martyrs' cemeteries; visit and present gifts to war invalids, families of martyrs, families with meritorious contributions to the revolution, mothers of Vietnam's Heroic Mothers, and cadres and soldiers of the armed forces stationed at borders, islands, and remote areas; mobilize all strata of the population to promote the tradition of mutual assistance and support poor families, elderly people without dependents, orphaned children, and homeless individuals so that everyone and every family can joyfully and warmly welcome Tet.

For people in the Mekong Delta, Central Vietnam, and Northwestern Vietnam, who have just experienced severe flooding, although the compatriots nationwide and friends around the world have shown great concern and shared hardships, their daily living conditions remain difficult. Local authorities need to grasp households in particularly difficult circumstances, mobilize villagers and community members to help these households joyfully welcome Tet and celebrate the New Year.

4. The Ministry of Transport shall direct transport businesses to mobilize sufficient passenger transportation means of good quality to meet the travel needs of the people during the Tet holiday period, preventing situations where passengers have to wait or traffic jams occur at railway stations, bus stations, and train stations; ensuring safe and convenient travel for the people with stable fare rates; coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security to continue implementing effectively Directive No. 33/1999/CT-TTg dated December 27, 1999 of the Prime Minister on strengthening state management responsibilities in ensuring traffic safety and order. Firmly refuse to allow transportation means that do not meet traffic safety standards to participate in traffic. Strengthen inspection work and promptly repair damaged infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, culverts) caused by recent floods. In major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, coordinate with municipal People's Committees to reasonably establish parking lots; guide and facilitate the people's use of transportation means within the city conveniently, minimizing traffic congestion on streets.

5. The Ministry of Public Security shall cooperate with relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial-level municipal People's Committees to take specific measures to ensure social order and security for the people during the Tet holiday; focus on cracking down and eliminating drug trafficking, gambling, lottery, superstitious activities; prevent theft, robbery, the spread of obscene culture, and public disturbances; take preventive measures against the occurrence of motorcycle racing incidents; coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense to manage weapons, explosives, firefighting, and fire prevention; remind the people to continue implementing Directive No. 406/CT of the Prime Minister on prohibiting fireworks; direct subordinate units to arrange duty schedules and proactively handle any unusual developments during the Tet holiday and report promptly to higher authorities and the Prime Minister.

6. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Sports Steering Committee shall plan to guide localities in organizing cultural activities well, arranging folk art performances, and mass sports competitions to attract young people into healthy cultural activities; coordinate with broadcasting and television agencies to arrange rich and attractive programs suitable for ethnic customs, meeting the spiritual cultural needs of the people and international friends currently in the country.

7. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the General Department of Customs, and the Border Guard Corps shall create all favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to return home for the Tet holiday, visit relatives, and sightsee smoothly according to their respective functions. The General Department of Tourism shall direct organizations to introduce and promote historical sites and traditional cultural activities to foreigners and tourist groups currently in the country during the Tet holiday.

8. The Health sector shall organize well the care and prevention of diseases and treatment for patients; control food safety; hospitals must operate continuous duty shifts and promptly address emergency cases during the Tet holiday at any time. All levels of People's Committees shall mobilize all strata of the population to organize public sanitation, clean streets, villages, and towns, plant trees for the new spring, creating a green, clean, and beautiful environment everywhere.

Heads of ministries, sectors, and Chairmen of provincial-level municipal People's Committees shall develop plans to direct the implementation of this Directive in their respective fields and localities according to their functions and responsibilities; promptly report to the Prime Minister any significant unusual developments during the Tet holiday.

The Prime Minister requests the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and political and social organizations to direct their organizations to cooperate and assist local authorities in the form of joint propaganda and mobilization to encourage the people to implement this Directive well, making the Year of the Goat Tet holiday reach every household, bringing joy and inspiration to everyone entering the new millennium.