JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines on the content and budget for organizing the Fifth ASEAN Skills Competition in Vietnam in 2004lần thứ năm tại Việt Nam năm 2004

Pursuant to the State Budget Law No. 01/2002/QH11 dated December 16, 2002, and other current guiding documents implementing 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 Circular No. 5564/VPCP-VX dated November 12, 2003 of the Government Office regarding the Prime Minister's opinion on the proposal to host and organize the Fifth ASEAN Skills Competition;

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs hereby issue the following guidelines:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The subjects implementing this Circular are ministries, sectors, agencies, units, organizations, and individuals using funds to serve the Fifth ASEAN Skills Competition organized in Vietnam.

2. The budget for organizing the Fifth ASEAN Skills Competition includes state budget allocation, fundraising from domestic and foreign agencies, units, organizations, individuals, and other sources of income.

3. The use and management of funds and assets serving the Fifth ASEAN Skills Competition shall be carried out in accordance with the State Budget Law, current financial management regulations of the State, and the provisions of this Circular.

II. CONTENT AND BUDGET ALLOCATION

The expenses for organizing the Fifth ASEAN Skills Competition in Vietnam include the following specific contents and budget allocations:

1. Expenses for propaganda, promotion, and advertising for the competition, including printing and drawing banners, posters, and publicizing through mass media; the budget allocation will be based on actual expenditures or economic contracts.

2. Expenses for the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, and summary session; the budget allocation will be based on actual expenditures.

3. Expenses for making identification cards for contestants, invigilators, examiners, and members of the organizing committees from participating countries; the budget allocation will be based on actual expenditures.

4. Expenses for rewarding contestants who win awards and teachers directly training contestants who win awards; the budget allocation will be implemented according to Joint Circular No. 109/2003/TTLT-BTC-LĐTBXH dated November 10, 2003 of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs guiding financial management for the operation of the ASEAN Skills Competition.

For cadres, teachers, and contestants awarded by authorized authorities under other forms (other than the two categories mentioned above), the budget allocation will be implemented according to Circular No. 25/2001/TT-BTC dated April 16, 2001 of the Ministry of Finance guiding financial management for implementing outstanding achievement reward systems for economic and social tasks and national defense.

5. Expenses for developing the overall plan for the competition, examination rules, and applying the budget allocation prescribed in Joint Circular No. 45/2001/TTLT-BTC-BKHCNMT dated June 18, 2001 guiding certain expenditure regimes for scientific and technological tasks (projects at the ministry, provincial, and city levels).

6. Expenses for organizing conferences, seminars (domestic and international).

6.1. Organizing domestic conferences, seminars, and meetings of the Steering Committee and Organizing Committee of Vietnam: In addition to general organization costs, a subsidy of 50,000 VND per person per session can be provided for attending delegates.

6.2. Organizing international conferences, seminars, and meetings between participating countries in the competition, based on the competition's regulations, specific participants, and implemented according to Circular No. 100/2000/TT/BTC dated October 16, 2000 of the Ministry of Finance stipulating the expenditure system for receiving foreign guests working in Vietnam and organizing international conferences and seminars in Vietnam; additionally, the following expenses will be implemented:

- Lunch expenses during meetings; the budget allocation will not exceed 100,000 VND per person.

- Banquets and dinner invitations not exceeding twice per meeting period, with a maximum budget allocation of 150,000 VND per person per occasion (applicable to both Vietnamese and foreign delegates).

7. Expenses for remuneration of staff duties for service personnel, security guards, medical staff, drivers, etc., during the competition period (including holidays and Sundays) as follows:

- Heads and deputies of the Steering Committee and Organizing Committee, and members of the Steering Committee, permanent members of the Organizing Committee, chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, secretaries of the Examination Council, technical experts: 150,000 VND per day per person.

- Members of the Organizing Committee, heads and deputies of sub-committees, members of the Examination Council, supervisors: 120,000 VND per day per person.

- Members of sub-committees (including inspectors and auditors): 100,000 VND per day per person.

- Service personnel (including security guards, medical staff, drivers, etc.): 50,000 VND per day per person.

In case a person performs multiple tasks in one day, they will only receive the highest remuneration level.

8. Expenses for meals, accommodation, and travel for the Steering Committee, Organizing Committee, specialized sub-committees, and participants in the competition:

- Providing lunch at the competition venue for all contestants, the Organizing Committee, and staff during competition days, with a budget allocation of 70,000 VND per person.

- Supporting meal and accommodation expenses for Vietnamese managers and contestants throughout the competition period, which will be settled by the Organizing Committee according to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 109/2003/TTLT/BTC-Bộ LĐTBXH dated October 23, 2003 of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs guiding financial management for the operation of the ASEAN Skills Competition.

- Travel expenses for one round trip for officials, experts, and contestants from localities outside Hanoi participating in the competition, which will be settled by the Organizing Committee according to the current travel expense regulations.

- Renting vehicles to pick up and drop off officials, contestants from participating countries from their accommodation to the competition venue; providing cars for the team leaders of participating countries, which will be settled by the Organizing Committee according to actual contractual payments.

Those who have been reimbursed for the above support by the Organizing Committee will not be reimbursed for travel expenses at their sending agencies or units.

9. Expenses for preparing examination questions, marking examinations, compiling results, and reporting outcomes:

9.1. Preparing examination questions:

- Compiling examination questions according to modules, including marking instructions and scoring criteria, with a budget allocation not exceeding 500,000 VND per module.

- Seeking opinions from three experts (including those outside the Examination Council if necessary) in writing for each question set, with a budget allocation not exceeding 300,000 VND per person per question set.

- Expenses for the Examination Question Review Committee (up to three times), with a budget allocation of 50,000 VND per person per session.

- Printing and mailing examination questions according to actual postage costs.

9.2. Expenses for Vietnamese officials overseeing the competition, marking examinations, announcing results, and compiling reports:

- Grading, the maximum expenditure shall not exceed twenty thousand Vietnamese dong per module per examinee per grader.

- Expenditure for reviewing examination results and awarding prizes, at fifty thousand Vietnamese dong per person per session.

- Expenditure for compiling reports and summarizing examination results, not to exceed three hundred thousand Vietnamese dong per trade.

10- Expenditure for renting venues and equipment to serve the Competition, in accordance with actual contracts that meet the requirements of the Competition.

11- Expenditure for purchasing raw materials and supplies to serve the Competition, in accordance with standards specified for each trade, decided by the Chairman of the Competition Organizing Committee.

12- Expenditure for purchasing necessary equipment to serve the Competition, implemented in accordance with Circular 121/2000/TT-BTC dated December 29, 2000, issued by the Ministry of Finance, guiding the implementation of tender procurement of office supplies, materials, and equipment from state budget sources, and Circular 94/2001/TT-BTC dated November 22, 2001, issued by the Ministry of Finance, providing supplementary guidance on Circular 121/2000/TT-BTC dated December 29, 2000.

13- Expenditure for making medals and certificates for contestants who win awards, based on actual occurrences.

14- Interpreting services and translation of payment documents in accordance with Decision 112/2001/QĐ-BTC dated November 9, 2001, issued by the Minister of Finance.

15- Other expenditures arising during the course of the Competition that are not covered under the above items shall be carried out in accordance with current regulations; if there are no current regulations, they shall be decided upon by the Chairman of the Competition Organizing Committee.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1- Based on the content of tasks and expenditure levels stipulated in Part II of this Circular, the Chairman of the ASEAN Skills Competition V Organizing Committee shall approve detailed budgets, implement them, and settle accounts in accordance with the provisions of the State Budget Law, Accounting Law, and other current regulations.

2- This Circular shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette. During its implementation, if any difficulties arise, please report to the relevant ministries and agencies for supplementary guidance and appropriate amendments.