Chapter 27/2005/CT-TTg On Accelerating the Implementation Progress of the School Reinforcement Program

DIRECTIVE

Regarding accelerating the implementation progress

of the school and classroom solidification program

After more than two years of implementing Decision No. 159/2002/QĐ-TTg dated November 15, 2002 of the Government Chairman, the School and Classroom Solidification Program has been widely implemented, tens of thousands of solid classrooms have replaced thatch, bamboo, and palm leaf classrooms through educational bond support funds, demonstrating society's deep concern and care for the education development cause. Ministries, sectors, and localities have actively implemented and utilized funds for their intended purposes, achieving practical results.

However, the implementation of the Program has revealed weaknesses that need to be promptly addressed: guidance and management have lacked thoroughness and flexibility, causing slow progress in many provinces; coordination and integration with other programs and projects constructing schools and classrooms on the same territory have not been tight enough, leading to inappropriate fund usage; some localities still rely on central support funds, lacking initiative in mobilizing local resources, and in some places, funds have been used contrary to the Program's stipulated objects.

To address these issues and accelerate the implementation progress of the School and Classroom Solidification Program, it is necessary to:

1. Through various synchronized measures, while mobilizing other sources of funding, focus on directing and organizing implementation, ensuring investment for the intended purpose and target, accelerating construction progress, and completing the School and Classroom Solidification Program according to the spirit of Decision No. 159/2002/QĐ-TTg dated November 15, 2002 of the Government Chairman.

2. Ensure investment effectiveness, improve construction quality. Strengthen inspection, supervision, and evaluation of construction progress and quality. Prevent and strictly handle negative phenomena causing waste and loss. Promptly guide, aggregate, report situations, and resolve difficulties and obstacles during implementation.

To implement the above tasks, the Government Chairman instructs:

a) The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead and coordinate with the Central Steering Committee for the School and Classroom Solidification Program:

- Develop specific plans and timely guide, urge, and evaluate construction progress at each locality.

- Review education projects using ODA funds and other socio-economic programs in areas with school and classroom construction, compile the number of schools and classrooms already invested in to coordinate implementation of this Program appropriately, enhancing the efficiency of fund utilization.

- Strengthen inspections and develop measures to prevent improper investments and negative phenomena.

- Regularly aggregate implementation status and results, periodically reporting to the Government Chairman.

b) The Ministry of Finance shall direct the State Treasury to timely disburse and settle funds according to objectives; take the lead in guiding, inspecting, urging localities to smoothly implement fund disbursement and settlement.

c) The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Finance to guide localities in mobilizing lawful local investment funds to implement the Program.

d) The Ministry of Construction shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to continue guiding the use of model designs for schools and classrooms issued to suit local conditions.

đ) Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, central and local information agencies and press shall promptly reflect the progress and results of the Program's implementation in localities and highlight exemplary cases.

e) People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall assess the Program's implementation outcomes on their territories, strengthen directives to mobilize other local funds alongside central support funds, determine suitable design models and construction unit prices, and develop concrete measures to accelerate construction progress.

All levels of People's Committees shall regularly report to the same-level People's Councils about the Program's implementation progress on their territories and cooperate with the All-Vietnam Patriotic Front at all levels to organize supervision of the Program's implementation; enhance inspections and evaluations of construction progress and quality, preventing negative phenomena, waste, and loss; fully utilize the supervisory functions of media and the community regarding the Program's implementation.

Specifically, provinces facing significant difficulties and unable to complete the Program as prescribed may, after reporting to respective-level People's Councils, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Central Steering Committee for the School and Classroom Solidification Program, extend the Program's implementation period until the end of the second quarter of 2006.

Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, and Chairmen of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees bear the responsibility to strictly organize and implement this Directive./.