Directive No. 29/2007/CT-TTg on the implementation of administrative reform in the management of departure and entry for officials, civil servants, and citizens.

DIRECTIVE

ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM IN THE WORK OF MANAGING EXIT AND ENTRY OF CITIZENS, OFFICIALS, AND CIVIL SERVANTS

Decree No. 136/2007/NĐ-CP dated August 17, 2007 of the Government on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens contains many new provisions regarding the organization of work to manage the exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens, particularly simplifying procedures for passport issuance to facilitate the people and officials to the greatest extent possible while strengthening the responsibilities and coordination among relevant agencies and sectors.

To ensure effective implementation of Decree No. 136/2007/NĐ-CP, the Prime Minister requests that the Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities strictly implement the following tasks:

1. Agencies and sectors from central to local levels shall not arbitrarily require additional documents beyond those stipulated in Decree No. 136/2007/NĐ-CP and the Circular guiding it when citizens apply for passport issuance or modification.

State officials, civil servants, employees, officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, workers, and staff in units of the Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam People's Public Security Force (hereinafter referred to collectively as state officials, civil servants, and employees) shall submit applications for ordinary passports like other citizens without having to provide additional documents.

Maintaining and using ordinary passports in accordance with the law is the right and responsibility of individuals who have been issued passports. Agencies and units shall not confiscate ordinary passports of state officials, civil servants, and employees, whether they are within or outside the country.

The ordinary passport of a citizen shall only be confiscated if the holder violates Vietnamese laws and is decided upon by competent authorities.

2. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairmen of provincial and centrally-run city People's Committees shall be responsible for managing state officials, civil servants, and employees under their jurisdiction according to current regulations. If necessary, they may issue internal regulations concerning the use of ordinary passports by state officials, civil servants, and employees under their management to travel abroad to protect state secrets and internal affairs.

3. The Ministry of Public Security and related agencies need to closely coordinate in exit and entry work, ensuring public security and social order, paying particular attention to the following matters:

a) Taking the lead and coordinating with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and Transport to urgently connect networks to transmit data as prescribed in Article 36 of Decree No. 136/2007/NĐ-CP, completing before March 31, 2008. Report the results of implementation to the Prime Minister.

b) Submitting to the Prime Minister for approval a project to establish a unified management center for citizen databases, connecting nationwide according to vertical sectors of the Ministry of Public Security in issuing identity cards, registering household registration certificates, and issuing passports, meeting the requirements of exit and entry management and political security and social order management. Completion by the third quarter of 2008.

c) Taking the lead and coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to submit to the Prime Minister a proposal for electronic passports in the third quarter of 2008.

d) Coordinating with related agencies to widely announce through various media the new points in passport issuance, particularly emphasizing the regulations on submitting applications via postal services and entrusting organizations with legal personality to submit applications and receive passport issuance results, ensuring convenience for citizens but preventing loss or substitution of application files before reaching the passport issuance agency. Strengthening operational measures to detect and handle individuals and networks organizing illegal exit and entry.

4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall instruct overseas representative offices of Vietnam to ensure when issuing ordinary passports abroad for Vietnamese citizens:

- Simplified procedures that are convenient for citizens;

- Issuing passports must be accurate, avoiding issuance to persons without Vietnamese nationality or to citizens currently residing in Vietnam.

- Processing passport issuance applications based on self-declaration forms, proof of Vietnamese nationality, and in accordance with Article 23 of Decree No. 136/2007/NĐ-CP. Verification shall only be required for cases with grounds for suspicion regarding personal identity or nationality.

5. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs needs to negotiate with foreign responsible agencies so that Vietnamese workers abroad can retain their personal passports, preventing foreign employers from managing Vietnamese workers' passports as is currently the case in some countries.

6. Provincial and centrally-run city People's Committees need to pay attention to directing police stations and communes to promptly and accurately confirm citizens' passport application files, ensuring convenience and speed for the people, prohibiting abuse for harassment or corruption, and absolutely preventing false confirmation of application files.

7. The Ministry of Finance shall ensure funding for the implementation of the information technology project for issuing identity cards, household registration certificates, and electronic passports, providing equipment and network connections.

8. Agencies receiving passport application files and issuing passports shall allocate sufficient specialized staff with appropriate qualifications and capabilities. Procedures, processes, and steps for passport issuance must be carried out strictly in accordance with Directive No. 32/2006/CT-TTg dated September 7, 2006 of the Prime Minister on urgent measures to improve administrative discipline and order in handling citizens' and businesses' affairs.

This directive takes effect from the date of signature.

Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairmen of provincial and centrally-run city People's Committees are responsible for implementing this directive./.