Decision No. 32/2018/QĐ-TTg on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Governmental Religious Committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs

Article 1. Position and Functions

1. The Government Committee on Religion is an agency equivalent to a General Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the function of advising the Minister of Home Affairs on state management in the field of belief and religion, and implementing policies and laws on belief and religion throughout the country; performing public services in the field of belief and religion in accordance with the provisions of the law.

2. The Government Committee on Religion is a legal entity, bearing the State Emblem seal, having a separate account as prescribed by law, and its office is located in Hanoi City.

b) Draft five-year and annual socio-economic development plans for the province; major economic and social balances for the province; draft five-year and annual plans, programs, projects, measures to organize and implement tasks related to socio-economic development, finance-budget, planning-investment, and other tasks within the scope of state management of the Department of Finance as prescribed by law;

The Government Committee on Religion performs tasks and powers as prescribed by law on belief and religion and the following specific tasks and powers:

1. Advising the Minister of Home Affairs to submit to the Government and the Prime Minister:

a) Draft laws and draft resolutions of the National Assembly; draft ordinances and draft resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; draft decrees and resolutions of the Government; draft decisions and directives of the Prime Minister on belief and religion;

b) Strategies, long-term plans, national target programs, action programs, projects, and important initiatives concerning belief and religion or related to belief and religion.

2. Submitting to the Minister of Home Affairs for consideration and decision:

a) Draft circulars and other documents on religious work;

b) Long-term, medium-term, and annual plans on state management of belief and religion.

3. Implementing policies, laws, strategies, plans, programs, projects on belief and religion or related to belief and religion after they have been issued or approved by competent authorities.

4. Providing professional guidance on state management of belief and religion.

5. Organizing the implementation of information dissemination and propaganda on the Party's guidelines and state policies on belief and religion; ensuring individual freedom of belief and religion, equality among religions before the law; combating, preventing, and handling administrative violations that infringe upon freedom of belief and religion or exploit belief and religion for illegal activities.

6. Receiving files, taking the lead, and coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to advise the Minister of Home Affairs to decide on recognizing religious organizations operating in multiple provinces. Submitting to the Minister of Home Affairs for approval: establishment, division, separation, merger, consolidation of religious organizations subordinate to it operating in multiple provinces and the establishment of religious training institutions; registering non-commercial legal entities for religious organizations subordinate to it operating in multiple provinces; religious organizations in Vietnam joining foreign religious organizations; dissolution or liquidation of religious organizations and their subordinate organizations operating in multiple provinces; dissolution or liquidation of religious training institutions and performing other tasks when delegated or authorized by the Minister of Home Affairs.

7. Advising the Minister of Home Affairs on state management of belief activities and belief facilities, except for belief festivals and belief facilities that are historical-cultural relics or scenic spots already classified or included in the inventory of historical relics by provincial People's Committees.

8. Coordinating with ministries, sectors, localities, central agencies of political-social organizations, and other related organizations to disseminate, propagate, and mobilize the masses to implement the Party's guidelines and state policies on belief and religion.

9. Directly working with ministries, sectors, localities, and reporting directly to the Prime Minister on issues related to state management of religion.

10. Uniformly managing the publication of religious books; publications, teaching materials, purely religious cultural products of belief facilities and religious organizations permitted to operate according to the classification of the Minister of Home Affairs.

11. Awarding rewards within its authority and proposing to competent authorities to award rewards to representatives or management boards of belief facilities; individuals and religious organizations with achievements in the construction and defense of the nation.

12. Implementing international cooperation in the field of belief and religion; guiding and assisting belief facilities, religious organizations, individuals engaged in belief activities, clergy, religious workers, monks, and believers regarding international cooperation in the field of belief and religion in accordance with the law; serving as the point of contact for belief facilities and religious organizations in international cooperative activities.

13. Organizing research and application of science and technology in the field of belief and religion; summarizing practical experiences and providing scientific evidence for the formulation and implementation of the Party's guidelines and state policies on belief and religion.

14. Guiding and inspecting the implementation of operational mechanisms of public service organizations in the field of belief and religion in accordance with the law.

15. Training staff, civil servants, and officials engaged in belief and religion work at ministries, sectors, and localities on specialized knowledge, skills, and professional practices. Disseminating to clergy and believers of religions about the Party's policies and state laws and regulations on state management of religion.

16. Implementing administrative reform in accordance with the goals and contents of the state administrative reform program approved by competent authorities.

17. Inspecting, investigating, settling complaints and denunciations; handling according to its authority or recommending competent authorities to handle in accordance with the law against violations of laws on belief and religion; preventing corruption, practicing thrift, and combating waste and negative practices in the field of belief and religion in accordance with the law.

18. Management of organizational structure and staffing; implementation of salary systems and incentive policies, training, commendation, and disciplinary measures for civil servants and public officials under the management scope of the Board in accordance with the provisions of the law and the delegation of authority by the Minister of Home Affairs.

19. Manage financial resources and assets assigned and organize the implementation of state budgets allocated according to the provisions of the law.

20. Implementation of other tasks and powers delegated by the Minister of Home Affairs and as provided by law.

In cases of necessity, especially urgent situations, the Head of the Government Committee on Religion shall report and seek direct guidance from the Prime Minister, while also reporting to the Minister of Home Affairs.

Article 3. Organizational Structure

1. Catholic Department.

2. Buddhist Department.

3. Protestant Department.

4. Cao Dai Department.

5. Belief and Other Religions Department.

6. International Relations Department.

7. Legal Affairs and Inspection Department.

8. Department of Organization and Cadre Management.

9. Southern Religious Work Department.

10. Office;

11. Religious Policy Research Institute.

12. Religious Work Magazine.

13. Information Center.

14. Religious Publishing House.

In this Article, units specified from Clause 1 to Clause 10 are administrative units assisting the Head in performing state management tasks; units specified from Clause 11 to Clause 14 are public service units serving the state management functions of the Government Committee on Religion.

Article 4. Leadership of the Board

1. The Government Committee on Religion has a Head and not more than three Deputy Heads. The Minister of Home Affairs decides on the appointment, dismissal, removal, resignation, and suspension of the Head of the Government Committee on Religion after obtaining the opinion of the Prime Minister.

2. The Minister of Home Affairs appoints and dismisses Deputy Heads based on the proposal of the Head of the Government Committee on Religion. Deputy Heads are responsible to the Head and to the law for their assigned areas of work.

3. The Head of the Government Committee on Religion issues the Working Regulations of the Board; recruits, uses, manages civil servants and employees within their jurisdiction; appoints and dismisses civil servants holding leadership positions within the Board; defines the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of subordinate units in accordance with the provisions of the law and the delegation of authority by the Minister of Home Affairs.

Article 5. Effectiveness and Responsibility for Implementation

1. This Decision takes effect from September 20, 2018, replacing Decision No. 06/2015/QĐ-TTg dated February 12, 2015, of the Prime Minister stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Government Committee on Religion under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

2. The Minister of Home Affairs, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, chairpersons of provincial people's committees directly under the central government, and the Head of the Government Committee on Religion are responsible for implementing this Decision./.