Decision No. 337/2005/QD-TTg Issuing the Model Operational Regulations of Ministries, Ministerial-Level Agencies, and Government Agencies

DECISION OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Issuing the Model Regulation on Work Procedures of Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, and government agencies

 

PRIME MINISTER

 Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Government's Work Regulation issued together with Decree No. 23/2003/NĐ-CP dated March 12, 2003;

To implement Decision No. 169/2003/QĐ-TTg dated August 12, 2003 of the Prime Minister approving the Project for Reforming Management Methods and Modernizing Administrative Offices of the State Administration System in Phase I;

Considering the proposal of the Minister, Head of the Government Office,

 DECISION:

 Article 1. This Decision issues the Model Regulation on Work Procedures of Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, and government agencies.

Article 2. Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, and government agencies shall issue their own Work Regulations in accordance with this Model Regulation.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette. Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of government agencies are responsible for implementing this Decision.

The Minister, Chairman of the Government Office shall urge and inspect the implementation of this Decision./.

 

MODEL REGULATION ON WORK PROCEDURES

 

OF MINISTRIES, AGENCIES AT THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

(Issued pursuant to Decision No. 337/2005/QĐ-TTg dated December 19, 2005)

of the Prime Minister)

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope and Objects Regulated

Article 1. This Regulation stipulates principles, responsibility systems, work procedures, working relationships, and the process for handling tasks of ministries (hereinafter referred to collectively as "Ministry").

Clause 2. All cadres, civil servants, units under the Ministry; organizations and individuals having working relations with the Ministry are subject to this Regulation.

This Regulation applies to government agencies. The head of a government agency shall perform the provisions applicable to a Minister (except for signing to promulgate legal normative documents). Deputy heads of government agencies shall perform the provisions applicable to Deputy Ministers. Units directly under government agencies shall perform the provisions applicable to units directly under Ministries.

Article 2. Principles of Work

Clause 1. The Ministry operates under the head system. All activities of the Ministry must comply with the law and the Ministry’s Work Regulation. Cadres and civil servants of the Ministry must handle and resolve tasks within their scope of responsibility and authority.

Clause 2. In task assignment, each task shall be assigned to only one unit or person who will be primarily responsible. If a task has been assigned to a unit, the head of that unit shall be primarily responsible for the assigned task.

Clause 3. Ensure compliance with the procedure, formalities, and deadlines for handling tasks as prescribed by law, program, plan, schedule, and the Work Regulation, except in cases of emergency or special requirements from higher authorities.

Clause 4. Ensure the full utilization of cadres' capabilities and strengths, promote cooperation, and information exchange in handling tasks and all activities according to the functions, duties, and powers prescribed by law.

Clause 5. Ensure democracy, transparency, clarity, and effectiveness in all activities.

Chapter II

RESPONSIBILITY FOR HANDLING TASKS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Article 3. Responsibilities and Scope of Handling Tasks of the Minister, Head of an Agency at the Ministerial Level

Clause 1. The Minister, Head of an Agency at the Ministerial Level (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Minister") shall have the following responsibilities:

Point a) Direct and manage the Ministry to fulfill its functions, duties, and powers as prescribed by the Constitution, the Law on the Organization of the Government, Government Decrees on the functions, duties, powers, and organizational structure of Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, and government agencies, and related legal documents;

Point b) Assign tasks to Deputy Ministers and deputy heads of agencies at the ministerial level (collectively referred to as "Deputy Ministers"); delegate provincial and municipal people's committees to handle certain tasks within the Ministry's jurisdiction; authorize heads of units under the Ministry to carry out specific tasks within the legal framework; actively coordinate with other Ministries and agencies to address issues related to the Ministry's duties or those assigned by the Government or the Prime Minister;

Point c) Direct the guidance, inspection, and supervision of the activities of Ministries, sectors, local people's committees, other organizations, specialized agencies at the grassroots level, and units under the Ministry in implementing laws, assigned tasks, and delegated powers within the Ministry's administrative domain;

Point d) Sign documents within the Minister's authority.

Clause 2. Scope of Handling Tasks of the Minister

Point a) Tasks within the authority prescribed in the Constitution, the Law on the Organization of the Government, the Government's Work Regulation, related legal documents, and the tasks specified in Clause 1 of this Article;

Point b) Tasks assigned or delegated by the Government or the Prime Minister;

Point c) Directly handle certain tasks although they have been assigned to Deputy Ministers, but due to urgent or important content, or because Deputy Ministers are absent on official business; tasks involving two or more Deputy Ministers with differing opinions;

Point d) Appoint a Deputy Minister to serve as the permanent Deputy Minister to assist the Minister in managing the Ministry's general operations.

Clause 3. Matters requiring discussion among the Ministry's Leadership (the Minister and Deputy Ministers) before the Minister makes a decision:

Point a) Strategies, planning, and development plans for sectors and fields;

Point b) Annual and long-term programs for drafting legal normative documents of the sector; draft legal normative documents submitted to the Government, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, and the National Assembly for decision;

Point c) Implementation plans for major policies and important legal normative documents issued by higher authorities;

Point d) Key programs and projects of the sector;

Point đ) Allocation and adjustment of annual investment funds;

Point e) Organizational structure and personnel matters of the Ministry as prescribed;

Point g) Annual reports on the implementation of state plans and evaluations of the Ministry's management and direction;

Point h) Matters concerning the signing and participation in international treaties, plans for implementing commitments to ensure international integration;

Point i) Other matters deemed necessary by the Minister for discussion.

Clause i) Other issues that the Minister deems necessary to put forward for discussion.

In cases where it is not possible to organize collective discussions, pursuant to the directive of the Minister, the leading unit shall coordinate with the Ministry's Office to seek opinions from the Deputy Ministers, and submit to the Minister for decision.

After the Deputy Ministers have provided their opinions, the Minister will make the final decision and be responsible for that decision.

Article 4. Responsibilities and scope of work of Deputy Ministers, Deputy Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries

1. Responsibilities for handling work of Deputy Ministers, Deputy Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries (hereinafter referred to collectively as Deputy Ministers):

The Deputy Ministers assigned by the Minister to oversee certain areas and regions of work, and certain agencies and units, may exercise the powers of the Minister on behalf of the Minister when handling matters within their assigned areas and are accountable to the Minister and to the law for their decisions.

When the Minister adjusts the division of responsibilities among Deputy Ministers, they must hand over relevant contents of work, files, and documents to each other and report to the Minister.

2. Scope of work handled by Deputy Ministers:

a) Direct the implementation of state management tasks, drafting normative legal documents, development strategies, plans, projects, and other management documents in the areas assigned by the Minister;

b) Direct the inspection of the implementation of national policies, laws, and the Minister’s decisions within their assigned scope, identify issues requiring amendment or supplementation, and propose them;

c) Independently handle assigned tasks; if issues relate to another Deputy Minister's area, directly coordinate with that Deputy Minister to resolve them. If the opinion of the Minister is required or there are differing opinions among Deputy Ministers, report to the Minister for decision;

d) For issues concerning policy or principles without existing regulations, sensitive issues likely to impact the country's economic and social situation, international agreements, and other important matters, the Deputy Minister must seek the Minister's opinion before making a decision.

Article 5. Acting Deputy Minister

In addition to performing regular duties within their assigned scope, the Acting Deputy Minister has the following authorities and responsibilities:

1. Be authorized by the Minister to represent the Minister in directing general work of the Ministry and signing documents on behalf of the Minister in the absence of the Minister;

2. Be authorized by the Minister to lead coordination activities among Deputy Ministers and directly oversee and direct the activities of the Ministry's Office;

3. Handle urgent tasks of other Deputy Ministers in their absence, based on authorization from the Minister.

Article 6. Responsibilities and scope of work of Heads of Units under the Ministry

Heads of General Departments, Bureaus, Committees, Directorates, Divisions, Institutes, Inspection Departments, Centers... under the Ministry (hereinafter referred to collectively as units under the Ministry) are responsible for:

1. Proactively organizing the implementation of tasks within their functions, responsibilities, and authorities; be accountable to the Minister for the results of assigned tasks; fully implement information and reporting systems as prescribed by law and the Ministry;

2. Report promptly to the Minister or the Deputy Minister in charge for guidance and direction on matters exceeding their authority; do not transfer tasks within their responsibilities and authority to other units or to the Ministry's leadership; do not handle tasks within the responsibilities and authority of other units;

3. Proactively coordinate with Heads of other units to address issues related to their functional tasks and fulfill common Ministry tasks;

4. Perform other tasks assigned by the Minister or Deputy Minister; be authorized by the Minister to handle or sign certain documents within the Minister's authority and be personally accountable to the law and the Minister for the content of the authorization;

5. Develop and monitor the implementation of working regulations in their agency or unit according to the Ministry's guidelines; assign tasks to deputy heads and staff under their management;

6. Delegate authority to deputy heads to manage and operate the unit when absent from the office; report in writing to the Minister or the Deputy Minister in charge if absent for two working days or more and inform the Head of the Ministry's Office. The person delegated authority is accountable to the Head of the unit, the Minister, and the law for all activities of the unit during the delegation period;

7. Ensure the unit complies with state policies and laws, Ministry regulations, and local government policies where the unit is headquartered.

Article 7. Responsibilities and Scope of Work for Civil Servants

1. Proactively research and advise on the specialized field assigned to monitor, as well as tasks assigned by the Head of the Unit or Ministry Leadership according to the unit's professional functions and responsibilities.

2. Bear personal responsibility before the Head of the Unit, before Ministry Leadership, and before the law regarding proposals, progress, quality, and effectiveness of each assigned task; regarding the form, format, procedure, and process for issuing documents and handling assigned tasks.

3. Implement laws and regulations concerning civil servants; regulations of the Ministry and the unit.

Article 8. Working Relationships Between the Ministry and Specialized Agencies Under Provincial People's Committees and Municipalities Directly Under the Central Government

1. The Ministry is responsible for directing, guiding, and inspecting the activities of specialized management agencies under provincial people's committees and municipalities directly under the central government. Local specialized agencies must follow the Ministry’s guidance and direction on professional matters; they must also comply with inspections and audits conducted by the Ministry regarding the implementation of mechanisms, policies, laws, strategies, plans, and development programs approved at the local level.

The Minister and Deputy Ministers must allocate time to work in local areas and grassroots levels (regularly or unexpectedly) to inspect, urge, and direct the implementation of tasks within the Ministry's authority and responsibility.

2. Heads of specialized agencies under provincial people's committees and municipalities directly under the central government must implement major programs of the Ministry and sector at the local level; report to the Ministry on the results of their unit's work as prescribed; participate fully in common activities and attend meetings convened by the Ministry with the required participants; strictly adhere to all management regulations set by the Ministry for the entire sector.

Article 9. Relationships Between Ministry Leadership and Heads of Units Under the Ministry

1. The Minister, Deputy Ministers responsible for fields and units, regularly or unexpectedly convene meetings with Heads of Units or work with leaders of individual units to directly hear reports on situations, direct the implementation of the unit's and Ministry's work programs and plans.

2. Heads of units have the responsibility to promptly report to Ministry Leadership on the results of their work and propose issues requiring resolution when implementing provisions of Article 6 of this Regulation and issues related to mechanisms and policies that need revision and supplementation; propose revisions and supplements to work programs and plans to align with requirements from the Government, Prime Minister, and the Ministry.

Article 10. Relationships Between Heads of Units Under the Ministry

1. When assigned to lead the resolution of issues related to the functions, duties, and authorities of another unit, the Head of the Unit must consult with the Head of that unit. The consulted Head of the Unit has the responsibility to respond according to the requirements of the leading unit.

2. According to the assignment of the Minister, Heads of Units are responsible for coordinating the implementation of Ministry projects and programs. For issues involving multiple units that exceed the authority to resolve or lack the conditions to implement, the leading Head of the Unit must report and propose to Ministry Leadership for consideration and decision.

Article 11. Other Work Relationships

1. The working relationship between the Minister and the Central Committee, Party Committees, agencies of the National Assembly, Government, other Ministries and sectors, localities, central agencies of political-social organizations, and social-professional organizations within the sector shall be carried out in accordance with the Constitution, the Law on the Organization of the Government, relevant legal documents, and related regulations.

The Ministry shall maintain close contact with the Government Office to regularly exchange information, coordinate, and review the implementation of work programs to ensure the high-quality completion of assigned projects and tasks in accordance with the guidance and management of the Government and the Prime Minister.

The Ministry shall regularly coordinate with the People's Committees of provinces in directing the implementation of sectoral tasks, fostering the development of specialized agencies at the local level, training and enhancing the quality of civil servants in terms of professional expertise, administrative skills, and discipline to ensure the completion of all assigned tasks.

2. The work relationship between the Ministry's leadership and the Party Cadre Committee of the Ministry shall be implemented according to the regulations of the Central Party and the Working Regulations of the Party Cadre Committee.

3. The relationship between the Ministry's leadership and the Party Committee of the Ministry shall be carried out in accordance with the regulations of the Party and the regulations on cooperation in work organized and established by the Ministry.

4. The relationship between the Ministry's leadership and the Trade Union of the sector shall be implemented according to the Working Regulations or Joint Resolution on the work relationship and working methods between the Ministry's leadership and the Standing Committee of the Trade Union of the sector.

5. The work relationship between the Ministry's leadership and political-social organizations within the Ministry:

a) Every six months, the Minister or a Deputy Minister authorized by the Minister shall meet with the Standing Committees of political-social organizations within the Ministry to inform them about the policies and measures of the Ministry, address their suggestions, and listen to their opinions on the activities of the Ministry.

b) The heads of political-social organizations within the Ministry may be invited to attend meetings and conferences chaired by the Ministry's leadership that relate to the activities, rights, obligations, and legitimate interests of members of those organizations.

c) The Minister shall create favorable conditions for these organizations to operate effectively, contributing to the fulfillment of the Ministry's assigned political tasks; consult with these organizations before making decisions related to the rights, obligations, and legitimate interests of their members.

6. The relationship between the head of a unit under the Ministry and the Party committee, mass organizations, and officials and civil servants in the unit:

a) The head of the unit shall provide favorable conditions for the Party organization and mass organizations to operate in accordance with their charters, purposes, and objectives; cooperate with the Party committee and mass organizations to care for and provide working and learning conditions for officials and civil servants in the unit to enhance their political, professional, and vocational qualifications; ensure the implementation of democratic regulations in the operation of the agency, build a workplace culture and administrative discipline.

b) Officials and civil servants who are Party members and members of mass organizations shall set an example by completing their assigned tasks in accordance with the laws on officials and civil servants; strictly implement regulations on the duties and responsibilities of Party members and members of mass organizations and related civil service regulations; handle matters in accordance with procedures and deadlines; be responsible to the head of the unit for the results of the assigned tasks.

Chapter III

CHAPTER PROGRAM OF WORK OF THE MINISTRY

Article 12. Types of program of work

1. Annual program of work:

a) Requirements:

- Proposals and tasks registered in the annual program of work of the Ministry must reflect the combination of tasks set forth in relevant documents and directives from superiors with the proactive proposals of units. Each proposal and task needs to clearly define its main content; the leading unit, cooperating units, responsible person, level to submit, and deadline for submission at each level;

- Units must be responsible for the progress of preparation and content of tasks they propose to include in the Ministry's program of work.

b) Assignment of implementation:

- The Ministry’s Office shall take the lead in coordinating with Departments, Bureaus, and related units to develop the annual program of work of the Ministry;

- At the latest on November 5 of the previous year, units under the Ministry shall send the Ministry’s Office a list of tasks to be submitted to various levels in the following year. The Ministry’s Office has the responsibility to compile and submit to the Ministry’s leadership for signature and send to the Government Office to register the Ministry’s tasks to be included in the Government’s program of work before November 15 annually;

- Within five working days after receiving the annual program of work of the Government and the Prime Minister from the Government Office, the Ministry’s Office must detail it into a draft annual program of work of the Ministry to be sent to related units for comments;

- Units must provide formal written opinions to the Ministry’s Office for consolidation and request guidance from the Minister. The Ministry’s Office assists the Minister in consulting the opinions of Vice Ministers through the procedures specified in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Regulation to approve the annual program of work of the Ministry;

- The Director of the Ministry’s Office shall submit to the Minister for signature and issuance, and send to the heads of units under the Ministry for implementation.

In addition to implementing the provisions of this Regulation, the program for drafting regulatory legal documents must also comply with the provisions of the Law on Enacting Regulatory Legal Documents and related documents.

2. Quarterly program of work:

a) Requirements: Proposals and tasks listed in the quarterly program of work of the Ministry must clearly define their main content, leading unit, cooperating units, responsible person, and submission deadlines to the Government, Prime Minister, or Minister, Deputy Minister for decision.

b) Assignment of implementation:

- By the 15th day of the last month of each quarter, units must send the Ministry’s Office a proposed quarterly program of work. Any additional tasks or changes in timeframes must be reported in writing to the Ministry’s leadership. Beyond this deadline, units that fail to submit will be considered as having no need for adjustments;

- By the 20th day of the last month of each quarter, the Ministry’s Office must compile the next quarter's program of work of the Ministry, submit it to the Minister for review and decision. For issues submitted to the Government, Prime Minister, if there are changes in timeframes, the Ministry’s Office must report in writing to the Ministry’s leadership for signature to request the Prime Minister's approval for adjustment. Only after acceptance can units proceed according to the new schedule.

The first-quarter program of work is reflected in the report and annual program of work; the second-quarter program of work is reflected in the report and six-month program of work.

3. Monthly program of work:

a) Each month, units base on the quarterly program of work to develop and implement the monthly program of work. If the monthly program of work progress is delayed, units must report to the Minister before the 20th of each month;

b) By the 27th of each month, the Ministry’s Office must compile the next month's program of work of the Ministry, submit it to the Minister for review and decision, and notify the units.

The monthly work program at the beginning of each quarter is specifically reflected in the quarterly work program.

4. Weekly work program of the Minister and Deputy Ministers:

a) Based on the monthly work program and the directives of the Minister, the Ministry's Office coordinates with relevant units to develop the weekly work program, submit it for approval by the Ministry's leadership, and send it to the units by Friday of each week;

b) When there are changes to the weekly work program of the Ministry's leadership, the Secretary of the Minister and the Deputy Ministers' assistants promptly notify the Ministry's Office to update the information on the Ministry's computer network and inform the relevant parties.

5. Work programs of units under the Ministry:

a) Based on the Ministry's work program and their assigned functions, tasks, and authorities, units must develop their work plans and organize their implementation. This program must clearly define responsibilities for each staff member within the unit; simultaneously, it must clearly outline the schedule for implementing tasks to ensure progress and submit them for review by higher-level leaders according to the Ministry's work program;

b) Unit heads are responsible for monitoring, urging, and creating conditions for the unit to complete its work programs and plans. In cases where subjective or objective difficulties prevent completion of tasks according to the planned schedule, they must promptly report to the Deputy Minister overseeing the relevant field and inform the Ministry's Office to adjust the overall program and find solutions to address the issues.

Article 13. Preparation of proposals and projects

1. Based on the annual work program, the head of the unit responsible for leading the proposal or project, including projects to draft regulatory legal documents (hereinafter referred to as the proposal), must establish a detailed plan for preparing the proposal. After obtaining approval from the Ministry's leadership, the leading unit must notify the Ministry's Office about this plan for tracking and urging its implementation. The leading unit must closely coordinate with related agencies and units to implement the approved plan accurately.

For the preparation of draft regulatory legal documents, in addition to following the provisions of this Regulation, they must also comply with the Law on Enacting Regulatory Legal Documents and related documents.

2. If the leading unit changes the submission deadline or content of the proposal, it must report and obtain the consent of the Minister or the Deputy Minister overseeing the relevant field.

Article 14. Coordination Relationships in Proposal Preparation

1. The head of the unit responsible for drafting the proposal (hereinafter referred to as the proposer) invites the heads of related units to discuss the preparation of the proposal or requests to assign personnel to participate in the preparation of the proposal. Invited units have the responsibility to send representatives as requested by the proposer. Representatives participating in the preparation of the proposal must regularly report and seek opinions from the head of their unit during the process of drafting the proposal. These coordination activities cannot replace the formal procedures for soliciting opinions as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article.

2. After the proposal has been prepared, the proposer must formally solicit opinions from related units through the following methods:

a) Organizing a meeting: The proposer sends out invitations and meeting materials to the heads of related units in advance. The proposer hosts the meeting, introduces the content, and collects opinions to supplement and perfect the proposal. Discussion points must be recorded in the minutes signed by the chairperson of the meeting.

Units invited to attend the meeting must send authorized representatives to participate, express the head of their unit's opinion (if any), and report the conclusions of the meeting fully to the head of their unit. In cases where the invited unit's representative is absent, the proposer sends the relevant parts of the conclusion to that unit and the head of that unit must respond in writing;

b) Sending letters to solicit opinions: The proposer sends the final draft of the proposal and accompanying documents to the heads of related units to solicit opinions. The heads of units asked for opinions are responsible for expressing formal opinions in writing and submitting them to the proposer within the time frame specified by the Ministry's working regulations. Opinion letters must clearly state points of agreement, disagreement, and recommendations for amendments and supplements. If the proposal documents are unclear or complex issues require additional research time, the unit asked for opinions may request the proposer to clarify or provide necessary additional documents and agree on a response deadline, but not exceeding the maximum limit set by the Ministry's working regulations;

c) Soliciting opinions via the computer network: the content and implementation deadlines are the same as point b of Clause 2 of this Article.

Article 15. Monitoring and evaluating the results of implementing the work program

1. Monthly, quarterly, every six months, and annually, the heads of units shall review, compile statistics, and evaluate the implementation of their work programs; they shall submit these to the Ministry's Office for consolidation and report to the Minister on the results of handling assigned tasks, pending tasks, subsequent handling directions, and recommendations for adjusting and supplementing future work programs.

2. Deputy Ministers responsible for projects and programs shall direct units to implement according to approved plans; they shall report to the Minister before final acceptance, approval, or submission to higher authorities.

3. The Ministry's Office shall regularly monitor, inspect, and urge subordinate units to prepare projects; monthly, quarterly, every six months, and at year-end, it shall report on the implementation of the Ministry’s work program. The results of implementing the work program must be considered a significant criterion for assessing the completion of each unit's tasks.

Chapter IV

PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING WORK BY MINISTRY LEADERS

Article 16. Methods for Handling Work by Ministry Leaders

1. The Minister and Deputy Ministers shall consider and resolve work based on the "Work Resolution Form" according to the Ministry's model.

2. The Minister and Deputy Ministers shall chair meetings and work with leaders of relevant agencies, organizations, and experts to seek opinions before resolving important issues that cannot be immediately resolved through the method prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. Other methods for resolving work as stipulated in this Regulation include conducting fieldwork and handling work at the grassroots level, directly working with units under their jurisdiction, receiving guests, and other methods prescribed by the Minister or delegated.

Article 17. Procedures for Submitting Documents and Requesting Resolution of Work

1. Procedures for submitting to the Minister and Deputy Ministers for resolution of work:

a) Official letters and reports to Ministry leaders must be signed by the head of the unit under the Ministry or the head of the specialized agency at the provincial or centrally-administered city level, and stamped (if applicable) within their authority;

b) For matters related to the functions and responsibilities of other units, the dossier submitted must include formal written opinions from those units; proposals from localities concerning regional or territorial mechanisms and policies must have written opinions from the Chairman of the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city;

c) Dossiers for documents and projects include:

- The report to the Minister must clearly explain the main content of the project, the grounds for recommendations, and different opinions. For normative legal documents, the content of the report must comply with the Law on Enacting Normative Legal Documents and related guiding documents. For international treaties and agreements, it must comply with the relevant regulations;

- Written opinions of the unit reviewing the project according to the law or the Ministry's regulations;

- A report explaining the adoption of opinions from related units, including advisory opinions (if any);

- Any necessary additional documents.

2. Official letters and reports requesting resolution of work shall only be sent one original copy to the competent unit. If copies need to be sent to related units for information or coordination, only the names of those units should be listed in the "To" section of the document.

3. For agencies and organizations not under the administrative or professional management of the Ministry, the procedures for sending official letters to the Ministry shall follow current laws on archival work. Foreign agencies and organizations may follow international practices for sending official letters to the Ministry.

Article 18. Responsibilities of the Ministry's Office in presenting matters to the Ministry's Leadership for resolution

1. The Ministry's Office shall only present matters within the purview of the Minister or Deputy Minister to the Minister or Deputy Minister when all required procedures and files as stipulated in Article 17 of this Regulation are complete.

 

2. Upon receiving project proposal files or work from units or localities for presentation to the Minister or Deputy Minister, the Ministry's Office shall have the following responsibilities:

a) Reviewing procedural aspects: If the submitted project proposal or work does not comply with regulations, the Ministry's Office shall return the file to the submitting unit within no more than 2 working days, clearly stating the requirements for compliance. For urgent issues, the Ministry's Office shall issue a notification for the submitting unit or locality to supplement the necessary files, while simultaneously reporting to the Minister or Deputy Minister.

b) Reviewing formal aspects of the document: If the content of the submitted project proposal or work does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Minister, is not consistent with the draft document to be issued, or if the file is insufficiently clear to make a decision, the Ministry's Office shall return the document to the submitting agency within no more than 3 working days, clearly stating the reasons for returning it.

c) Reviewing substantive aspects: If there are unclear issues or differing opinions among related units regarding the handling approach within the content of the project proposal or work, the Ministry's Office shall request the project proposer to provide additional explanations or, upon authorization by the responsible Minister or Deputy Minister, the Director of the Ministry's Office shall convene a meeting with the project proposer and related units, or send a document to seek additional opinions from other units to handle the matter and report to the responsible Minister or Deputy Minister.

3. Within the latest 5 working days from the date of receipt of properly submitted files, the Ministry's Office must complete the file and procedures for submission to the Minister or Deputy Minister. The resolution request form must clearly, fully, and faithfully reflect the opinions of the units, including differing opinions; the recommendations of the directly supervising specialist; and the opinion of the Ministry's Office leadership. The resolution request form must be accompanied by all relevant files.

4. Files presented to the Ministry's Leadership must be catalogued by the Ministry's Office (including electronic files) to monitor the processing progress.

Article 19. Handling submitted files and notifying results

1. Within the latest 5 working days from the date of submission by the Ministry's Office, the Minister or Deputy Minister shall be responsible for processing the submitted files and providing official comments on the resolution request form.

2. For projects or works where the Minister or Deputy Minister requests expert advice or requires the project proposer and related units to provide additional explanations before making a decision, the Ministry's Office shall coordinate with related units to prepare all necessary contents and organize meetings between the Minister or Deputy Minister, experts, the project proposer, and related units as stipulated in Article 20 of this Regulation, prior to making a decision.

In cases where necessary, the Minister or Deputy Minister may delegate the Director of the Ministry's Office or the Heads of subordinate units to chair the meetings specified in Clause 2 of this Article and report in writing to the Minister or Deputy Minister about the meeting outcomes.

3. For matters within the scope of collective discussions by the Ministry's Leadership before the Minister makes a decision as stipulated in Clause 3 of Article 3 of this Regulation, the Minister or Deputy Minister, based on their assigned areas, shall review the content and nature of each project to decide:

a) Permitting the project proposer to complete the necessary procedures and register with the Ministry's Office to schedule presentation to the collective Ministry's Leadership at the next available meeting;

b) Assigning the project proposer to prepare additional materials if the content is deemed inadequate;

c) Assigning the project proposer to follow the procedures outlined in Point b, Clause 2 of Article 14 of this Regulation to obtain opinions from related units.

4. Based on the directives of the Minister or Deputy Minister regarding the content of the project or work, the Head of the main unit shall cooperate with the Ministry's Office to finalize the draft document for issuance. Any content related to mechanisms or policies must be reflected in a document sent to the relevant unit or locality. For specialized work matters submitted by units that do not require a document from the Ministry, once the Ministry's Leadership has provided comments on the file, the Ministry's Office shall notify the submitting unit.

5. Within the latest 15 working days from the date of receipt of all files, if there is no final decision from the Minister or Deputy Minister, the Ministry's Office must notify the submitting unit or locality in writing, clearly stating the reasons.

Article 20. Organizing Regular Work Meetings

1. The Minister or Deputy Minister responsible for the sector shall convene meetings with experts, project leaders, and representatives of relevant units to hear advisory opinions and recommendations before making decisions on work matters.

a) Responsibilities of the Ministry's Office:

- Urging the project leader unit to prepare all meeting materials, send out invitations along with the materials at least three working days before the meeting date (except in special cases approved by the Minister or Deputy Minister to send materials later);

- Preparing the venue and conditions for the meeting, coordinating with related units to fulfill this task if the meeting is held outside the Ministry;

- Recording the minutes of the meeting and may record audio when necessary;

- Notifying in writing the conclusions of the Minister or Deputy Minister regarding the meeting content (if necessary).

b) Responsibilities of the project leader:

- Preparing all meeting materials according to the notification from the Ministry's Office;

- Preparing explanations for issues related to the meeting content;

- After the meeting, coordinating with the Ministry's Office to complete the project proposal or document submitted based on the conclusions of the Minister or Deputy Minister.

2. The leadership collective of the Ministry shall convene meetings to handle work matters specified in Clause 3, Article 3, weekly briefing meetings, or monthly regular meetings, following the procedures stipulated in Chapter V of this Regulation.

Chapter V

ORGANIZING CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

Article 21. Types of Conferences and Meetings

Based on work requirements and the scope of the field of work, the Ministry organizes conferences and meetings on the principles of practicality, effectiveness, and economy.

1. Conferences include: Sector-wide conferences, specialized conferences (implementing, mid-term reviews, final summaries of one or several specialized topics), training conferences on professional tasks.

2. Meetings chaired by the Ministry's leadership include:

- Monthly and quarterly regular meetings of the Ministry's leadership;

- Regional briefing meetings, group briefing meetings;

- Weekly briefing meetings of the Ministry's leadership;

- Meetings between the Ministry's leadership and central agency leaders, local leaders at the Ministry's headquarters;

- Meetings between the Ministry's leadership and localities and units within the sector at local sites;

- Collective meetings of the Ministry's leadership and other meetings to resolve work matters.

3. Meetings chaired by the heads of units under the Ministry:

- Units under the Ministry organize meetings chaired by unit leaders to resolve professional and other work matters within their functions and responsibilities as prescribed;

- Unit leaders under the Ministry may chair meetings and work sessions with representatives of related agencies upon authorization by the Minister or Deputy Minister responsible for such matters as stipulated in this Regulation;

- Inviting Provincial Party Committee leaders, People's Councils, People's Committees of localities to attend meetings must be approved by the Ministry's leadership;

- When inviting leaders of specialized departments to attend meetings, units under the Ministry must report to the Ministry's leadership for approval and must coordinate with the Ministry's Office to arrange schedules to avoid overlapping meeting invitations.

Article 22. Meeting Preparation Work

1. Approving Proposals

a) The Minister decides on the following meetings:

- Sector-wide conferences (when requiring the Prime Minister's opinion, follow the Government's Working Regulations);

- Specialized conferences, training sessions (within the Minister's responsibility);

- Monthly and quarterly regular meetings of the Ministry's leadership;

- Regional briefing meetings;

- Weekly briefing meetings of the Ministry's leadership;

- Collective meetings of the Ministry's leadership and other meetings to resolve work matters;

- Meetings between the Ministry's leadership and central agency leaders, provincial leaders directly under the Central Government.

b) The Deputy Minister decides on proposals for meetings within their assigned sectors, including:

- Group briefing meetings;

- Meetings and work sessions at units and localities;

- Specialized conferences, training sessions;

- Other meetings chaired by the Deputy Minister to resolve work matters.

c) Heads of units decide on meetings chaired by unit leaders to resolve professional and other work matters within their functions and responsibilities.

2. Developing Conference Organization Plans:

The organizing unit is responsible for preparing the content and building a conference organization plan to seek the Ministry's leadership approval on:

- Conference content, assignment of report preparation;

- Composition, time, and location of the meeting;

- Budget estimate (content of expenses, financial sources);

- Proposed establishment of the conference organizing committee (if applicable);

- Proposed conference program;

- Other necessary issues.

3. Preparing and Approving Reports:

a) The Ministry's Office informs related units about key reports, summary reports, and required documents. The organizing unit drafts and submits the reports and necessary documents to the Minister or Deputy Minister responsible for the sector for approval. The head of the organizing unit is responsible for thoroughly checking the content and format of the reports and documents before submitting them to the Ministry's leadership for approval;

b) Deadline for submitting reports to the Ministry's leadership for approval:

- Key reports must be sent to the Ministry's Office at least five working days before the conference to complete the approval procedures;

- Major programs and projects must be discussed at the monthly regular meeting of the Ministry's leadership and must be submitted to the Ministry's leadership two days before the meeting;

- Specialized reports requiring approval by the sectoral leadership must be submitted one day before the meeting;

c) For sector-wide conferences involving multiple units, the Ministry's Office is responsible for urging the units to draft reports and submit them to the Ministry's leadership within the prescribed timeframe; promptly reporting to the Ministry's leadership to resolve issues beyond the unit's capacity and authority;

Meetings addressing only one topic according to the specialty are prepared by the organizing unit according to the plan;

d) Reports approved by the Ministry's leadership include: Summary reports on the Ministry's six-month, annual, and five-year directive and management work; Summary reports on the implementation of programs, projects, and work matters specified in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Regulation; Reports on the implementation of major programs of the Ministry.

4. Inviting to Meetings: The Ministry's Office or the organizing unit sends out invitations to the listed attendees. Invitations for the Ministry's leadership, Provincial People's Committee leadership, and equivalent or higher levels must be signed by the Ministry's leadership.

5. Printing materials and preparing conditions to serve meetings:

a) The Office of the Ministry shall be responsible for printing meeting documents prepared by units under the Ministry. Units under the Ministry with separate budgets must print meeting documents according to the necessary quantity;

b) If the meeting is organized within the Ministry's premises, the Office of the Ministry shall be responsible for arranging meeting rooms. If the meeting is organized outside the Ministry's premises, the Office of the Ministry shall arrange shuttle buses, dining, and accommodation for delegates from the Ministry. Delegates from units with separate budgets shall ensure their own means of transportation and accommodation according to current regulations;

c) Meeting expenses shall be allocated according to the general provisions of the State and approved plans but must ensure economy;

d) The meeting agenda shall be drafted by the unit assigned to chair the meeting and submitted to the Ministry’s leadership for approval.

Article 23. Organizing Meetings

1. Implementing the organization of meetings:

- After the agenda has been approved, the unit organizing the meeting shall be responsible for implementing it; registering delegates and discussion topics to report to the meeting chairperson and handling other necessary situations;

- During the meeting, the chairperson shall manage the meeting according to the planned agenda; may decide to adjust the agenda based on actual requirements but must notify attendees;

- The chairperson managing the meeting must clearly conclude on the contents and topics discussed during the meeting.

2. Recording minutes and announcing meeting results:

a) The unit chairing the meeting content shall be responsible for appointing a secretary to record the meeting minutes (if necessary) and drafting the notification of the conclusions made by the Ministry’s leadership at the meeting, to be sent to the Director of the Office of the Ministry for review by the Minister or Deputy Minister before signing and issuing;

b) The Office of the Ministry shall cooperate with related units to draft notifications of sectoral conferences, regular meetings of the Ministry’s leadership, weekly meetings of the Ministry’s leadership, and meetings of the Ministry’s leadership with leaders of central agencies, localities, and units within the sector;

c) Sectoral units shall draft notifications of conclusions from specialized conferences and meetings of the Ministry’s leadership to address urgent matters within their specialty;

d) Other cases shall be assigned by the Ministry’s leadership.

3. Reporting meeting results:

a) A Deputy Minister shall report the results of the conference chaired by themselves to the Minister after the conference ends;

b) For conferences and meetings delegated by the Ministry’s leadership to the heads of units to chair, after the end, the person delegated must report to the Minister and Deputy Minister in charge about the results of the conference, meeting, and issues exceeding the authority of the unit for timely handling by the Ministry’s leadership;

4. Post-meeting tasks:

The Office of the Ministry together with the assigned unit shall be responsible for organizing the implementation of the contents concluded by the Ministry’s leadership at conferences and meetings; checking, urging, and compiling reports to the Ministry’s leadership on the results of implementing those conclusions.

Chapter VI

ISSUING MINISTRY DOCUMENTS

Article 24. Time limit for issuing documents

1. Within two working days from the date the document is signed and issued, the Office of the Ministry shall be responsible for sending the document to relevant organizations and individuals.

2. Within five working days from the date the Ministry’s leadership approves or provides guidance on the content of proposals, projects, or work, the Office of the Ministry shall cooperate with related units to complete procedures for issuing the document or notifying the conclusions of the Ministry’s leadership at the meeting.

3. Within three working days from the date of the monthly regular meeting of the Ministry’s leadership, the Office of the Ministry must issue a notification of the conclusions of the Ministry’s leadership at the meeting.

Article 25. Provisions on signing documents

1. The Minister signs the following documents:

a) Legal normative documents within their authority, administrative management documents of the Ministry, international agreements, organizational structure and personnel documents in accordance with the provisions of the law;

b) Documents submitted to central Party agencies, the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister;

c) Approving projects, programs, documents, and agreements authorized by the Prime Minister;

d) Approving investment policies for projects according to the State's and the Ministry's regulations on basic construction investment management;

đ) Delegating powers to the Director of Departments, Heads of Divisions, Inspector General of the Ministry, and Secretary of the Ministry’s Office to handle certain tasks within the Minister's authority during a specified period;

e) Decisions on recruitment, appointment, commendation, disciplinary action, salary increase, business trips, and study leave for cadres and civil servants under the decentralized management authority as stipulated by law.

2. Deputy Ministers assigned by the Minister sign the following documents:

a) Individual decisions, technical design approval decisions, total budget estimates, final accounts, project item accounts, investment project final accounts as prescribed by the State's and the Ministry's regulations on investment and construction management, disposal of fixed assets, and documents handling issues within the scope entrusted by the Minister;

b) Some documents stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article in the fields or sectors assigned by the Minister.

When the Minister is absent, the Acting Deputy Minister signs documents within the Minister's authority.

3. Heads of units under the Ministry sign the following documents:

a) Signing on behalf of the Minister some types of documents according to individual decisions of the Minister for each unit's leadership;

b) Leaders of General Departments, Committees, Inspection Department, and Departments under the Ministry sign all documents within their specialized functions and tasks delegated and managed, and sign some documents on behalf of the Minister according to individual decisions of the Minister for each unit.

Article 26. Issuing Documents

1. The Ministry's Office is responsible for issuing Ministry documents after they have been signed by the competent authority, and organizing updates onto the Ministry's wide-area computer network.

2. The Minister assigns the Ministry's Office (or a specialized unit) to organize the submission for publication in the Official Gazette, the Government's wide-area computer network, and the Ministry's website for documents issued by the Ministry.

3. Ministry newspapers and magazines are responsible for publishing lists and introducing contents of documents stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article.

4. The issuance of documents and the management of issued documents must ensure compliance with laws governing the management of state secrets.

Chapter VII

INSPECTION OF DOCUMENT IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSIGNED TASKS

AND DUTIES

Article 27. Scope and Objectives of Inspection

1. Scope: The Ministry is responsible for inspecting the implementation of superior-level documents and those issued by the Ministry that prescribe tasks and work that the Ministry and its subordinate agencies and units, and sectors under the Ministry's management must carry out.

2. Objectives: Agencies and units under the Ministry, sectors under the Ministry's management are subject to inspection by the Ministry.

3. Inspections of other Ministries, sectors, and People's Committees at various levels regarding the implementation of related documents are carried out in accordance with legal provisions.

Article 28. Inspection Authority

1. The Minister shall inspect all activities of units under the Ministry, sector, and field within the scope of the Ministry's functions, tasks, and powers, and those of the Minister as prescribed by law.

2. The Deputy Minister shall inspect the activities of units and specialized fields assigned to their responsibility and carry out inspection tasks assigned by the Minister.

3. Heads of units shall be responsible for inspecting within the scope of their functions, tasks, and powers as prescribed and inspect the implementation of tasks delegated or entrusted by the Ministry's leadership.

Article 29. Forms of Inspection

1. Self-inspection by units: Heads of units under the Ministry shall regularly organize self-inspections of the implementation of documents and tasks assigned at their units, identify any difficulties, and propose timely measures to address them.

2. The Ministry conducts inspections:

a) The Ministry’s leadership, functional agencies' leadership under the Ministry, and civil servants assigned inspection tasks shall conduct on-site work directly at the unit to be inspected to understand the situation.

b) The Ministry’s leadership shall request agencies and units to report in writing on the situation and results of implementing assigned documents and tasks.

c) The Minister may delegate a Department or Bureau-level officer to lead the inspection or decide to establish inspection teams to oversee the implementation of documents in specific fields or tasks that require focused guidance during certain periods. The leading unit shall coordinate with related units to develop an inspection outline, submit it for approval by the Ministry’s leadership, and implement it.

d) Inspect through organizing mid-term and final review meetings (this form applies to large programs and projects).

e) Other forms decided by the Minister.

Article 30. Reporting Inspection Results

1. Upon completion of the inspection, the person in charge of the inspection must inform the head of the inspected unit of the inspection results and report to the head responsible for the inspection. The report must clearly state the content of the inspection, evaluate strengths and weaknesses, violations, corrective measures, and recommended sanctions (if applicable).

2. The head of the inspection unit must prepare a written report to the Ministry on the inspection results, simultaneously informing the inspected unit and related units within the Ministry. If violations are discovered, they must be handled according to authority or referred to the competent authority for handling.

The head of the inspection unit is responsible for monitoring post-inspection actions, requiring the inspected unit to rectify violations according to the decision of the competent authority, and reporting the post-inspection rectification results to the Ministry’s leadership.

3. At the end of each quarter, heads of units under the Ministry must report to the Ministry on the implementation of documents and tasks assigned by the Ministry’s leadership within their units.

4. The Ministry’s Office shall compile and report to the Ministry on the inspection situation of document implementation and assigned tasks at the mid-year review meeting and the annual work summary meeting of the Ministry.

Chapter VIII

Article 4. Locations for Citizen Reception

Article 31. Responsibilities of the Minister

1. The Minister must have a schedule for receiving citizens, adjusting the number of citizen reception sessions monthly based on work requirements. The Minister may delegate this duty to the Deputy Minister but must personally receive citizens at least once every quarter.

2. Direct the Ministry Inspectorate, the Ministry’s Office, and heads of units under the Ministry to strictly perform the task of receiving citizens who file complaints, reports, reflections, and suggestions; promptly resolve complaints and reports within their authority; respectfully listen to citizens' opinions to improve and enhance the effectiveness of work.

Article 32. Responsibilities of the Ministry's Office

1. Arrange a reception room for citizens and necessary conditions, equipment to serve citizen reception at the Ministry's headquarters in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (if applicable); guide and welcome citizens in accordance with regulations.

2. Promptly notify the Ministry's Inspectorate when citizens come to request complaints and denunciations to be resolved.

3. Schedule meetings between the Ministry's leadership and citizens monthly in accordance with legal provisions and the Inspector General's recommendations.

Article 33. Responsibilities of the Ministry's Inspectorate

1. Arrange staff to permanently receive citizens at the Ministry's reception room. Citizen reception and complaint resolution shall be carried out in accordance with legal provisions on complaints and denunciations and citizen reception.

2. Require heads of relevant units to dispatch authorized staff to participate in citizen reception at the reception room when necessary.

3. Guide and respond to citizens' complaints, denunciations, and suggestions.

4. Proactively coordinate with relevant units to prepare files and materials for the Ministry's leadership to meet with citizens.

5. Implement reporting procedures to the Ministry's leadership and the Chief Inspector General regarding citizen reception work.

Article 34. Responsibilities of Heads of Units under the Ministry

1. Heads of units are responsible for coordinating with the Inspector General in citizen reception, handling complaints, denunciations, reflections, and suggestions from citizens.

2. Dispatch specialized staff in accordance with the Inspectorate's requirements to participate in citizen reception at the reception room; dispatch staff to join inspection and verification teams to handle specific cases according to the Ministry's leadership directives and the Inspectorate's requests.

Chapter IX

BUSINESS TRIPS, GUESTS

Article 35. Domestic Business Trips

1. Participating in inter-ministerial working groups:

a) The dispatch of officials and civil servants to participate in state working groups, inter-ministerial working groups at localities and units (collectively referred to as the base) must comply with the required composition. Issues related to the sector must be prepared in writing according to the requirements of the working group leader;

b) Upon completion of the working program, within five working days at the latest, participants must submit a written report to the head who dispatched them about the results of the working program, issues related to the sector proposed by the base during the meeting, and the conclusions of the group leader.

2. The Ministry's leadership organizes trips to the base:

a) When there is a directive from the Ministry's leadership, the unit assigned to take the lead must coordinate with the Ministry's Office to contact the base to unify the working program and plan, and submit it to the group leader;

b) After the program and plan have been approved, the Ministry's Office will notify the relevant units to prepare accordingly;

Unit heads must dispatch staff to participate in the working group according to the Ministry's leadership requirements, while ensuring compliance with point a, Clause 3, Article 3 of this Decree;

c) Reports and necessary documents must be completed before the day of work, reported to the Ministry's leadership, and sent to relevant units and agencies in advance;

d) Before the day of work, the leading unit must finalize the program and plan with the base unit, report to the Ministry's leadership;

e) Organizing work: The leading unit is responsible for coordinating with the base unit to implement tasks according to the unified program and plan, handle arising situations, seek opinions from the Ministry's leadership if beyond authority. Work content must be prepared before the day of work and meet the Ministry's leadership requirements;

f) After completing the program and plan, the leading unit must cooperate with the base unit to draft a notification about the work results, the Ministry's leadership conclusions, send it to the Ministry's Office Director for approval before signing and issuing. The Ministry's Office is responsible for checking and urging implementation of the notification issued by the Ministry.

3. Other working groups:

a) Unit heads must ensure that officials dispatched under their management comply with the relevant composition based on the content and program of the working trip; if the working period is two working days or more, they must arrange substitutes to handle regular work;

b) Working groups dispatched to the base must prepare plans, programs, contents, and report to the responsible leaders and notify the base at least three working days before arrival:

- Working groups should arrange shared transportation to save costs;

- Do not combine travel and tourism programs during the working period;

- Working groups at the base only handle and resolve issues within the announced content and program and within the group's authority, while fully recording all relevant suggestions from the base;

- Within three working days after returning from the working trip, the working group leader must submit a written report to the unit head who dispatched them about the results, relevant suggestions from the base, and proposals for organizing the implementation of those suggestions.

Article 36. Official Overseas Trips

1. Participation in delegations led by Party, State, National Assembly, Government, and inter-ministerial leaders:

a) Officials and civil servants assigned to participate in delegations must prepare in writing issues related to their field according to the delegation's requirements and bear legal responsibility for the contents of those documents;

b) Within five working days after completing the program, officials participating in the delegation must report in writing to the head of the agency that dispatched them about the results of the work and the conclusions of the delegation leader.

2. Delegations hosted by Ministry Leaders:

a) When there is a delegation led by the Minister or Deputy Minister visiting and conducting formal business with other countries, international organizations, attending international conferences, inter-governmental committee meetings with other countries, the International Cooperation Department or units designated by the Minister (hereinafter referred to as the International Cooperation Department) shall be responsible for preparing procedures for establishing the delegation, the content of the program, preparing reports for approval by the delegation leader, assigning staff from the department to join the delegation and organizing the implementation of the program, and preparing reports on the results of the work as prescribed;

b) For delegations hosted by Ministry Leaders attending conferences, seminars, tours, surveys, the unit hosting the content shall be responsible for preparing and implementing the program and reporting in writing to the Ministry Office and the International Cooperation Department for monitoring and summarizing;

c) Other delegations: Only organize delegations to go on trips according to plans approved in the Ministry’s outbound delegation program, within projects, cooperation programs. In other cases, a written report detailing the purpose, content, composition, time, location, program, and funding source must be submitted to the International Cooperation Department for review by the Ministry Leadership. Announce invitations to foreign partners and complete other procedures only after obtaining approval from the Ministry Leadership.

- The composition of the delegation must be appropriate to the target group and consistent with the content and work program;

- Heads of units, in addition to attending overseas conferences and seminars according to plans, are only permitted to conduct tours and surveys when the content aligns with their assigned professional fields not more than twice a year and may not use funds from the Ministry’s outbound budget, except when assigned by the Minister;

- Deputy Ministers and heads of units under the Ministry going on official overseas trips must submit a written report to the Minister. Only proceed with trip procedures after obtaining the Minister's approval.

3. Responsibilities of the International Cooperation Department:

a) Handle passport, departure, and entry procedures; guide state regulations, foreign regulations, and issues related to the delegation's work program;

b) Arrange for Department leadership to see off and welcome delegations as stipulated in Clause 1 and point a of Clause 2 of this Article; assign staff to handle departure procedures at Vietnamese border gates where Ministry-led delegations depart and enter.

4. Responsibilities of the delegation leader appointed by the Minister:

a) Organize the implementation of the program content and all activities of the delegation abroad according to the approved program and legal provisions;

b) Within five working days after completing the program, submit a written report to the Ministry Leadership and relevant units.

Article 37. Receiving Guests within the Country

1. Official meetings and work programs for the Leaders of the Ministry:

a) The Director of the Ministry's Office is responsible for arranging the program for the Leaders of the Ministry to receive guests who are leaders of the Party and State, leaders of Ministries, agencies at the level of ministries, government agencies, provincial Party Committees, People's Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities, central political-social organizations and equivalent positions, delegations and invited guests according to the Leaders' program of the Ministry;

b) When there is a plan to work with guests, the Ministry's Office will coordinate with the guest agency on the preparation plan to report to the Leaders of the Ministry. The plan must be detailed with specific assignments: preparing reports, participants; welcoming and receiving delegation plans; security protection (if necessary); working rooms; content of the work program. After the plan is approved, the Ministry's Office will notify the units assigned to prepare; invite relevant units to attend; supervise and take responsibility for preparatory work; organize the reception of guests; record the list of delegates; distribute materials, record minutes of the meeting...

2. For social receptions, visits, and work of the Leaders of the Ministry, the Ministry's Office is responsible for arranging the program and hosting services according to the requirements of the Leaders of the Ministry, in accordance with the provisions of the law and the regulations of the Ministry.

3. Heads of units are responsible for organizing the reception and work with leaders of provincial departments, leaders of peer-level units on matters within the unit's jurisdiction, or as required by the Leaders of the Ministry. During the process of handling tasks, if the content involves other units, they may convene a meeting or directly seek opinions from related units; for matters exceeding the unit's jurisdiction, the Head of the unit must directly report and seek opinions from the Leaders of the Ministry.

Article 38. Receiving Foreign Guests

1. For foreign delegations coming under the central Party, State, National Assembly, Government's reception program which assigns the Ministry to receive, the International Cooperation Department has the responsibility to contact the requesting agency to arrange the protocol, reception program, and report to the assigned Leaders of the Ministry at least one working day before the reception.

2. Official receptions and work with foreign delegations invited by the Minister or according to the request of guests approved by the Minister, and social receptions of the Leaders of the Ministry for foreign guests shall be carried out in accordance with the Ministry's regulations on receiving foreign guests.

3. Heads of units under the Ministry organize the reception and work with foreign guests according to the classification of the Minister within the scope of work under the unit's functions, duties, and authority. Every quarter, units compile the results of working programs with foreign guests and submit them to the International Cooperation Department for consolidation and reporting to the Leaders of the Ministry. The International Cooperation Department assists units under the Ministry in ensuring protocol and diplomatic procedures, and coordinates to handle issues arising during each reception of foreign guests.

Chapter X

REPORTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEM

Article 39. Deputy Ministers Report to the Minister

1. The situation of implementing tasks within the assigned field, matters exceeding the authority to resolve, and matters requiring the Minister's opinion.

2. Content and results of conferences and meetings when authorized by the Minister to participate or direct such conferences.

3. Results of work and recommendations to the Ministry from sectors, localities, and other partners when participating in domestic and foreign missions.

Article 40. Subordinate units under the Ministry shall report to the Leadership of the Ministry.

1. The Heads of subordinate units under the Ministry must fully implement the information reporting system to the Leadership of the Ministry as prescribed by the Ministry. Six-month and annual reports must be reviewed by the Deputy Minister responsible for the relevant field.

When issues arise that exceed the management authority of the unit, the Head of the unit must report to the Leadership of the Ministry for timely resolution.

2. In addition to implementing the provisions stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article, the Director of the Ministry's Office must also perform the following tasks:

a) Organize daily information provision to the Minister and Deputy Ministers on matters that have been resolved;

b) Prepare weekly leadership meeting reports;

c) Summarize and draft reports on the Ministry’s work to be submitted to the Government, Prime Minister, and higher state agencies;

d) Guide, monitor, and urge units and specialized management agencies at local levels to strictly implement the information reporting system and organize the exploitation of information to serve the Ministry’s leadership and management;

đ) Propose and report to the Leadership of the Ministry on issues requiring resolution based on media reports and public opinion related to the industry.

Article 41. Provision of Information on Activities of Units Under the Ministry

Units under the Ministry are responsible for informing staff members through appropriate and convenient means about the following information:

1. Party and State policies and those of the Ministry related to the unit’s and industry’s operations;

2. The Ministry’s and unit’s work programs, operational budgets, and annual budget settlements (if applicable);

3. Recruitment, training, awards, disciplinary actions, salary increments, rank promotions, and appointments of cadres and civil servants;

4. Conclusions on the handling of complaints and denunciations within the unit;

5. Internal regulations and working rules of the Ministry and the unit;

6. Other matters as prescribed.

Article 42. Provision of Information on the Ministry’s and Industry’s Activities

1. Regarding information provision:

a) The Minister shall prescribe the management of the Ministry’s information work; ensure regular provision of information to serve the Government’s and Prime Minister’s leadership and management, and create conditions for mass media organizations to provide accurate and timely information about the industry’s activities to the people;

b) The Ministry shall regularly organize press reviews and respond to media requests or as directed by the Prime Minister; require media outlets that have published or broadcasted false content to correct it or take other measures as prescribed by law;

c) In providing information, it is not permissible to disclose classified State secrets or information about sensitive matters currently being processed.

2. Media interviews shall be conducted in accordance with legal provisions and the Ministry’s information management regulations.

Article 43. Transmission of Information via Computer Networks

1. The following documents shall be posted on the Ministry’s wide-area computer network:

a) Legal regulatory documents related to the industry that have been issued;

b) Administrative documents, various types of reports, forms, and other documents designated by the Director of the Ministry's Office;

c) State documents provided to units within the Ministry to promptly obtain information on new policies and laws, draft documents prepared by units within the Ministry or received from other agencies for soliciting opinions and completing the document content.

2. The Ministry’s Office is responsible for exploiting and disseminating information on the Government’s wide-area computer network, legal regulatory documents, reports, and other related information to effectively support the Government’s and the Ministry’s leadership work.

3. Units within the Ministry’s computer network must comply with the information exchange system via the Ministry’s wide-area computer network as prescribed. Regularly monitor information on the network to promptly receive directive and management documents and other information sent by the Ministry for implementation.

4. Updating information on the Ministry’s electronic bulletin board must comply with legal provisions for posting online and related Ministry regulations./.