Directive No. 34/2008/CT-TTg on Strengthening the Use of Electronic Mail Systems in State Administrative Activities

DIRECTIVE

On strengthening the use of email systems

in the activities of state agencies

__________________

In recent times, implementing Directive No. 10/2006/CT-TTg dated March 23, 2006 of the Prime Minister on reducing administrative documents and papers in the activities of administrative state agencies, and Directive No. 27/CT-TTg dated November 29, 2007 of the Prime Minister on improving the implementation of information and reporting systems in the activities of administrative state agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities have initially applied information technology in management, operation, storage, and information exchange, contributing to enhancing the efficiency of state agency operations. However, compared to the requirements set forth, the application of information technology in state agencies still has many shortcomings; state agencies have not fully utilized existing information technology means to improve work efficiency. Particularly, the email system, one of the important applications of computer networks and the Internet, has not been thoroughly and effectively applied in information exchange.

To address the above issues, aiming at widely applying the email system in state agencies, enhancing operational efficiency, labor productivity, practicing thrift, and implementing Decree No. 64/2007/NĐ-CP of the Government on the application of information technology in the activities of state agencies, the Prime Minister instructs:

1. Ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities have the responsibility:

a) Ensuring conditions for deploying email systems at all levels of state agencies, including the following contents:

- Utilizing existing information technology infrastructure, especially from the results of implemented projects and support from organizations and businesses to effectively use email systems;

- Establishing email accounts for agencies, officials, civil servants, and employees at places that meet the necessary conditions, considering temporarily using high-security free email accounts at places that do not yet meet the conditions. Additionally, creating conditions to establish email accounts for subordinate agencies and units that do not have their own email systems;

- Organizing short-term training courses to ensure that officials, civil servants, and employees can use emails in their work; appointing trained staff with expertise to assist colleagues during the use of email systems;

- Promptly developing usage regulations for each agency's email system. Clearly defining the responsibilities of units and individuals in building and maintaining the email system, the responsibility for personal and agency email accounts; specifying the procedures for handling tasks using the email system, mandatory and encouraged content to be exchanged through the email system;

- Developing and implementing annual plans to maintain and develop email systems to meet work needs, ensuring synchronization with other electronic information systems;

b) Strengthening the use of email systems in the activities of state agencies at all levels, including the following contents:

- Starting from January 1, 2009, in places where technical infrastructure is guaranteed, it is mandatory to apply email systems in the activities of state agencies starting from district, county, department, and sector levels for provinces and centrally-administered cities, and from direct subordinate units for ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government agencies according to the contents of this directive;

- Publicly listing the official email addresses of subordinate units and authorized officials, civil servants, and employees on the agency’s electronic information website or portal;

- Sending and receiving via email systems various types of documents: the agency's work schedule, documents exchanged to serve work, documents for meetings, documents sent to agencies for information or reporting purposes (excluding confidential documents and places where other electronic information systems are already deployed). Encouraging the use of email systems to send and receive various types of documents: invitations, circulars, reports at various levels, leadership directives, and other documents. Documents transferred through email systems comply with the provisions of the Law on Electronic Transactions and have equivalent legal value to paper documents in transactions between state agencies and sending agencies without the need to send additional paper documents;

- Fully utilizing email systems to exchange various types of documents and materials with citizens and businesses when providing public services;

- Appointing authorized staff to regularly check the agency's email box to promptly respond to emails from other agencies, citizens, and businesses;

- Using the Vietnamese character code standard TCVN 6909:2001 to express content exchanged within the email system;

- When issuing paper documents, except for confidential documents, in addition to sending documents to recipients in the usual manner, must also send electronic versions (corresponding to officially issued paper documents) to the email addresses of agencies listed in the "recipient" section or provide addresses to receive electronic documents;

c) Implementing inspection, evaluation, and reporting on the situation of email system usage in state agencies at all levels, including the following contents:

- Regularly inspecting and evaluating the use of emails by officials, civil servants, and employees in their work, viewing this as their responsibility and authority to enhance operational efficiency and practice thrift. Considering incorporating this activity into competition movements and commendation evaluations;

- Reporting on the implementation of the directive every six months and at any time as instructed and required by the Ministry of Information and Communications for consolidation and reporting to the Prime Minister;

2. Leaders of state agencies at all levels are responsible:

a) Recognize the benefits of the email system in work and gradually apply the email system and other information systems in management and operation;

b) Set an example in using the email system in work;

c) Direct subordinate agencies under their jurisdiction to ensure conditions for effectively implementing the email system, including human resources, financial resources, inter-agency coordination, and improvements in working procedures.

3. Civil servants at all levels of state agencies shall be responsible for:

a) Recognizing the benefits and maximizing the effectiveness of the email system in work;

b) Using email with a .gov.vn domain address if provided for work communication;

c) Adhering to regulations on security, safety, and confidentiality when using the email system, the email usage rules of their agency, and related national regulations.

4. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall be responsible for:

a) Guiding, monitoring, and urging the implementation of the email system in the operations of state agencies nationwide, receiving and handling arising issues;

b) Summarizing, evaluating, and reporting to the Prime Minister on the implementation of directives by ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial people's committees, and centrally governed municipalities;

c) Organizing promotional activities to encourage the use of the email system in state agency operations;

d) Cooperating with relevant agencies and businesses to research and gradually develop a unified email system and document management across the country.

5. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall be responsible for:

Coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Public Security to develop plans for applying public key infrastructure (PKI) and digital signatures to ensure security and authentication in the use of the email system by state agencies.

6. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for:

Allocating funds from the state budget and other legitimate sources based on the provisions of the State Budget Law to implement the email system at all levels.

7. The Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance, in addition to carrying out specific activities according to their functions and responsibilities, shall lead the rapid adoption of the email system in their operations, viewing this as a component of administrative reform.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, and chairpersons of provincial people's committees directly under the central government shall be responsible for organizing and directing the strict implementation of this Directive.