Circular No. 35/TC-HCSN guiding the management of funds for radio and television industry target programs

CIRCULAR

DIRECTIVE NO. 35 TC/HCSN OF JULY 12, 1996, ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE ON GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING OPERATING EXPENSES FOR TARGET PROGRAMS IN THE RADIO AND TELEVISION SECTOR

Pursuant to Decision No. 795/TTg and No. 796/TTg dated December 24, 1994, and Decision No. 14/TTg dated January 11, 1996, of the Prime Minister approving the program for broadcasting radio and television signals in mountainous, island, and depressed areas, and bringing radio and television signals to mountainous, highland, border, and island areas, the Ministry of Finance provides guidelines for financial management of funds allocated for target programs in the Radio and Television sector as follows:

2. Individuals who have registered as the principal investigator of a Research Project or Pilot Production Project and those participating in its implementation shall not participate in the Evaluation and Selection Council for that Research Project or Pilot Production Project (hereinafter referred to as the Council). In necessary cases, members of the Council may be staff members of the organization registering as the principal investigator of the Research Project or Pilot Production Project, but not more than one person and they cannot serve as Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, or reviewing member.

1. The Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall be responsible for managing and using the state budget funds allocated for annual target programs in accordance with the regulations of the State, the content, purpose, and effectiveness approved by the National Assembly.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for timely and fully disbursing funds to implement the programs and targets according to the state budget plan announced annually by the Government to the Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam when the units receiving funds have completed all current procedures prescribed by the State.

3. Expenditures from the construction investment capital for target programs must comply with Decree No. 177/CP dated October 20, 1994, of the Government and related Circulars.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

1. Content of expenditure:

Expenditures for broadcasting radio and television signals and providing information through radio and television waves to mountainous, highland, border, and island areas include the following contents:

a. Objective of bringing television to mountainous, highland, border, and island areas:

+ Purchase costs for equipment (satellite receivers, synchronized satellite antennas, TV receivers, generators...).

+ Transportation, installation, and technical warranty costs.

+ Training and usage guidance costs for equipment.

b. Objective of broadcasting signals in mountainous, depressed, and island areas:

+ Purchase costs for equipment (TV transmitters, satellite dishes, generators (if applicable), TV receivers...).

+ Transportation, installation, and technical warranty costs.

+ Training and usage guidance costs for installed equipment.

c. Objective of broadcasting radio signals to listeners in highland, mountainous, border, island, and remote rural areas:

+ Purchase costs for equipment (satellite antennas, radios, amplifiers, loudspeakers...).

+ Transportation, installation, operation, and technical warranty costs.

+ Training and usage guidance costs for installed equipment.

d. Program management expenditures:

The Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam may allocate a portion of the program funds for administrative, inspection, supervision, and evaluation activities. Annually, the Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall prepare budgets to send to the Ministry of Finance for review and disbursement.

2. Responsibilities in directing the implementation of target programs:

a. At the Central level:

- The Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall take the lead in preparing detailed proposals for target programs, clearly distinguishing between sources of funding (operational funds and construction investment capital), and submit them to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment for consolidation into the overall budget plan to be submitted to the Government for approval.

- After the target program budget for radio and television has been approved by the Government, the Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate funds for each target and plan the distribution of equipment to localities in mountainous, highland, border, and island areas, as well as units under the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security stationed at borders and islands.

- The Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall be responsible for providing all necessary equipment to serve the approved targets to each locality and unit.

- The Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall ensure that localities and units use the provided equipment for their intended purposes, effectively, and in compliance with the approved funding sources, while coordinating with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security to monitor and protect the equipment and programs in accordance with the sector's target objectives.

- The Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam must conduct bidding when purchasing equipment for target programs in accordance with Decision No. 20-TC/KBNN dated January 17, 1996, of the Minister of Finance on the issuance of procurement rules for equipment, tools, and work facilities for state agencies, armed forces, mass organizations, and state-owned enterprises.

- The Ministry of Finance shall disburse funds according to the progress of the work when the unit has all required documents in accordance with current state regulations. For parts of the target program funded by construction investment capital, the unit must follow the procedures stipulated in Decree No. 177/CP dated October 20, 1994, of the Government and related Circulars on investment and construction management.

- Quarterly and annually, the Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam shall report on the implementation of the program to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, cooperate with the Ministry of Finance to inspect the management and use of funds for target programs. Based on this, they will compile a comprehensive report on the implementation of target programs in the Radio and Television sector.

b. At the Local Level:

- Annually, along with the budget planning process, People's Committees of provinces in mountainous, highland, deep inland, border, and island areas, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Public Security shall be responsible for preparing detailed plans for equipment items of target programs and submitting them to the Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam for consolidation as a basis for review.

- Local Radio and Television Stations and units under the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall be responsible for managing, operating, preserving, and promptly reflecting in accounting records the total value of assets provided by the target program.

- The People's Committees of the provinces shall be responsible for distributing audio and video recording equipment to the subjects as prescribed by the State. When distributing such equipment, there must be a receipt of assets and a commitment from the recipients to properly maintain and use the State-owned machinery. Every quarter, the units shall report on the usage of the machines to the provincial Radio and Television Stations, which will then report to the Central Station as the basis for compiling the results of the implementation program to be reported to the Ministry of Finance.

- Annually, local Radio and Television stations shall be responsible for inventorying and evaluating the assets that have been provided through the target programs and promptly reporting this information to the Voice of Vietnam Radio and the Vietnam Television.

3. Settlement work and settlement reports:

The Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam Radio, local Radio and Television stations, and units under the Ministries of National Defense and Interior must organize accounting planning and quarterly and annual settlement reports in accordance with Decision No. 257 - TC/CĐKT dated June 1, 1990, issued by the Ministry of Finance.

The review and audit of annual settlements shall be carried out in accordance with Circular No. 14 - TC/HCVX dated February 28, 1994, issued by the Ministry of Finance, titled "Guidelines for Reviewing Annual Settlements for Administrative and Public Service Units."

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

This Circular takes effect from January 1, 1996.

During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, the units are requested to reflect these issues to the Ministry of Finance for timely supplementation and amendment.