Decision No. 37/2021/QĐ-TTg on the Postal Network Serving Party and State Agencies

Pursuant to …;

On the Postal Network Serving Party and State Agencies

||| Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of Local Administration dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Law Amending and Supplementing Several Provisions of the Law on Organization of the Government and the Law on Organization of Local Administration dated November 22, 2019;

Pursuant to the Law on Posts dated June 17, 2010;

Pursuant to the Law on Protecting State Secrets dated November 15, 2018;

At the proposal of the Minister of Information and Communications;

The Prime Minister issues this Decision on the Postal Network Serving Party and State Agencies.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Decision stipulates the Postal Network Serving Party and State Agencies (hereinafter referred to as KT1 Network) and the transportation of state confidential documents through postal services.

Article 2. Applicability

1. Users of the service

a) Party agencies, state agencies, Vietnam Fatherland Front, and member political-social organizations at the central level as specified in Appendix I attached to this Decision;

b) Party agencies, state agencies, Vietnam Fatherland Front, and member political-social organizations at the local level as specified in Appendix II attached to this Decision;

c) State-owned enterprises with state confidential documents sent to the agencies and organizations specified in Clause 1 of Article 2 hereof.

2. Service providers

a) Central Post Office;

b) Enterprises designated to maintain and manage the public postal network.

3. Organizations related to the transportation of KT1 mail.

Article 3. Principles of Operation of the KT1 Network

The KT1 Network is established and maintained within the country ensuring the following principles:

1. Ensuring state secrets;

2. Ensuring safety, security, speed, accuracy, and timeliness in all situations;

3. Consistency in organization, management, operation, and exploitation;

4. Not for business purposes.

Chapter II

KT1 POSTAL NETWORK

Article 4. Organization of the Network

1. The KT1 postal network constructed, managed, operated, and exploited by the Central Post Office Directorate to ensure service provision for the subjects specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision shall only be connected to the public postal network.

2. The KT1 postal network directly managed, operated, and exploited by the Central Post Office Directorate includes: the exploitation base system, postal service points in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City; transportation routes and distribution routes.

3. The public postal network specified in Clause 1 of this Article includes: the exploitation base system, postal service points, transportation routes, and distribution routes in localities.

Article 5. KT1 Postal Services

1. KT1 postal service is the acceptance, transportation, and delivery of letters, packages, and documents; state secret documents (hereinafter referred to as KT1 mail) through the KT1 postal network.

2. KT1 Postal Services include:

a) KT1 Service;

b) KT1 Service by degree of confidentiality: A, B, C;

c) KT1 Service by degree of urgency: Express, Timed;

d) KT1 Service by degree of confidentiality (A, B, C) and degree of urgency (Express, Timed).

Article 6. Ensuring Safety and Security in Providing KT1 Postal Services

1. KT1 mail must be stamped with KT1, barcoded, located, and strictly managed during the service provision process; it must be exploited, transported, and delivered using specialized equipment and transportation means. In case other transportation means are necessary, the service provider must arrange escorts throughout the transportation process.

When requested by the Central Party Office, the President's Office, the National Assembly Office, the Government Office, the exploitation, transportation, and delivery of KT1 mail must be arranged with security forces to ensure safety, security, and confidentiality in service provision.

2. For KT1 Mail using urgent and confidential postal services, acceptance, transportation, and delivery are prioritized in emergency situations.

3. KT1 postal service exploitation bases must have internal regulations, specialized technical equipment, and strict control over people entering and exiting.

4. Workers directly involved in the KT1 postal service provision process must have clear backgrounds; good moral character; a sense of responsibility, organizational discipline awareness, and awareness of protecting state secrets; they must be trained in postal service operations and ensuring safety and security in KT1 postal service provision.

5. Individuals assigned to transport and deliver KT1 Mail are equipped and use support tools in accordance with the law.

6. Organizations related to the transportation of KT1 mail as specified in Clause 3, Article 2 of this Decision must prioritize the receipt, storage, and exploitation of KT1 mail to ensure safety, security, speed, accuracy, and timeliness in all situations.

Article 7. Quality of KT1 Postal Services

1. KT1 postal services must meet quality and time requirements for delivering KT1 mail as stipulated by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

2. The KT1 postal network must ensure continuous service provision for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, including holidays and Tet.

3. The KT1 postal network must be equipped with modern facilities to ensure service quality.

Article 8. Funding to Ensure Network Operations

1. The central budget ensures funding for the construction of physical infrastructure, operational maintenance costs of the KT1 postal network (including connection costs with the public postal network) to provide free KT1 postal services to the subjects specified in Point a, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision.

2. Local budgets ensure funding for the use of KT1 postal services by the subjects specified in Point b, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision according to rates set by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Article 9. Rights and Obligations of the Central Post Office Directorate

1. Constructing, maintaining, managing, operating, and exploiting the KT1 postal network to ensure continuous, confidential, safe, secure, fast, accurate, and timely provision of KT1 postal services in all situations.

2. To issue operational regulations on managing and operating the KT1 postal network; procedures for providing KT1 postal services.

3. Receiving state budget funding for providing KT1 postal services based on standards issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

4. To organize the implementation of regulations ensuring confidentiality, safety, and security in providing KT1 postal services.

5. To take the lead and coordinate with related units to inspect and handle incidents concerning safety and security in providing KT1 postal services.

6. To take the lead and coordinate with enterprises designated as stipulated in point b, Clause 2, Article 2 of this Decision to implement secure connections between networks in providing KT1 postal services.

7. Have the responsibility to reconcile volume, confirm the quality of KT1 postal services with the subjects specified in Point a, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision and provide KT1 postal services in special cases upon request from these subjects.

8. Have the responsibility to pay for the connection costs between the KT1 postal network and the public postal network.

Article 10. Rights and obligations of enterprises designated to implement the maintenance and management of the public postal network

1. Managing, operating, and exploiting the public postal network connected to the KT1 postal network to ensure continuous, confidential, safe, secure, fast, accurate, and timely provision of KT1 postal services at the local level in all situations.

2. Coordinate with the Central Post Office Administration in providing KT1 postal services in accordance with the provisions of the law.

3. Implementing regulations on secure connections in KT1 postal service provision; coordinating with relevant units to inspect and handle security incidents in KT1 postal service provision.

4. Adhere to operational regulations and procedures for the provision of KT1 postal services.

5. Being paid for the connection costs between the KT1 postal network and the public postal network.

Article 11. Rights and obligations of users of KT1 postal services

1. Subjects specified in Point a, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision do not need to pay postage when sending KT1 mail to the subjects specified in Points a and b, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision and when sending state secret documents to organizations and individuals.

2. The Central Party Office, the President's Office, the National Assembly Office, and the Government Office do not need to pay postage when sending KT1 mail to organizations and individuals.

3. Subjects specified in Point b, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision are responsible for paying full service fees as prescribed when sending KT1 mail to the subjects specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision.

4. Subjects specified in Point c, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision are responsible for paying full service fees as prescribed when sending state secret documents to the subjects specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision.

5. When using KT1 postal services, the subjects specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision must be provided with complete information about the service, comply with regulations on service usage, bear legal responsibility for the content of the mail, and adhere to laws regarding the protection of state secrets.

6. The subjects specified in point a, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision shall be responsible for coordinating with the Central Postal Administration to reconcile the volume and confirm the quality of KT1 postal services.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 12. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Information and Communications

1. Develop strategies, plans, or projects for the development of the KT1 postal network to enhance service quality, in line with development requirements at each stage.

2. Issue postal service KT1 tariff rates after reaching consensus with the Ministry of Finance; regulations on services, connections, economic and technical norms, quality and delivery time, security, and safety; standards for employees selected to directly participate in the provision of KT1 postal services, and direct the implementation of this Decision.

3. Inspect, monitor, supervise, and direct the implementation of legal provisions governing the operation of the postal network serving Party and State agencies.

4. Prioritize allocation of public investment funds for the construction of infrastructure to provide KT1 postal services for Party and State agencies.

Article 13. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Planning and Investment

Coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to allocate state budget funds for the construction of material infrastructure for the provision of KT1 postal services serving Party and State agencies.

Article 14. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Finance

1. Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to ensure state budget funding for the operation of the KT1 postal network.

2. Reach consensus with the Ministry of Information and Communications on KT1 postal service tariff rates.

Article 15. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Public Security

1. Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to guide the implementation of regulations on protecting state secrets; regulations on equipping, managing, and using supporting tools; political vetting of employees directly involved in the provision of KT1 postal services; and handle violations of these regulations in the operation of the KT1 postal network according to the law.

2. Organize specialized forces to protect headquarters; protect the exploitation, transportation, and delivery of KT1 mail when requested.

3. Direct subordinate units under the Ministry of Public Security to cooperate with the Central Postal Administration and designated enterprises to maintain and manage the public postal network in conducting political vetting of employees directly involved in the provision of KT1 postal services when required.

Article 16. Responsibilities of Provincial People's Committees and People's Committees of centrally governed cities

1. Manage the provision and use of KT1 postal services within their jurisdiction according to this Decision and relevant laws.

2. Ensure local budget funding for the use of KT1 postal services by entities specified in point b, Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 17. Effective Date

This Decision takes effect from February 15, 2022, and replaces Decision No. 55/2016/QĐ-TTg dated December 26, 2016, of the Government Chairman regarding the postal network serving Party and State agencies.

Article 18. Responsibility for Implementation

The Minister, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of all levels of People's Committees, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Decision./.