Circular No. 41/2013/TT-BNNPTNT guiding the implementation of the National Criteria for New Rural Areas

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Implementing National Criteria for New Rural Areas

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Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Decree No. 75/2009/ND-CP dated September 10, 2009 of the Government amending Article 3 of Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government;

On the basis of Pursuant to Decision No. 491/QD-TTg dated April 16, 2009 of the Prime Minister on issuing National Criteria for New Rural Areas, and Decision No. 342/QD-TTg dated February 20, 2013 of the Prime Minister amending some criteria of the National Criteria for New Rural Areas;

Based on the consensus of relevant ministries and sectors;

At the request of the Director of the Department of Cooperative Economy and Rural Development,

AND Agriculture and Rural Development issues this Circular guiding the implementation of National Criteria for New Rural Areas.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. POSITION Scope and Applicability

1. Scope of Regulation: This Circular guides the implementation of National Criteria for New Rural Areas, serving as a basis for evaluating and recognizing achievement of each criterion and new rural area standards.

2. Applicability: This Circular applies to all communes throughout the country, and related agencies, units, organizations, and individuals participating in the National Target Program on Building New Rural Areas.

Article 2. Definitions interpret terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Rural areas are territories managed by commune-level administrative bodies, namely Commune People's Committees.

2. Villages are common names for villages, hamlets, ấp, bản, buôn, bon, phum, sóc... which are self-governing community organizations residing within a commune.

3. Particularly difficult communes include:

a) Communes under the Program 135 phase 2012-2015 (referred to as Program 135); coastal communes; island communes, and other communes benefiting from Program 135 investment mechanisms as prescribed by the Government;

b) Communes under poor districts according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government, and communes in districts with high poverty rates applying the infrastructure investment mechanisms of Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP as prescribed by the Government.

Chapter II

METHODS FOR DETERMINING ACHIEVEMENT OF CRITERIA

Article 3. Criteria qPlanning and Implementation According to Plan

A commune meets the criteria when it satisfies the following three requirements:

1. It has a new rural area plan established in accordance with Circular Joint No. 13/2011/TTLT-BXD-BNNPTNT-BTN&MT dated October 28, 2011 of the joint Ministries: Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which regulates the establishment, review, approval of new rural area construction plans, and such plans have been approved by competent authorities and widely publicized to villages.

2. The planning drawings are publicly posted so that residents can be aware and implement them; the marking of boundary stakes for infrastructure projects according to the approved plan is completed.

3. There is a management regulation for planning approved by competent authorities.

Article 4. Traffic Criteria

1. A commune meets the traffic criteria when it satisfies the following four requirements:

a) Main commune roads and inter-commune roads are asphalted or concreted at a rate of 100%;

b) Village main roads are hardened at the rate specified for the region;

c) Lane and village roads are hardened, not muddy during the rainy season at a rate of 100%;

d) Main intra-field roads are hardened at the rate specified for the region.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) Hardening refers to roads paved with asphalt, concrete, tiles, cut stone, or gravel mix compacted with crushed stone, waste rock, broken bricks, or brick dust.

b) Types of rural traffic roads:

- Main commune roads connect the commune administrative center to the centers of villages;

- Village main roads connect the village center to clusters of households within the village;

- Lane and village roads connect households within clusters of households;

- Main intra-field roads connect residential areas to concentrated production areas of the village or commune.

c) Scale of rural traffic roads:

- Planning according to regulations of the Ministry of Transport: The planning and design of rural traffic roads are based on Vietnamese Standard (TCVN) 4054:2005 and Decision Supplement No. 315/QĐ-BGTVT dated February 23, 2011;

- Regarding road construction: Communes must base their priorities and implementation schedules on actual resource capabilities. If resources are limited, they should focus on completing boundary stake marking according to the plan, constructing smaller road surfaces, and expanding them fully when conditions permit;

- For currently used roads: Where road surfaces are narrow and cannot be expanded according to regulations, they may be improved and maximum use made of both sides to widen the road surface, while upgrading to create convenient overtaking points along the route (and simultaneously planning parking lots for households with cars to park conveniently). If the road surface meets 80% of the regulations and the above conditions, it is considered to meet the criteria for that section.

Article 5. Irrigation Criteria

1. A commune meets the irrigation criteria when it satisfies the following two requirements:

a) Achieving the rate of canal reinforcement as prescribed (excluding areas not subject to reinforcement).

b) Having a basic irrigation system that meets production and living needs.

2. Explanation of terms

a) Reinforcement involves strengthening canals with materials such as stone, brick, concrete, or composite to ensure stable and durable operation of the canals. Fixed pipeline irrigation systems are also considered reinforcement.

- The rate of reinforced canals managed by the commune is calculated as a percentage (%) of the total length of reinforced canals compared to the total length of canals requiring reinforcement according to the planning.

- For communes in the Mekong Delta or places where only culverts need reinforcement, the reinforcement ratio for culverts applies. Communes without canals or culverts requiring reinforcement are considered to have met the criteria.

b) The irrigation system within the commune, managed by the commune, must meet the following requirements to satisfy production and living needs:

- Having irrigation facilities constructed according to approved plans and designs, regularly maintained and repaired to ensure more than 80% of the designed capacity is utilized.

- Serving crop cultivation and aquaculture; providing a source to basically meet the water needs for daily life, livestock breeding, poultry farming, and non-agricultural production activities in the area.

- Having an organization (Cooperative or Group) managing and protecting the facilities, ensuring effective and sustainable operation of canals, culverts, retaining walls, dams, and embankments, serving production and living needs, benefiting the majority of residents who agree.

Article 6. Rural Electricity Criteria

1. A commune meets the rural electricity criteria when it satisfies the following two requirements:

a) Having a system that meets the technical requirements of the electricity sector.

b) The proportion of households using electricity regularly and safely meets the prescribed standards for the region.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) The rural electricity system includes: Distribution substations, medium-voltage power lines, low-voltage power lines, and electricity meters serving production and daily life in rural areas.

b) Ensuring the technical requirements of the electricity sector means meeting the contents of the Technical Regulations for Rural Electricity (abbreviated as QDKN-DNT-2006) issued together with Decision No. 44/2006/QD-BCN dated December 8, 2006, of the Ministry of Industry (now the Ministry of Industry and Trade). This includes determining electrical load, distribution network, distribution substations, low-voltage supply lines, safety distances, and protective corridors, as well as voltage quality. The management agency of the electricity system in the commune is responsible for assessing the level of compliance with this standard.

c) Power supply sources for rural areas include: Power supplied from the national grid, or outside the national grid. In areas not yet connected to the national grid, local conditions will be considered to apply on-site power generation methods such as small hydropower, wind power, solar power, diesel, or a combination of these sources.

d) Regular electricity usage ensures daily power availability.

đ) Ensuring electrical safety when meeting the provisions of the National Technical Standards for Electrical Safety (QCVN 01:2008/BCT) issued together with Decision No. 12/2008/QĐ-BCT dated June 17, 2008, of the Minister of Industry and Trade.

Article 7. School Standards 3. To promptly detect issues and inconsistencies in policies, laws, and management mechanisms concerning the Factory to propose and study amendments and supplements for appropriateness. organize credit institutions, foreign bank branches are responsible for organizing the implementation of this Circular.educational institution

1. A commune meets the school standard when it has a percentage of schools at all levels with infrastructure meeting the national standards as prescribed for the region.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) Schools at all levels within the commune include: Kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school.

b) Meeting the national standard on infrastructure as prescribed by the Ministry of Education:

- Kindergartens meet the national standard level 1 according to the Regulation on Recognizing National Standard Kindergartens issued by Decision No. 36/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT dated July 16, 2008 of the Minister of Education and Training.

- Primary schools meet the national standard level 1 as stipulated in Circular No. 59/2012/TT-BGDĐT dated December 28, 2012 of the Minister of Education and Training regarding standards for evaluating and recognizing primary schools that have reached the minimum quality level and national standard primary schools.

- Junior high schools (JHS) meet the national standard as stipulated in Circular No. 47/2012/TT-BGDĐT dated December 7, 2012 of the Minister of Education and Training promulgating the Regulation on Recognizing JHSs, high schools, and multi-level general education schools that have reached the national standard.

c) The ratio of schools at all levels with infrastructure meeting the standard is calculated as the percentage between the number of schools and branches meeting the infrastructure standard and the total number of schools and branches in the commune.

Article 8. Cultural Infrastructure 3. To promptly detect issues and inconsistencies in policies, laws, and management mechanisms concerning the Factory to propose and study amendments and supplements for appropriateness. geducation law

1. A commune meets the education standard when it satisfies the following two requirements:

a) Achieving universal secondary education;

b) Reaching the rate of junior high school graduates continuing their studies in secondary education and the rate of trained labor as prescribed for the region.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) Achieving universal secondary education when the following two contents are met:

- The annual graduation rate of junior high school students reaches 90% (70% for particularly difficult communes) or higher;

- The rate of young people aged from 15 to 18 years old holding a junior high school diploma (including supplementary education) reaches 80% (70% for particularly difficult communes) or higher.

b) The rate of junior high school graduates continuing their studies in secondary general education, supplementary secondary education, vocational training (at community education centers or vocational schools) is calculated as the percentage between the number of students continuing their studies and the total number of junior high school graduates.

c) Trained labor refers to workers of working age who have participated in short-term vocational training courses or long-term training programs and obtained a vocational certificate or a diploma from a specialized college or higher.

 Article 9. Standard 3. To promptly detect issues and inconsistencies in policies, laws, and management mechanisms concerning the Factory to propose and study amendments and supplements for appropriateness. specialized agency under the People's Committee of the province/city.Cultural Infrastructure

A commune is recognized as meeting the cultural infrastructure standard when it satisfies the following two requirements:

1. Having a communal cultural house and sports area meeting the standard as prescribed by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Circular No. 12/2010/TT-BVHTTDL dated December 22, 2010 on models for organizing, operating, and criteria for communal cultural-sports centers.

2. 100% of villages or village clusters having a cultural house and sports area meeting the standard as prescribed by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Circular No. 06/2011/TT-BVHTTDL dated March 8, 2011 on models for organizing, operating, and criteria for village cultural houses-sports areas.

In cases where village offices, village temples, or communal houses equipped with facilities and activities according to the cultural house standards are used, they are also recognized as having village cultural houses.

Article 10. Criteria vCulture

A commune is recognized as meeting the cultural standard when 70% or more of its villages are continuously recognized and maintain the title "Cultural Village" for five years or more.

Article 11. Cultural Infrastructure 3. To promptly detect issues and inconsistencies in policies, laws, and management mechanisms concerning the Factory to propose and study amendments and supplements for appropriateness. specialized agency under the People's Committee of the province/city.Market d) To guide, monitor, inspect, and compile reports on the implementation of this Circular; e) To advise the Ministry to allocate budget for collecting and compiling information under the agricultural and rural development statistical indicator system assigned to subordinate agencies and units according to the standards set by competent state authorities and the laws on state budget.

1. A market meets the standard when it satisfies the following two requirements:

a) Regarding technical works: It has all the market facilities for rural markets managed by the commune (market category 3) as defined in Technical Code TCVN 9211: 2012 Markets - Design Standards issued by Decision No. 3621/QĐ-BKHCN dated December 28, 2012 of the Minister of Science and Technology on announcing National Standards.

b) Market management:

- There is a management organization;

- There is a Market Regulation established by the People's Committee of the commune and publicly displayed to manage operations and handle violations;

- There is the use of calibrated scales and measuring devices for consumers to self-check the quantity and volume of goods;

- Goods and services sold in the market do not belong to the list of prohibited business activities under the law.

第二条 组织和实施奖励工作的支出水平，如政府第152/2025/NĐ-CP号决定关于分级授权和奖励领域的分权规定

a) The market standard only applies to communes with markets in accordance with the approved rural market network planning by the district People's Committee.

b) Communes with markets but not included in the district planning shall be evaluated according to separate regulations (if any) of the district People's Committee.

Article 12Information and Communication Technologypriority ;

1. A commune meets the postal and telecommunications standard when it satisfies the following two requirements:

a) Having at least one service point providing two postal and telecommunications services meeting the industry standards as prescribed by the Minister of Information and Communications in Decision No. 463/QĐ-BTTTT dated March 22, 2012 on guiding the implementation of industry standards for building new rural areas.

For communes with over 200 residents on islands, there must be a public postal and telecommunications service point.

b) Having internet coverage or access.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) Postal and telecommunications service points are locations providing one or both services: Postal services, public telecommunications services managed by postal and telecommunications service enterprises, located within the commune.

b) Postal services are services accepting, transporting, and delivering mail through the postal network, excluding electronic methods.

c) Telecommunications refer to the sending, transmitting, receiving, and processing of symbols, signals, data, writing, images, sound, or other forms of information via cables, radio waves, optical means, and other electromagnetic means.

d) Telecommunications services are services for sending, transmitting, receiving, and processing information between two or a group of telecommunications service users, including basic and value-added services.

Article 13. Standard 3. To promptly detect issues and inconsistencies in policies, laws, and management mechanisms concerning the Factory to propose and study amendments and supplements for appropriateness. Residential Housing

1. A commune is recognized as meeting the residential housing standard when it satisfies the following two requirements:

a) There are no households living in temporary or dilapidated houses on its territory;

b) Meeting the minimum regional standard for the ratio of households with housing meeting the Ministry of Construction's standards.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) Temporary or dilapidated houses are those built with temporary materials that are flammable, have a lifespan of less than five years, or do not meet the 'three hard' criteria (hard floor, hard frame, hard roof), lack living space, kitchen, and toilet as prescribed, and do not ensure safety for users.

b) Rural houses meeting the standards set by the Ministry of Construction must satisfy the following requirements:

- The house must ensure "three hard" criteria (solid foundation, solid frame, solid roof) and the living area must be at least 14m²²per person;

- The service life of the housing construction project must be 20 years or more;

- Ancillary facilities (kitchen, toilet, livestock shed...) must be arranged to ensure hygiene and convenience for daily life;

- Architecture and house models must be suitable with customs, traditions, and lifestyles of each ethnic group and region.

Article 14ofiêu chí tthu nhập

1 ||| A commune is recognized as meeting the income criterion when its average annual income per capita reaches the minimum level prescribed for the region.

2 ||| Method for calculating average income per person per year:

a) Average income per capita is the total amount of money and value of goods after deducting production costs in the year divided equally among the members of the household.

b) Sources of income for a family include:

- Income from agricultural, forestry, fishery, salt production, after deducting production costs and taxes, other expenses (if any);

- Income from non-agricultural industries, forestry, fishery, after deducting production costs and taxes, other expenses (if any);

- Wages and salaries;

- Wages and salaries of family members working in non-agricultural jobs within and outside the commune;

- Other income such as gifts, interest on savings, etc.;

c) Income not included in the calculation includes social allowances, electricity subsidies, withdrawal of savings, debt collection, sale of assets, loans, advance payments.

d) The commune's average annual income per capita will be investigated, collected, and calculated by the commune itself according to the unified guidelines of the General Statistics Office. The District Statistics Office is responsible for coordinating and supporting the communes in their investigation, while also reviewing and confirming the results to the People's Committee of the district.

Article 15. Cultural Infrastructure 3. To promptly detect issues and inconsistencies in policies, laws, and management mechanisms concerning the Factory to propose and study amendments and supplements for appropriateness. hộ nghèo

1 ||| A commune is recognized as meeting the poverty criterion when the commune's poverty rate is below the minimum level prescribed for the region.

2 ||| A rural poor household is a household whose average income per capita meets the poverty standard defined by the Prime Minister for each period.

Article 16. Tiêu chí tỷ lệ lao động có việc làm thường xuyên

1 ||| A commune is recognized as meeting this criterion when the ratio of laborers with stable employment reaches 90% or more.

2 ||| Communal laborers with stable employment are those within working age who have permanent residence registration in the commune, work an average of 20 working days per month throughout the year both inside and outside the commune.

The ratio of laborers with stable employment is the percentage of people with stable employment in the total population of working age in the commune.

Article 17. Tiêu chí for hình thức tổ chức sản xuất

1 ||| A commune is recognized as meeting the organizational form of production criterion when it has at least one cooperative or business group registered and operating effectively in production, business, and services according to the Law, and has a contractual link with enterprises.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) A cooperative operates effectively when it satisfies three requirements:

- Established and operated in accordance with the Law on Cooperatives 2012;

- Organizes at least one basic and essential service according to the characteristics of each region to serve cooperative members and residents in the area;

- Continuously profitable in three consecutive years (for newly established cooperatives, they must also be profitable for two consecutive years).

b) An effective business group ensures two requirements:

- Established, organized, managed, and operated in accordance with the provisions of Government Decree No. 151/2007/ND-CP dated October 10, 2007, and Circular No. 04/2008/TT-BKH dated July 9, 2008 issued by the Ministry of Planning and Investment;

- Engaged in production and business activities that are continuously profitable for three consecutive years confirmed by the Commune People's Committee (for newly established groups, they must also be profitable for two consecutive years).

c) Long-term linkage between farmer households (or business groups, cooperatives) and enterprises, scientific organizations, or scientists is through contracts signed by all parties and effectively implemented in the production, processing, and consumption of agricultural products with a minimum term of three years.

Article 18. Tiêu chí y standards

1 ||| A commune is recognized as meeting the health care criterion when it fulfills the following two requirements:

a) The commune health station meets national standards;

b) The proportion of people participating in Health Insurance reaches 70% or more.

2 ||| A commune health station meets national standards when it achieves the indicators stipulated by the Minister of Health in Decision No. 3447/QD-BYT dated September 22, 2011 on issuing National Standards for Commune Health Care for the period 2011-2020 and confirmed by the Department of Health.

3 ||| The proportion of people participating in Health Insurance is the percentage of commune residents holding valid Health Insurance cards over the total population in the commune.

Health Insurance includes: State-supported insurance, mandatory insurance, or voluntary insurance.

Article 19. Tiêu chí The Minister of Public Security promulgates this Circular regulating environmental testing

1 ||| A commune is recognized as meeting the environmental criterion when it fulfills five requirements:

a) The proportion of households using clean water in compliance with regulations meets the regional standards;

b) 90% of production and business establishments in the locality meet environmental standards. (The remaining 10% may violate but are currently being rectified);

c) Village roads, alleyways, and household landscapes are green, clean, and beautiful, without activities that degrade the environment;

d) Cemeteries are planned and managed according to plans;

đ) Waste and wastewater are collected and treated in accordance with regulations.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) The proportion of households using clean water in compliance with regulations:

- Clean water according to National Technical Regulations is water that meets the criteria specified in the National Technical Regulation (QCVN: 02:2009/BYT) on drinking water quality issued by the Minister of Health under Circular No. 05/2009/TT-BYT dated June 17, 2009.

- Sanitary water is water that can be used directly or after filtration, satisfying the quality requirement: colorless, odorless, tasteless, free of harmful components affecting human health, and safe for consumption after boiling.

- The proportion of households using sanitary water and water according to National Technical Regulations varies by region as follows:

+ North Midlands and Mountainous Region and Central Highlands: 80% of households use sanitary water, of which 45% use clean water meeting National Technical Regulations.

+ Red River Delta, Southeast Region, and Mekong Delta: 90% of households use sanitary water, of which 50% use clean water meeting National Technical Regulations.

In the North Central region and the South Central Coast, 85% of households use hygienic water, of which 50% of households use clean water meeting National Technical Regulations.

b) Production and business establishments meet environmental standards if during production and processing they discharge wastewater, solid waste, odors, smoke, and noise within limits set forth in Circular No. 46/2011/TT-BTNMT dated December 26, 2011 on protecting the environment in craft villages, and Circular No. 47/2011/TT-BTNMT dated December 28, 2011 on national technical regulations for the environment, and other related documents.

Livestock pens that meet hygiene requirements are those that are isolated from residential areas; livestock waste (manure, urine) is collected and treated; there is no overflow or seepage onto the ground surface; and they do not cause pollution to water sources and surrounding environments.

c) Meeting criteria for village roads, alleyways, and household landscapes being green, clean, and beautiful without activities that degrade the environment when the following requirements are met:

- Village roads and alleyways are green, clean, and beautiful;

- Over 90% of households have improved their gardens and refurbished fences; alleys and gates are not muddy;

- There are no production and business establishments (livestock farming, food processing, small-scale handicraft production, scrap trading) causing environmental pollution.

d) Cemeteries are planned and managed according to plans:

- Each village, inter-village, or commune, inter-commune has a long-term cemetery land plan suitable to local customs (except where burial customs do not involve cemeteries);

- There is a Cemetery Management Regulation;

- Burials must be conducted in accordance with beliefs, traditions, good customs, cultural heritage, and modern civilized practices.

đ) Wastes, residues, and wastewater are collected and treated as follows:

- Households have toilets and bathrooms meeting prescribed standards; have a drainage system (wastewater, domestic waste) ensuring hygiene, not polluting the air and nearby water sources;

- Each concentrated residential area in villages and communes must have a well-ventilated and hygienic drainage system for wastewater;

- Villages and communes have service organizations for collecting waste and treating it at centralized dump sites.

Article 20. Tiêu chí a strong political and social organization system

1. A commune meets the criteria for a strong political and social organization system when it satisfies all four requirements:

a) 100% of commune cadres and civil servants meet the standards stipulated by the Minister of Home Affairs in Circular No. 06/2012/TT-BNV dated October 30, 2012 guiding specific responsibilities, qualifications, tasks, and recruitment of commune-level civil servants;

b) It has all organizations within the grassroots political system as required;

c) The commune Party Committee meets the "Clean and Strong" standard according to the guidelines of the Central Organization Department in Directive No. 07-HD/BTCTW dated October 11, 2011 on assessing the quality of grassroots party organizations and members;

d) Commune-level political and social mass organizations are recognized as advanced or higher.

2. Explanation of Terms:

a) The political and social organizational system in the commune includes: Party organization, Government, and Political-Social Mass Organizations: United Front, Communist Youth League, Women's Union, Farmers' Union, Veterans' Association.

b) Commune cadres and civil servants include positions and titles specified in Article 61 of the Civil Servants Law 2008.

Commune cadres and civil servants meet the standards when they satisfy the following conditions:

- Educational level: Graduated from secondary school for urban and delta areas, graduated from basic education or higher for mountainous and island areas;

- Professional qualification: Graduated from a vocational college or higher in a relevant field matching the job requirements;

- Computer skills: Hold a computer office proficiency certificate level A or higher;

- For long-term work in ethnic minority areas, they must be proficient in the main ethnic minority language of the region;

- After recruitment, they must complete state management and political theory certificates as required;

- Specific standards for the position of Commune Military Commander and Commune Police Chief are implemented according to specialized laws governing these positions.

c) The title "Grassroots Party Organization Clean and Strong" is recognized annually by the County Party Committee.

d) The title "Clean and Strong" for the Government is recognized annually by the County People's Committee." đ) The title "Advanced" for commune-level mass organizations is recognized annually by county-level mass organizations.

1. Criteria

Article 2social security maintained A commune meets the criteria for "Social Security Maintained" when it satisfies four requirements:

1. There are no organizations or individuals engaging in anti-Party, anti-government activities, economic sabotage, illegal religious proselytizing, or prolonged mass petitions;

2. There are no complex social disorder hotspots, and no new cases of social evils arise in the locality;

3. Over 70% of villages are recognized as meeting safety standards for security and order;

4. The commune police force achieves the title of advanced unit or higher each year.

Provincial People's Committees

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 22. Responsibilities of 1. Based on central regulations to concretize the implementation of the National Rural Development Criteria in accordance with local conditions.

2. Set rural development standards for different areas within the province to fit actual conditions while still meeting the provincial average as stipulated by the central government.

3. Assign relevant departments to take the lead, coordinate with related sectors to guide implementation, evaluate, and review the achievement levels of each criterion and indicator within their administrative jurisdiction based on specific guidance documents from central ministries and sectors.

1. This Circular replaces Circular No. 54/2009/TT-BNNPTNT dated August 21, 2009 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding the implementation of the National Rural Development Criteria, effective from November 20, 2013.

Article 23. Effective date

2. When sectoral standards are revised, the specific standards cited in this Circular will be applied according to the new standards once the revised sectoral standards come into effect.

2. When there are regulatory documents governing industry standards, the specific standards cited in this Circular shall be applied according to the new standards when such regulatory documents governing industry standards take effect.

During the process of organizing and implementing, if any issues arise or difficulties occur, localities shall report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for timely supplementation and amendment. In special cases, the People's Committee of the province shall submit a written report to the Central Steering Committee for the National Target Program on New Rural Areas for consideration and decision./.