Directive No. 48/2004/CT-TTg on organizing the reception of the 2005 Year of the Goat New Year

DIRECTIVE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Regarding the organization of the Tet holiday in the year of the Goat 2005

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The year 2005 is the final year for implementing the Resolution of the Ninth National Party Congress and the National Assembly's resolution on the five-year socio-economic development plan from 2001 to 2005; it is also the year when the entire Party, military, and people celebrate many significant festivals and prepare for the Tenth National Party Congress at all levels. The remaining tasks of 2005 are extremely heavy, with the goal of achieving socio-economic development targets, promoting sustainable economic growth, better addressing pressing social issues, further enhancing competitiveness and economic efficiency, actively integrating into the international community, and effectively mitigating the damage caused by severe diseases, floods, and droughts in 2004 being crucial to completing the five-year plan goals.

Organizing the Tet holiday in the year of the Goat 2005 to be truly joyful, safe, healthy, and economical; preserving national cultural traditions is an urgent requirement to achieve better progress than previous years in all aspects and towards the socio-economic development goals of 2005. To ensure that the people can enjoy the Tet holiday according to this spirit, the Prime Minister requests the Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of provincial and municipal People's Committees directly under the central government to focus on doing the following:

1. Directing agencies and units within their sectors and localities under their management to prepare and organize joyful, safe, healthy, and economical Tet activities, thoroughly practicing thriftiness, and opposing extravagance and waste. Continuing to maintain the tree planting campaign in memory of Uncle Ho. Organizing Tet greetings at agencies and units with a spirit of thriftiness; not bringing flowers or gifts to the homes of leaders to greet them, reserving time for family rest and visiting relatives.

2. Closely coordinating with Party organizations, mass organizations, leading and directing cadres, civil servants, employees, soldiers in the armed forces, and the entire population to thoroughly practice thriftiness. Strictly prohibiting the misuse of festivals to organize banquets and excessive eating and drinking; using state funds, collective assets, or funds from the budget, public treasury, or other sources of financial support to reward, give, or present gifts to organizations or individuals in any form not in accordance with state regulations. Units that are allowed to allocate bonuses according to the system for units and individuals who have contributed to cooperation and assistance in work must publicly announce the list of recipients and the amount of bonuses to the entire agency or unit. During the period before, during, and after the Lunar New Year, vehicles owned by the state may not be used for personal activities.

3. The Ministries of Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry, Finance, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, and State-owned Holding Companies have the responsibility to closely monitor the supply and demand situation of goods, especially foodstuffs, consumer goods, and other essential items during the Tet period, promptly taking measures to ensure smooth production and circulation of goods, meeting the consumption needs of the people during the Tet period at reasonable prices; preventing shortages and sudden price increases.

4. Central and local authorities must pay special attention to ethnic minorities living in mountainous, remote, border, and island areas, as well as those severely affected by natural disasters and floods; ensuring that no shortage or hunger occurs among social policy beneficiaries; organizing visits and gift-giving to war invalids, martyrs' families, families with meritorious service to the revolution, and other policy beneficiaries, including mothers of heroic Vietnam, cadres, and soldiers of armed forces units; mobilizing all social strata to promote the tradition of mutual assistance and help poor families, elderly people without support, orphaned children, and homeless children so that everyone can joyfully welcome the Tet holiday.

5. The Ministry of Transport shall coordinate with provincial and centrally governed city authorities to direct transport enterprises to mobilize passenger transportation means of high quality, ensuring technical safety standards and environmental protection, meeting the convenient and safe travel needs of the people during the Tet period at stable fares, avoiding situations where passengers wait or queues form at stations, ports, and bus terminals. Special attention should be given to coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security and People's Committees at all levels to concentrate on ensuring traffic safety and applying practical measures to reduce traffic accidents to the lowest possible level. Strictly handling cases of violations of traffic laws and regulations.

6. The Ministry of Industry and the Vietnam Electricity Corporation shall direct the electricity industry to develop plans for power production and supply, meeting sufficient demand for electricity for production, services, and daily life of the people; arranging duty shifts during the Tet period to promptly address any unexpected electrical emergencies.

7. The sectors of Finance (Customs), Public Security, Trade (Market Management), and the Military (Border Guard) shall closely coordinate with local People's Committees to strengthen inspection and supervision, combat smuggling, commercial fraud, and the production and sale of counterfeit and prohibited goods, particularly electronic products, tobacco, alcohol, beer, sugar, candy, fireworks, explosives, dangerous children's toys, and obscene cultural products. Preventing and promptly handling the transportation and sale of diseased livestock and poultry.

8. The Ministry of Public Security shall coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial/municipal people's committees to develop specific and appropriate plans to ensure social order and safety for the public during the Tet holiday; closely cooperate with local authorities and mass organizations to effectively manage household registration, particularly in cities and densely populated areas; implement fire prevention and extinguishing measures; promptly prevent and strictly handle according to the law any illegal motorcycle and car racing, fireworks setting off, public disorder, and serious crimes during the Tet holiday; crack down on criminal groups; coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and local authorities to manage weapons and explosives, ensuring the safety of entertainment venues for the public; proactively prevent and combat any subversive organizations that may exploit the Tet holiday to spread subversive materials, incite public disturbances.

9. The Ministry of Health shall direct the entire sector to organize well the work of disease prevention and control, as well as medical examination and treatment for the public; closely coordinate with local people's committees and related ministries and agencies to strictly control food safety and hygiene. Hospitals must ensure 24/7 emergency services, promptly addressing and providing timely medical care to patients at all times.

10. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Sports Committee shall plan to guide localities in organizing cultural activities, artistic performances, entertainment, sports competitions; coordinate with broadcasting and television agencies to arrange diverse and attractive programs suitable for ethnic customs, meeting the spiritual cultural needs of the public, foreigners currently in Vietnam, and overseas Vietnamese. Media and communication agencies should pay attention to publishing articles highlighting good examples, promoting national culture, practicing thrift and combating waste during the Tet holiday; criticizing outdated customs and unhealthy rituals, reducing the organization of wasteful local festivals.

11. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transport, the Tourism Administration, the General Department of Customs, and the Border Guard Force shall proactively deploy forces to quickly and efficiently process procedures, creating favorable conditions for foreign tourists and overseas Vietnamese to return home for the Tet holiday, visit relatives, and sightsee.

The Prime Minister requests ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, and chairpersons of provincial/municipal people's committees to widely disseminate this Directive to all strata of the population and develop implementation plans within their units and localities, while simultaneously reporting to the Prime Minister any unusual developments occurring during the Tet holiday.

It is requested that the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and its member organizations guide local Fatherland Front Committees and their member organizations to coordinate with state agencies and local authorities in promoting and mobilizing all strata of the population to conscientiously implement this Directive./.