Joint Circular No. 48/2008/TTLT-BTC-BNN Amending and Supplementing Certain Points of Joint Circular No. 80/2007/TTLT-BTC-BNN dated July 11, 2007 guiding the management and use of state budget funds for the National Target Program on Rural Clean Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation for the period 2006-2010.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing some points of Circular Joint Circular 80/2007/TTLT-BTC-BNN dated July 11, 2007 guiding the management and use of state budget funds for the National Target Program on Rural Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation for the period 2006-2010.

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Pursuant to Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 10, 2003 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the State Budget Law;

Pursuant to Decision No. 104/2000/QĐ-TTg dated August 25, 2000 of the Prime Minister approving the National Strategy on Clean Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas until 2020;

Pursuant to Decision No. 277/2006/QĐ-TTg dated December 11, 2006 of the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on Rural Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation for the period 2006-2010;

In order to adapt to current circumstances, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guide the amendment and supplementation of some points of Joint Circular No. 80/2007/TTLT-BTC-BNN dated July 11, 2007 guiding the management and use of state budget funds for the National Target Program on Rural Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation for the period 2006-2010, as follows:

1. Supplement at the end of Clause 2, Section I as follows:

In addition to the contents and levels of expenditure prescribed in this Circular, localities shall proactively allocate local budget and lawful financial sources according to their financial capacity and specific conditions to implement local policies and improve the effectiveness of the program.

2. Amend the second item under sub-item a, Point 1.1, Clause 1, Section II as follows:

- Training: Expenditure for textbooks for training courses; payment for lecturers teaching theoretical subjects according to the prescribed regulations; purchase of practical equipment and materials (if any); expenditure for managing the training course: drinking water, rental of conference halls, fuel expenses for lecturers and staff organizing the course; travel expenses according to the prescribed regulations (travel expenses, accommodation allowances, rental of accommodation at destination; food allowance) for officials, civil servants, employees, and trainees participating in the training. The organization responsible for the training must clearly inform the units sending participants about these expenditures in the notice of attendance.

3. Amend the fourth bullet point under sub-item a, Point 1.1, Clause 1, Section II regarding expenditure for implementing the monitoring system as follows:

- Expenditure for implementing the monitoring system to evaluate the National Target Program on Rural Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation (including sampling and analysis costs).

4. Amend the second bullet point under sub-item b, Point 1.1, Clause 1, Section II concerning specific expenditure for a model of a hygienic latrine as follows:

- Specific expenditure for a model includes:

+ Expenditure for selecting construction sites, interviewing, and processing data;

+ Technical guidance personnel costs: For contracted personnel, the maximum is 2.5 times the minimum wage/month (22 days) for direct technical guidance days; for civil servants and public employees, travel expenses are reimbursed according to current regulations;

+ Costs for social mobilization, technical guidance to the community;

+ Inspection and acceptance costs for projects;

+ Support for part of the materials (steel, cement, bricks, sand...) for people participating in the model, this expenditure should account for at least 80% of the total cost of the model in a commune.

The level of support for each household in the model is as follows: For poor households, households in particularly difficult communes, ethnic minority areas, mountainous regions, coastal areas, and border communes as defined by the Prime Minister, the state budget support is up to a maximum of VND 1,000,000 per household according to the approved budget by the competent authority; for households in other areas, the state budget support is up to a maximum of VND 800,000 per household according to the approved budget by the competent authority.

Households that have received environmental improvement support from the Program 135 Phase II according to Decision No. 112/2007/QĐ-TTg dated July 20, 2007 of the Prime Minister on policies to support services, improve and enhance the living standards of the people, and legal aid to raise awareness of the law, shall not be supported to build sanitation facilities under this Program.

The selection of households and the level of support for each household is decided by the Provincial People's Committee or delegated to lower-level committees based on the target group and priority order but not exceeding the total support level for one commune.

5. Amend the fourth bullet point under sub-item b, Point 1.1, Clause 1, Section II concerning expenditure for a model of livestock waste treatment as follows:

- Expenditure for the model is the same as the expenditure for the model of a hygienic latrine as specified above in point (4).

+ The level of state budget support for farmer households participating in the livestock waste treatment model is up to a maximum of VND 1,000,000 per household according to the approved budget by the competent authority.

Households that have received environmental improvement support from Program 135 Phase II according to Decision No. 112/2007/QĐ-TTg dated July 20, 2007 of the Prime Minister on policies to support services, improve and enhance the living standards of the people, and legal aid to raise awareness of the law shall not be supported for the livestock waste treatment model under this Program.

If biogas is installed, an additional VND 200,000 per household will be provided.

If a commune implements a combined model of a hygienic latrine and livestock waste treatment, the maximum state budget support for the combined model is VND 20,000,000.

The list of households to be supported and the level of support for each household is decided by the Provincial People's Committee or authorized agencies based on priority order. The maximum support level shall not exceed the total support level for one commune.

6. Amend the third bullet point under sub-item a, Point 1.2, Clause 1, Section II concerning support for the construction of clean water supply facilities as follows:

- Expenditure for supporting the construction, upgrading, and expansion of clean water supply facilities, including facilities supplying water to schools (kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, high schools, vocational schools in rural areas), health stations, markets, public facilities, and district-level People's Committees' offices in rural areas; border guard posts and clusters of border communities.

7. Amend the third itemized point under subpoint b, Point 1.2, Clause 1, Section II on the level of support for centralized water supply projects as follows:

- Centralized water supply project: The State budget will support a portion of steel, cement, bricks, sand, and equipment for the upstream works, water treatment plant, and main pipeline. The specific level of support is as follows:

* Not more than 45% of the State budget support for urban towns and market towns; not more than 60% for plains and coastal areas; not more than 75% for other rural areas according to the approved project budget by the competent authority;

* Not more than 90% of the total approved project budget by the competent authority for particularly difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, coastal and island areas, border communes as prescribed by the Prime Minister; in cases where the Prime Minister has decided that the State budget will support investment in centralized water supply projects, the source of funds and the level of investment support shall be implemented according to the Prime Minister's Decisions;

* For rural health stations, schools (kindergartens, primary schools, junior high schools, high schools, vocational schools in rural areas), rural markets, the State budget will support not more than 75% of the total approved project budget by the competent authority; for units without revenue sources, the People's Committee of the province shall consider and decide the level of investment from the State budget (including central government budget and ODA supplementary targeted funds for local budgets; local budget investment for the program) as appropriate.

Self-flowing centralized water supply project (only implemented in highland areas): The State budget will support not more than 90% of the total approved project budget by the competent authority.

Based on the above levels of support, relevant Ministries, sectors, and Provincial People's Committees shall approve the level of support for inter-village (inter-hamlet, inter-ward) projects, communes, and implement projects in accordance with their annual financial allocation capacity.

8. Amend the fourth itemized point under subpoint b, Point 1.2, Clause 1, Section II on the level of support for decentralized water supply projects as follows:

Decentralized water supply project: The State budget will support a portion of materials such as pipes, hand pumps, cement, rainwater collection channels, and tanks depending on the type of water supply for poor households; social policy households; households in particularly difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, coastal and island areas, border communes as prescribed by the Prime Minister; in cases where the Prime Minister has decided that the State budget will support investment in decentralized water supply projects, the source of funds and the level of investment support shall be implemented according to the Prime Minister's decisions.

- The specific level of support is as follows: "Small diameter drilled wells, dug wells, rainwater storage tanks (4 cubic meters), and rainwater storage containers (2 cubic meters): The State budget will support not more than 45% for plains, not more than 60% for midlands, and not more than 75% for mountainous regions according to the approved project budget by the competent authority.

For households of mothers awarded the title Heroic Mother Vietnam, families of martyrs, and families with meritorious contributions to the revolution: The State budget will support 100% of the value of the project as approved by the competent authority; for households with severely disabled members, the provincial People's Committee shall consider and decide the level of support appropriately.

9. Amend the first itemized point under Clause 1, Section III as follows:

1. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: "Prepare plans and consolidate the financial needs for implementing the National Target Program on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation annually based on the proposals of relevant Ministries, sectors, mass organizations, and provinces/cities directly under the Central Government, and submit them to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (for operating expenses), the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and reporting to the competent authority for consideration and decision; take the lead in providing plans and action programs of the Program to donors according to signed agreements."

10. Implementation:

This Circular takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. Other provisions set out in Joint Circular No. 80/2007/TTLT-BTC-BNN dated July 11, 2007, issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guiding the management and use of State budget funds for the National Target Program on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation for the period 2006-2010 remain effective.

During implementation, if there are any difficulties, please report them to the Joint Ministries for study and appropriate amendment./.