Decision No. 53/2003/QĐ-BNV on the issuance of the Regulation on thrift and anti-waste practices

DECISION OF THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS

Regarding the issuance of regulations on practicing thrift and combating waste

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THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS

- Pursuant to Ordinance No. 02/PL-UBTVQH10 dated February 26, 1998 of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on practicing thrift and combating waste; Decree No. 38/NĐ-CP dated June 9, 1998 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Ordinance on practicing thrift and combating waste;

- Pursuant to Decree No. 45/NĐ-CP dated May 9, 2003 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Home Affairs;

- Considering the situation of state budget revenue and expenditure management by grassroots units in implementing the Ordinance on practicing thrift and combating waste over recent years;

- Based on the proposal of the Director of the Ministry's Office,

DECISION:

Article 1. Issuing regulations on practicing thrift and combating waste in grassroots units under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Article 2. Heads of secondary and tertiary budgetary units, and heads of departments shall be responsible for disseminating and implementing these regulations to all officials and civil servants within their units.

Article 3. The Director of the Ministry's Office and heads of units (as specified in Article 2) shall be responsible for implementing this Decision from the date of signature./.

REGULATIONS

PRACTICING THRIFT AND COMBATING WASTE
(issued pursuant to Decision No. 53/2003/QĐ-BNV dated September 4, 2003)

PART I: GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Subjects practicing thrift and combating waste:

a/ All budgetary units of the state, individuals managing and using state budget funds, utilizing various types of capital and state assets (means of transportation, machinery and equipment for work, land, office premises, public service housing...) under the Ministry of Home Affairs must practice thrift and combat waste according to the provisions of this regulation.

b/ Based on existing national standards, norms, and policies stipulated in current legal documents, serving as a basis for implementing frugal expenditures and combating waste.

- Strictly prohibit units from setting standards and norms for expenditures that contravene the current national policies and regulations.

c/ Based on current national policies, within their functional and task scope, units must establish procedures and processes for handling matters; inspection and supervision regulations for the implementation of such procedures and processes in managing and utilizing state capital and assets to practice thrift and combat waste, ensuring compatibility with the conditions and requirements of the unit.

Article 2. Content and principles of financial transparency:

- All units must comply with the financial transparency regulations established by the Prime Minister, including:

- Financial income and expenditure transparency must ensure the exercise of control rights by officials and civil servants, and the supervisory rights of organizations and mass groups as prescribed by law.

- The content, scope, and degree of financial transparency must ensure accuracy, clarity, timeliness, and appropriateness to the subject matter and audience.

Financial transparency regulations include:

- Financial transparency regulations for state budgetary units (including sources of income and expenditure items),

- Financial transparency regulations for funds derived from various sources (from the state budget, other sources...).

Chapter II: SPECIFIC PROVISIONS ON PRACTICES OF ECONOMY AND COMBATING WASTEFULNESS

Article 3. Practices of economy and combating wastefulness in the use of regular budget expenditures

1. On personnel establishment management:

a) The establishment of new organizations, mergers, or divisions must be based on actual needs, ensuring economic efficiency, decided by competent authorities, and shall not increase the approved personnel establishment.

b) Units receiving salary funds must comply with the regulations of state agencies regarding personnel establishment.

c) Recruitment under contracts must be transparent regarding recruitment needs and conditions for recruited workers according to labor laws and within the approved personnel establishment.

d) Strictly prohibit the use of labor and salary funds exceeding approved quotas.

In cases of urgent work or seasonal nature, units may enter into time-limited contracts with workers and pay wages from the approved manpower cost, subject to the approval of the direct supervisory authority.

e) Any person making decisions on recruitment, employment, promotion, or transfer not in accordance with regulations must revoke such decisions and be subject to disciplinary action depending on the nature and degree of violation; criminal responsibility may be pursued according to law; if wastefulness is caused, compensation must be provided. Compensation includes:

- Salary paid to recruited workers;

- Training costs for reassignment to other jobs;

- Bonuses, social insurance, health insurance (if applicable);

- Other related costs.

g) All civil servants must ensure the required working hours as stipulated, and units must record working hours and take disciplinary measures against those who fail to meet the required hours.

2. On procurement of equipment:

a) Procurement and installation of new assets shall only be carried out when there is a genuine need, or when old assets have reached the end of their useful life, or when assets still have value but are severely damaged and cannot be repaired.

b) All equipment, means, and assets provided to agencies must meet national standards and norms. Procurement of equipment and tools must comply with tendering, auction, technical inspection, and quality control regulations, following current state asset procurement procedures, minimizing cash payments.

c) The basis for controlling procurement expenditure is the average market price at the time of purchase.

d) Purchased equipment must be domestically produced products, except where domestic production is unavailable, or where domestic products have the same quality as foreign products but are more expensive, or have the same price but lower quality.

e) Proper management of public assets and accounting for equipment and working tools must be conducted according to current state regulations.

g) Individuals violating procurement regulations shall be subject to disciplinary actions ranging from reprimand, warning, reduction in salary grade, demotion, dismissal, or forced resignation; criminal liability may be pursued according to law; if damage is caused, compensation must be provided according to current law.

Compensation shall be made by returning the property once within thirty days from the date of the decision to return it, if unable to return it once, it shall be deducted gradually from monthly income, but not less than ten percent and not exceeding thirty percent of total monthly income and allowances (if any).

h) Major repairs of assets (buildings, structures, automobiles, etc.) require prior planning (from one to three months). During major and regular repairs, strict adherence to approved budgets and prices must be ensured, with thorough technical acceptance inspections and quality checks before final settlement.

3. On the use of transportation means for official duties:

a) All transportation means of units shall only be used for official purposes within the scope and standards prescribed by current state regulations and for group travel. Units must allocate and mobilize transportation means according to the purpose and standards set to ensure completion of assigned tasks.

b) Allocation of cars for officials' travel with groups of 3-4 people using small cars, and 5 or more people using 12-15 seat vehicles. For individual travel outside the standard, public transportation must be used, and the unit is responsible for reimbursing travel expenses according to current public transportation rates.

c) Fuel distribution to drivers must follow established norms and activity logs. When dispatching vehicles, drivers must check the vehicle's technical condition, prepare fuel, and official orders, and upon returning from travel, submit receipts and legal documents to the accounting department for verification and settlement.

At the end of each month, a unit's inspection team (with all necessary components) confirms the mileage recorded on the odometer and actual mileage, based on the unit's fuel consumption norms to determine the amount of fuel used, serving as the basis for monthly fuel settlement (or every ten days...).

4. On the use of communication means:

a) Installation and use of communication means at workplaces and private residences of officials must comply with current state regulations, standards, and norms.

b) When there is a necessary need for work at the new unit, telephone calls may be made, but personal calls are not allowed. Long-distance calls must be planned in advance, with concise content that focuses on the main points, avoiding unnecessary lengthy conversations that waste time. International calls can only be made through units' designated phones, serving unit work purposes (strictly prohibited for personal use).

c) Officials using communication devices at their homes and mobile phones provided according to standard criteria must return the excess amount if they exceed the prescribed standard quota, except in special cases decided by the Ministry's leadership.

d) Officials who use communication devices for personal matters must pay for such usage from the public fund.

5. Regarding the use of lighting electricity and water for daily living:

a) All officials must practice thrift in the use of electricity and water in their daily lives.

b) Workrooms equipped with devices such as air conditioners, computers, printers... require officials to use these devices economically, demonstrating a sense of responsibility and awareness in maintaining and protecting state property. Lights, air conditioners, fans... should not be left on when unoccupied to save energy and prevent fire hazards.

c) Officials must regularly inspect the equipment they use and propose maintenance and repair plans to their unit leaders to extend the lifespan of the equipment and ensure economical use of electricity.

6. Regarding office supplies and office equipment:

a) Units must establish usage quotas for each department based on the functions and responsibilities of the staff, allocating them according to the number of personnel per month, taking into account the specific nature and workload of each department to reasonably apply office supply quotas without wastage while ensuring the completion of tasks.

b) Departments purchasing office supplies must ensure quality, correct pricing, and complete legal documentation for monthly settlement with the unit's accountant.

c) Printing and copying of documents must be done as economically as possible, printing on both sides of the paper. It is strictly forbidden to print or copy documents for personal use.

7. Conference and reception expenses:

a) Organizing summary and final conferences must have a plan and be approved by the competent authority. Conferences should combine multiple topics and ensure cost-effectiveness. Traveling far from the agency's headquarters to hold conferences should be avoided to save travel costs.

b) Conference expenses must be within the annual budget approved and comply with current national standards and regulations.

c) Reception and ceremonial expenses must follow the prescribed national regulations. Alcohol, tobacco shall not be used for receptions (except in certain cases of foreign receptions with separate regulations).

8. Travel expenses:

- Travel expenses must comply with the standards and regulations set by the Ministry of Finance. Valid travel orders (travel permits) must bear the signature of the unit leader assigning the staff member to travel, confirming the period eligible for travel allowance, and verified by the receiving agency (arrival and departure times) according to actual circumstances.

- Staff members assigned to travel who falsify invoices or supporting documents during reimbursement will face disciplinary action and must refund the received amount.

9. Outbound and inbound delegation expenses:

a) The organization of outbound and inbound delegations must have a plan, with state-provided funding, and the content, duration, and budget must be approved by the Ministry's leadership.

b) Assigning officials to participate in outbound delegations must be appropriate, serving practical needs for professional tasks, and upon return, they must report the results of their work to the Ministry's leadership.

c) Settlement of delegation expenses must be timely and in accordance with current financial regulations.

Article 4. Practicing thrift and combating waste in investment construction

1. The preparation of investment plans by investors must ensure economic efficiency, and investment projects must be within the planning and investment plan approved by the Minister.

2. The examination and approval of total project estimates must be based on economic and technical norms and standards prescribed by competent state agencies and consistent with approved technical designs, ensuring social and economic efficiency.

3. Organizations and individuals violating regulations on the examination and approval of total project estimates and project estimates, causing waste, shall be liable for compensation and subject to legal sanctions.

4. Investment projects that require tendering must be organized through tendering, and the organization of construction tenders must comply with the tendering regulations prescribed by the Government.

5. Organizations and individuals violating regulations on construction tendering, causing waste, shall be liable for compensation and subject to legal sanctions.

6. Investment construction activities must be carried out in accordance with technical standards, quality of works, and construction schedules.

7. Capital investment payments must be made according to schedule, project estimates, or bid prices approved, and payment procedures must comply with current state regulations.

8. Investors and project leaders must supervise construction, inspect individual work items of each project in accordance with approved technical designs and budget estimates, and bear responsibility for the quantity and quality inspected; if they violate these regulations, they shall be liable for compensation and subject to legal sanctions.

9. Supervision, inspection, and final settlement of projects must be conducted in accordance with current state regulations on investment construction management.

Article 5. Practicing thrift and combating waste in other expenditure items:

1. Expenditure for professional work such as drafting laws, ordinances, decrees, circulars, programs, and projects must comply with norms, target groups, and budgets allocated.

2. Meetings, seminars, implementation of projects, and drafting documents not included in approved budgets are not permitted unless they have significant importance and cannot be funded, in which case partial funding may be provided with permission from the Ministry leadership and approved budgets, and all financial transactions must be supported by valid financial documents, lists, and signatures of recipients (except for special individuals).

3. Expenditure for scientific research topics must comply with norms and unit prices prescribed by competent authorities, detailed budgets for each topic must be prepared, and payments must be supported by complete legal documents with signatures of authorized approvers (contracts, contract settlements, evaluation reports from corresponding science councils...).

4. Units receiving training funds must develop training plans for staff, and only pay training costs for staff sent for training in accordance with their professional fields and organizational training plans.

Training class expenses for civil servants must comply with norms, standards, systems, and approved budgets.

5. Other income and expenditures within the agency must comply with policies and approved budgets.

It is strictly prohibited to record outside accounting books illegal black funds for improper expenditures contrary to state policies. Unit heads and related individuals, if discovered, will be subject to disciplinary action under the law.

Article 6. Implementation:

1. To ensure the effective implementation of this regulation on thrift and anti-waste, it is required that the leaders of each unit disseminate the Ordinance on Thrift and Anti-Waste and this regulation to every civil servant within their unit.

2. The leaders of each unit shall be responsible for monitoring, supervising, and inspecting the implementation of thrift and anti-waste within their unit and among the civil servants under their jurisdiction, and shall bear legal responsibility for any violations of the regulations on thrift and anti-waste.

3. Organizations and individuals who fail to implement or implement incorrectly this regulation shall be subject to disciplinary action, administrative violation handling, or criminal liability pursuit according to the provisions of the law; if they cause waste, they must compensate.

4. The Office of the Ministry shall be responsible before the Minister for guiding, monitoring, and inspecting the implementation of this regulation.

5. This regulation replaces Decision No. 175/1998/QĐ-TCCP-VP dated May 29, 1998, "on the issuance of regulations on thrift and anti-waste in agencies," and shall take effect from the date of signature.