Directive No. 6-TTg on the thorough implementation of thrift and the elimination of wasteful public fund usage practices

DIRECTIVE

ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMICAL AND FRUGAL PRACTICES TO ELIMINATE WASTEFUL USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS

Currently, the wasteful use of public funds for ostentatious and formal activities without practical effectiveness still prevails in state agencies, state enterprises, and socio-economic organizations. While the budget is tight and the people's livelihood is low, with many difficulties faced by beneficiaries of social policies, this situation not only causes justifiable dissatisfaction among the people but also undermines moral integrity, leading to corruption and the deterioration of cadres.

Besides combating corruption, waste, and loss of assets in construction projects, which has been addressed by the Prime Minister's Directive No. 171-TTg dated December 16, 1992, specifically regarding administrative expenditures, to conserve the state budget for urgent economic, cultural, and social welfare needs, and to promote the frugal traditions of the people, the Prime Minister hereby instructs all sectors, levels, state agencies, enterprises, and socio-economic organizations to immediately implement the following measures:

1- Regarding national conferences. Meetings for summarizing work, reunions, commemorations on the establishment of departments, units, including organizing seminars, should study appropriate forms that are effective and practical, strictly limiting nationwide meetings.

Summarizing and concluding work is necessary, but it should delve deeply into specific topics, summarizing and drawing lessons to enhance management efficiency. If necessary, organize exchanges of opinions and dissemination of experiences regionally or locally, without necessarily holding nationwide meetings.

Organizing reunions and commemorations to review traditions and discuss new tasks should mainly be conducted at grassroots units, with higher-level guidance on the content of activities.

If it is necessary to convey resolutions (or other types of documents), conduct training sessions, or solicit opinions on projects, etc., then regional or local meetings with similar characteristics should be held instead, so that the discussion content is closely tied to the specific features and actual requirements of regions or localities, minimizing the use of meetings as a means of direction, especially nationwide meetings or provincial-wide meetings. For central ministries, if a nationwide meeting is truly necessary, they must report the requirements and content beforehand and seek permission from the Prime Minister. If it is a provincial-wide (city-wide) meeting, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (City People's Committee) must take responsibility.

2- Regarding the working relationship between upper and lower levels. From now on, superiors must spend more time going down to subordinates, visiting localities and grassroots units. It is necessary to limit the practice of superiors inviting subordinates to attend meetings too frequently, which sometimes leaves subordinates unable to participate fully and delays the implementation of work. This style must be corrected immediately, with senior officials needing to regularly visit localities and especially grassroots units, directly grasping the situation and helping to resolve pressing issues of localities and grassroots units, and promptly identifying major issues for overall direction. However, sending officials to work in localities and grassroots units must start from actual needs and carefully consider the effectiveness, including the duration of work, to avoid unnecessary expenses and inconvenience to subordinates. Those sent on missions must have a plan and report the results of their mission to the head of the unit.

When leaders at higher levels, including the Prime Minister and members of the Government, come to work with subordinates, they need to prepare thoroughly and announce the schedule in advance. The noisy reception and extravagant dining must be abandoned, and travel and living arrangements should be normalized like daily life in the locality. The most important issue is the content and effectiveness. Especially in places where the people and localities face many difficulties, unnecessary expenses must be minimized even further.

The use of transportation (airplanes, trains, cars...) must also be carefully calculated and economical, but based on the requirements and nature of the work and the cadre assigned, without being rigid about cadre rank.

3- Regarding delegations traveling abroad.

Recently, the number of delegations has increased rapidly, but the effectiveness has been low, and they have not been organized and managed strictly in terms of content and territory, causing wasted time and foreign currency, and beginning to cause inconvenience to the host country. From now on, delegations going abroad for research, surveys, attending seminars, etc., must select the right personnel and focus on practical contents, timing, and countries appropriately. Heads of agencies sending delegations must be responsible to their superiors for sending cadres abroad. Do not send cadres who are not directly related to the work and purpose of the trip, who will not carry out the work surveyed or discussed upon return.

Higher-level management agencies shall not impose or suggest that subordinate agencies accept personnel from their own agency to join the delegation without necessary requirements.

4- Regarding expenditures for purchasing equipment, office supplies, and hospitality costs. The general requirement is to ensure essential needs for management operations, but to be extremely economical in purchasing and equipping furniture, conference fees, and guest reception expenses.

State-owned assets allocated to agencies and units for use, particularly office premises, must be strictly managed and used economically and for their intended purposes. The purchase of assets, major repairs, and small-scale construction of facilities and work tools (including purchasing cars) by administrative and service agencies must be planned and budgeted, approved by the competent authority. Do not purchase foreign equipment that can be produced domestically and meets quality standards. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for strictly managing the use of state-owned assets in various sectors, levels, agencies, and units, including our agencies abroad.

At administrative agencies, public service organizations, armed forces, and state-owned enterprises, domestic products such as tea, mineral water, coffee, and fruits should be used during meetings, seminars, and receptions; foreign cigarettes, beer, and wine (except in special cases where foreign wine is required for signing documents with foreign entities or receiving state-level foreign guests) shall not be used. Smoking is prohibited during meetings, receptions, and in public places. State civil servants at all levels must strictly comply with the decision to ban foreign cigarettes and shall not smoke foreign cigarettes. Any violation will be subject to administrative disciplinary action.

5. Regarding the responsibility for managing administrative expenditures. Based on the above contents, the Ministry of Finance shall promptly issue detailed guidelines to thoroughly implement thriftiness and prevent waste while ensuring essential funds for work. Each sector, locality, and unit must establish and implement specific regulations on meeting costs, working expenses, reception expenses, financial management, and public asset management within their respective sectors, agencies, and units.

It is recommended that central agencies of people's mass organizations and social organizations also instruct subordinate levels to implement thriftiness as mentioned above, contributing together with the Government to foster a thrifty lifestyle throughout society.

Ministries and central agencies shall review relevant documents and policies under their management functions to timely supplement and amend them to effectively curb the current wasteful use of public assets and funds.

In each agency or unit, the head, the inspector, and the chief accountant are responsible for any violations of wasteful expenditure of public funds within their respective agencies or units.

The Ministers, Heads of government agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities are responsible for monitoring and promptly addressing any violations by organizations and individuals under their jurisdiction, and they shall jointly bear responsibility for such violations.

The Ministry of Finance, National Inspectorate, and the Ministry of Home Affairs must promptly detect, prevent, and handle cases of wasteful use of public funds, impose strict administrative disciplinary measures, and cooperate with competent authorities to prosecute serious cases.

For the benefit of building a disciplined, frugal, efficient, and strong administrative apparatus of the state, and to protect and promote the thrifty tradition of our people as taught by President Ho Chi Minh with the motto "Industry, Thrift, Integrity, and Righteousness," the Government earnestly requests the National Assembly deputies, People's Councils at all levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, and mass organizations to strengthen supervision over state agencies, enterprises, and socio-economic organizations in the use of public funds.

Mass media shall promptly commend and encourage organizations and individuals who set good examples in implementing thriftiness, while exposing and bringing to public opinion those organizations and individuals violating the provisions of this Directive.

Upon receipt of this Directive, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies and agencies under the Government, and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities must organize a session for all civil servants and workers in their units to understand clearly and strictly implement, initially focusing on thorough thriftiness during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Rooster, and report to the Prime Minister the implementation plan of their ministries and localities.