Joint Circular No. 64/2006/TTLT-BNN-BNV-BTC guiding the implementation of Decision No. 132/2006/QĐ-TTg dated May 31, 2006 of the Prime Minister on the allowance system for staff in the Forest Inspection, Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Dike Supervision sectors.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Implementing Decision No. 132/2006/QĐ-TTg dated May 31, 2006 of the Prime Minister on the allowance system for certain professions for civil servants and employees in the Forest Protection, Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Flood Control sectors

Pursuant to Decision No. 132/2006/QĐ-TTg dated May 31, 2006 of the Prime Minister on the allowance system for certain professions for civil servants and employees in the Forest Protection, Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Flood Control sectors (hereinafter referred to as Decision No. 132/2006/QĐ-TTg), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance provide guidelines for implementing the allowance system for certain professions for civil servants and employees in the Forest Protection, Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Flood Control sectors as follows:

I. SCOPE AND APPLICABLE OBJECTS

1. Civil servants (including probationary civil servants), employees, and those currently undergoing internship or trial periods directly engaged in specialized work who have been transferred to salary grades according to Decree No. 204/2004/NĐ-CP dated December 14, 2004 of the Government on the wage system for cadres, civil servants, employees, and armed forces personnel (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 204/2004/NĐ-CP) into positions within the Forest Protection, Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Flood Control sectors (positions with the first two digits of the position code being 09, 10, 11) in state agencies and public service units.

2. The objects specified in Clause 1 of this item shall not be entitled to profession-based allowances during the following periods:

a) Periods abroad on official business, working, or studying receiving 40% of their salary as stipulated in Clause 4, Article 8 of Decree No. 204/2004/NĐ-CP;

b) Periods on domestic official business or studying not directly involved in professional work exceeding three months;

c) Periods of personal leave without pay continuously for one month or more;

d) Periods of illness or maternity leave exceeding the limit prescribed in the current Social Insurance Regulations;

State Audit officials, civil servants, and staff currently working at the State Audit Office shall be provided uniforms as follows:

II. LEVELS OF ALLOWANCES

The levels of profession-based allowances for civil servants and employees in the Forest Protection, Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Flood Control sectors include the following levels:

1. Forest Protection Sector

- Level of 50% allowance applicable to forest rangers working in communes where regional allowances are from 0.7 upwards;

- Level of 45% allowance applicable to forest rangers working in communes where regional allowances are from 0.4 to 0.5;

- Level of 40% allowance applicable to forest rangers working in communes where regional allowances are from 0.1 to 0.3;

- Level of 30% allowance applicable to forest rangers working at Forest Ranger Stations and Forest Protection Stations in areas where regional allowances are from 0.7 upwards;

- Level of 25% allowance applicable to forest rangers working in communes where there are no regional allowances and forest rangers working at Forest Ranger Stations and Forest Protection Stations in areas where regional allowances are from 0.4 to 0.5;

- Level of 20% allowance applicable to forest rangers working at Forest Ranger Stations and Forest Protection Stations in areas where regional allowances are from 0.1 to 0.3;

- Level of 15% allowance applicable to forest rangers working at Forest Ranger Stations and Forest Protection Stations in areas where there are no regional allowances and Mobile Forest Ranger Teams;

- Level of 10% allowance applicable to forest rangers directly responsible for forest protection duties at Forest Protection District Offices and Forest Protection Technical Centers.

2. Plant Protection and Animal Health Sectors

- Level of 25% allowance applicable to plant protection and animal health specialists working at Plant Protection Stations, Animal Health Stations, Domestic Animal and Plant Quarantine Stations, or ports where regional allowances are from 0.7 upwards;

- Level of 20% allowance applicable to plant protection and animal health specialists working at Plant Protection Stations, Animal Health Stations, Domestic Animal and Plant Quarantine Stations, or ports where regional allowances are from 0.4 to 0.5.

- Level of 15% allowance applicable to plant protection and animal health specialists working at Plant Protection Stations, Animal Health Stations, Domestic Animal and Plant Quarantine Stations, or ports where regional allowances are from 0.1 to 0.3.

- Level of 10% allowance applicable to plant protection and animal health specialists working at Plant Protection Stations, Animal Health Stations, Domestic Animal and Plant Quarantine Stations, or ports where there are no regional allowances; and plant protection and animal health specialists directly involved in animal and plant quarantine, slaughterhouse inspection, veterinary hygiene inspection, animal disease diagnosis, plant pest investigation and forecasting, veterinary drug testing, and plant protection chemical testing at Provincial Plant Protection and Animal Health Centers, Veterinary Centers, or Regional Plant Quarantine Centers under the Animal Health Service and Plant Protection Service.

3. Flood Control Sector

- Level of 20% allowance applicable to flood control inspectors working at Coastal Flood Control Teams and Stations;

- Level of 15% allowance applicable to flood control inspectors working at River Flood Control Teams and Stations.

III. CALCULATION METHOD AND SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR PAYING ALLOWANCES

1. Calculation Method

a) Profession-based allowances are calculated based on the current grade salary plus leadership position allowances and seniority allowances above the ceiling (if any), determined by the following formula:

Example 1Mr. Nguyen Van A is a forest ranger responsible for a commune with a regional allowance of 0.3. Mr. A has a salary coefficient of 3.26, grade 8, forest ranger position (position code 10.079). The calculation of the profession-based allowance for Mr. A for one month is as follows:

Since Mr. A has already received the benefits stipulated in Decision No. 66/2002/QĐ-TTg dated May 27, 2002 of the Prime Minister, Mr. A will be entitled to the profession-based allowance from October 1, 2004, specifically as follows:

- From October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005 (applying the general minimum wage of 290,000 VND/month):

Amount of profession-based allowance for one month = 290,000 VND x 3.26 x 40% = 378,160 VND

- From October 1, 2005 (applying the general minimum wage of 350,000 VND/month):

Profession-based allowance for one month = 350,000 VND x 3.26 x 40% = 456,400 VND

- From October 1, 2005 (applying the general minimum wage of 350,000 VND/month):

Amount of profession-based allowance for one month = 290,000 VND x 3.26 x 40% = 378,160 VND

allowance for favorable conditions = 350,000 VND x 3.26 x 40% = 456,400 VND

per profession per month

Example 2Ms. Tran Thi B works on plant protection forecasting at the Plant Protection Station where the regional allowance is 0.5. Ms. B is classified as a plant protection forecasting officer with code 09.060, salary coefficient 4.98, grade 12, and receiving a 5% seniority bonus above the framework. From the effective date of Decision No. 132/2006/QD-TTg (June 25, 2006), Ms. B is entitled to a job-related allowance of 20% for one month as follows:

Amount of profession-based allowance for one month = 290,000 VND x 3.26 x 40% = 378,160 VND

Job-related allowance = 350,000 VND x [4.98 + (4.98 x 5%)] x 20% = 366,030 VND

Profession-based allowance for one month = 350,000 VND x 3.26 x 40% = 456,400 VND

b) The job-related allowance is paid together with monthly salary and is not used to calculate contributions or benefits under social insurance and health insurance schemes.

c) In cases where a forest ranger responsible for multiple communes receives different job-related allowances as stipulated in Clause 1, Section II of this Circular, they shall be entitled to the highest job-related allowance.

d) When individuals specified in Clause 1, Section I are transferred to work in areas with higher or lower job-related allowances than those currently received, they shall be entitled to the job-related allowance according to their new workplace from the month following the decision on transfer.

2. Sources of funding

a) For agencies and units fully funded by the state budget, the job-related allowance is guaranteed by the state budget according to the current budget classification within the annual budget allocation for the agency or unit.

b) For agencies implementing personnel quotas and administrative management expenses and public institutions operating on self-financing, the job-related allowance is paid from the allocated quota funds and self-financed resources.

Specifically for the years 2004, 2005, and 2006, the requirements and funding sources for implementing the aforementioned allowance system were carried out in accordance with the guidance provided by the Ministry of Finance in Circular No. 02/2005/TT-BTC dated January 6, 2005, guiding the determination of needs, sources, and methods of expenditure for salary reform for cadres, civil servants, officials, and armed forces, and Circular No. 89/2005/TT-BTC dated October 13, 2005, guiding the determination of needs, sources, and methods of expenditure for adjusting the minimum wage level.

IV. EFFECTIVE DATE OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. This Circular takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

a) Forest rangers who have been receiving the subsidy regime as stipulated in Decision No. 66/2002/QD-TTg dated May 27, 2002, of the Prime Minister on the Subsidy Regime for Cadres and Civil Servants Working as Forest Rangers in Commune Areas shall enjoy the job-related allowance regime as prescribed in this Circular from October 1, 2004.

b) Other individuals shall enjoy the job-related allowance regime as prescribed in this Circular from the effective date of Decision No. 132/2006/QD-TTg (June 25, 2006).

2. This Circular replaces Circular No. 11/2002/TTLT-BNV-BTC-BNNPTNT dated October 25, 2002, guiding the implementation of Decision No. 66/2002/QD-TTg dated May 27, 2002, of the Prime Minister on the Subsidy Regime for Cadres and Civil Servants Working as Forest Rangers in Commune Areas.

Any issues arising during implementation should be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance for study and resolution.

Place of Receipt:
- Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers;
- Ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries,
government agencies;
- People's Councils, People's Committees, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces,
cities directly under the Central Government;
- National Assembly's Office;
- Central Party Office and Party Committees;
- President's Office;
- Ethnic Committee and various committees of the National Assembly;
- Supreme People's Procuracy;
- Supreme People's Court;
- Legal Documents Supervision Bureau (Ministry of Justice);
- Official Gazette;
- BNN: all (Forest Protection Bureau, Plant Protection Bureau, Forestry Research Institute, Forest Management Department), Financial Affairs Department, all National Parks
- To be filed: VT (BNN, BNV, BTC), Personnel and Cadre Affairs (BNN).