DECREE NO. 64/2008/ND-CP ON RAISING FUNDS, RECEIVING, DISTRIBUTING AND USING VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASSIST THE POPULATION IN OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES CAUSED BY NATURAL DISASTERS, FIRES, SEVERE INCIDENTS AND SERIOUS DISEASES

DECREE

Regarding the mobilization, receipt, distribution, and use of voluntary contributions to support the people in overcoming difficulties caused by natural disasters, fires, serious accidents, and severe diseases

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on the Vietnam Fatherland Front dated June 12, 1999;

Pursuant to the Law on State Budget dated December 16, 2002;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Finance,

DECREE:

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

1. This Decree stipulates the organization of mobilizing, receiving, distributing, and using voluntary contributions from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to support the people in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters occurring both domestically and internationally; to overcome the consequences of fires; serious accidents; and to support patients with severe diseases.

2. Financial assistance from higher-level budgets to lower-level budgets for overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents; financial assistance from the budgets of other localities supporting affected localities due to natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents are not within the scope of adjustment of this Decree. The receipt, distribution, and use of financial support from the budget shall be carried out according to the decision of the Provincial People's Committee.

Article 2. Principles of organizing mobilization, receipt, distribution, and use of voluntary contributions

1. The State encourages, honors, and creates favorable conditions for domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to contribute and organize mobilization with a spirit of solidarity, mutual aid, and helping those in need to quickly overcome the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents to stabilize lives, restore, and develop production; assist patients with severe diseases.

2. Organizing mobilization for contributions to support overcoming difficulties shall only be implemented when natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents occur causing significant losses of life and property of the people.

Mobilizing contributions to assist patients with severe diseases shall be carried out on a case-by-case basis through publicity and calls for support from mass media agencies.

3. Contributions of money and goods to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents; assisting patients with severe diseases must be based on voluntariness and goodwill; agencies and organizations shall not arbitrarily set minimum fundraising targets to force people to comply.

4. The work of organizing mobilization, receipt, allocation, and use of funds and goods contributed during each relief campaign must be centralized, timely, purposeful, targeted, transparent, and uniformly directed to ensure that all sources of funds and goods reach affected individuals, households, and localities, as well as other countries affected by natural disasters.

5. The use of funds and goods for support must be in accordance with the intended purposes for overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents; assisting patients with severe diseases; strictly prohibiting misuse under any form.

6. Contributions and assistance for patients with severe diseases must be delivered to the correct recipients who need help.

7. Expenses for organizing, receiving, transporting relief funds and goods; costs for organizing, contributing, and assisting patients with severe diseases shall be implemented in accordance with the State Budget Law, guiding documents for the implementation of the State Budget Law, and the provisions of this Decree.

Article 3. Prohibited Acts

1. Obstructing or forcing organizations and individuals to participate in humanitarian relief activities.

2. Reporting false information, fraud, embezzlement, or illegal use of funds and goods donated or contributed by domestic and foreign organizations and individuals.

3. Taking advantage of relief activities for personal gain.

Chapter II

PROVISIONS ON THE ORGANIZATION OF MOBILIZING CONTRIBUTIONS AND RECEIVING FUNDS AND GOODS FOR RELIEF TO OVERCOME THE CONSEQUENCES OF NATURAL DISASTERS, FIRES, AND SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WITHIN THE COUNTRY

Article 4. Organizing appeals and campaigns to collect funds and goods for relief

1. When natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents occur causing significant losses to people, property, and production means of the population, the Central Steering Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front or the Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at the provincial level, or the Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at the district level shall organize appeals and campaigns to solicit contributions from organizations and individuals to assist the affected people and localities, depending on the extent and scope of the damage.

2. The Vietnam Red Cross shall issue calls for support through the domestic and international Red Cross system.

3. Social funds and charitable funds specified in Clause 2, Article 4 of Decree No. 148/2007/NĐ-CP dated September 25, 2007 of the Government on the organization and operation of social funds and charitable funds (hereinafter referred to collectively as social funds and charitable funds) are permitted to mobilize contributions to support the mitigation of consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents in accordance with the provisions of the law.

4. Mass media agencies (newspapers, radio and television stations); organizations and units specified in Clause 3 of this Article, upon responding to the calls of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels, are permitted to mobilize contributions to support the mitigation of consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Article 5. Organizations and units authorized to receive and distribute funds and goods for relief

1. The Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; the Vietnam Red Cross; central and local mass media agencies; Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees and Red Crosses at all levels in localities.

2. Social funds and charitable funds specified in Decree No. 148/2007/NĐ-CP dated September 25, 2007 of the Government on the organization and operation of social funds and charitable funds.

3. Organizations and units at the central level authorized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; organizations and units at the local level authorized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at the provincial and district levels.

In addition to the aforementioned organizations and units, no other organization, unit, or individual has the right to organize the receipt of relief funds and goods.

4. For agencies and organizations receiving relief funds and goods contributed by collective bodies and individuals within their own units to assist affected compatriots and localities due to natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents, they shall implement the provisions of Clause 1, Article 9 of this Decree.

Article 6. Establishment of the Mobilization and Reception Committee for Relief Funds and Goods

1. Decision to establish the Mobilization and Reception Committee for Relief Funds and Goods (hereinafter referred to as the Relief Committee)

The Standing Office of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front decides to establish the Relief Committee at the central level; the Relief Committees at the provincial, district, and commune levels are decided by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at each respective level in localities.

2. The Relief Committee at each level shall be headed by the leader of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at that level.

a) The composition of the Relief Committee shall be determined by the Head but must include representatives from the following agencies: the Vietnam Red Cross; the Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Department; the Flood and Storm Control Steering Committee; the Agriculture and Rural Development Department; the Health Department; the Finance Department at the same level. For Relief Committees at the local level, there should also be a representative from the People's Council Office.

b) If necessary, the Head of the Relief Committee may establish a specialized team to assist in operations. The functions and responsibilities of the specialized team shall be defined by the Head.

3. The mobilization, reception, distribution, and utilization of relief funds and goods to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents by the Vietnam Red Cross from the central to local levels shall be carried out in accordance with the regulations of the Red Cross Charter.

4. The mobilization, reception, distribution, and utilization of relief funds and goods to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents by social funds and charitable funds shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Article 7. Time for fundraising, receiving and distributing relief funds and goods

1. The time to launch the fundraising campaign shall not be later than three days from the date of natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents.

2. The duration of the fundraising campaign:

a) For central and provincial levels, the fundraising and receipt of relief funds and goods shall last no longer than sixty days from the start of the fundraising campaign.

b) For district level and other organizations and units permitted by competent authorities, the fundraising and receipt of relief funds and goods shall last no longer than thirty days from the start of the fundraising campaign.

3. The distribution of relief funds and goods shall be carried out during the fundraising period and must be completed no later than twenty days from the end of the fundraising period as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article.

Special relief for recovery and reconstruction supported by fundraising campaigns organized by the Red Cross Association may have a duration of up to one year.

Article 8. Tasks of the Fundraising and Relief Goods Reception Committee

1. Each level's Relief Committees shall cooperate with mass media agencies at the same level to widely disseminate the significance of the fundraising campaign, its timing, addresses, and bank account numbers for receiving relief funds within their jurisdiction, and encourage domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to voluntarily contribute to support people and localities affected by natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents.

2. Cooperate with local authorities responsible for managing and distributing relief funds and goods to affected areas and people in a timely manner, according to purpose, target group, transparently and openly; report on the reception and distribution of relief funds and goods according to prescribed regulations.

Chapter III

REGULATIONS ON RECEIVING, DISTRIBUTING AND USING RELIEF FUNDS AND GOODS TO MITIGATE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NATURAL DISASTERS, FIRES, AND SERIOUS ACCIDENTS IN VIETNAM

Article 9. Receiving Relief Funds and Goods, Providing Relief Services

1. Regulations on opening accounts:

- Relief Committees at all levels (central, provincial, district, and commune) must open accounts at the State Treasury to uniformly manage relief funds, maintain complete books and vouchers for revenue and expenditure records to monitor and report on the settlement of relief expenses as prescribed;

- For mass media agencies, the Red Cross Association, social funds, charitable funds, and other agencies authorized to receive relief funds and goods, they must open accounts at commercial banks or the State Treasury;

- Agencies and units that are the main recipients of relief funds and goods contributed by their own staff and employees to support affected localities due to natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents do not need to open accounts. All collected funds must be directly deposited into the account of the corresponding level Relief Committee as stipulated in Clause 3 of this Article.

2. Regulations on Warehouses and Dockyards for Receiving Relief Goods

Based on actual conditions, relief goods receiving units can temporarily use warehouses, offices of their own agencies or rent warehouses and dockyards as collection points for relief goods.

3. Receiving and Managing Relief Sources through funds to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents in Vietnam

a) All relief funds contributed by organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally for affected localities due to natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents must be centralized in voluntary contribution accounts opened by the corresponding level Relief Committee at the State Treasury; according to the principle:

- Funds donated generally for the people and damaged localities without specific addresses shall be transferred to the account of the corresponding level Relief Committee (at the central level, to the account of the Relief Committee managed by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; at the local level, to the account of the Relief Committee managed by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Provincial, District, and Commune Committees);

- Relief funds donated to specific addresses requested by organizations and individuals shall be transferred by the Relief Committees to the correct address as required.

b) Funds donated to localities by mass media agencies and organizations and units authorized to receive them according to the decision of the competent authority shall be transferred entirely by these agencies into the account of the Relief Committee managed by the corresponding level Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee as stipulated in Point a, Clause 3 of this Article;

c) For funds donated to localities through the Red Cross system at all levels: the respective levels of the Red Cross shall be responsible for managing, distributing, and reporting to the corresponding level Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and donors according to the guidance of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front;

d) For funds donated to localities raised by social funds and charitable funds, these funds shall be responsible for managing, distributing, and reporting to the corresponding level Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and donors according to the guidance of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front;

đ) In cases where organizations and individuals donate in foreign currency, the Relief Committee shall sell the foreign currency to a commercial bank and deposit the proceeds into the committee’s account;

e) Regarding the method of transferring funds: for funds collected through fundraising campaigns for victims and affected localities due to natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents, they shall be handled as follows:

- All funds collected from organizations, individuals, central agencies, international organizations, and other units and individuals (not under local management) must be deposited into the account of the Relief Committee managed by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and opened at the State Treasury (except for donations with specific addresses, which the Relief Committee will transfer directly to the localities as stipulated in Point a, Clause 3 of this Article);

- For localities: The Rescue Committee at the commune level transfers money into the account of the Rescue Committee at the district level or directly deposits money into the account of the Rescue Committee at the provincial level; the Rescue Committee at the district level transfers money into the account of the Rescue Committee at the provincial level for consolidation and balancing of support sources (except for donations with specific addresses, which shall be implemented in accordance with point a, Clause 3, Article of this Decree).

In cases of natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents occurring within the scope of a district-level unit; the Chairman of the People's Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at the district level organizes appeals and mobilizations for rescue assistance; the funds and goods collected shall be transferred directly to the Rescue Committee at the district level for distribution to the affected parties (without transferring through the Rescue Committee at the provincial level).

4. Receiving and managing relief supplies in kind

a) Based on specific circumstances and conditions, the Rescue Committees at all levels shall stipulate and issue written guidelines for relevant departments and levels of localities to establish relief goods collection points; all relief goods must be fully handed over and received in terms of quantity and quality at the collection points or warehouses according to the regulations of the competent authority. In cases where urgent relief is required and to quickly release goods from the collection points, the Rescue Committee may immediately distribute essential goods (clothing, rice, instant noodles, other food items...) to the supported recipients in accordance with Clause 2, Article 10 of this Decree;

b) In cases where relief goods are channeled through the Rescue Committee under the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; the Rescue Committee shall be responsible for completing all procedures for receiving and delivering goods in accordance with the regulations and transferring them to the designated collection point as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 8 of this Decree for distribution to localities;

c) In cases of relief provided in the form of gold, silver, precious metals, or gems, the Rescue Committee shall sell these items to commercial banks or auction organizations and deposit the proceeds into the account of the Rescue Committee at the same level.

5. Organizations and individuals providing direct support to affected households and individuals need to coordinate with local authorities or inform the local authorities about the amounts of support given to each household and individual so that the locality can formulate policies and plans to balance reasonable support levels for affected households and individuals within the locality from local relief funds and goods in a suitable manner.

6. In addition to fundraising methods involving monetary and material contributions, organizations and individuals may provide humanitarian aid in the form of service provision (free or discounted services) to assist in mitigating the aftermath of natural disasters, fires, serious accidents, and severe illnesses.

Article 10. Organizing the Distribution of Relief Funds and Goods to Localities

1. Based on the amount of relief funds and goods received and the extent of damage caused by natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents, the Head of the Rescue Committee at the central, provincial, district, and commune levels shall proactively coordinate with the authorities to organize the first meeting to distribute relief funds and goods to affected localities and families to promptly provide assistance to the affected people and areas. During the process of collecting relief funds and goods, based on the amount received, the Head of the Committee decides subsequent meetings to distribute relief funds and goods appropriately.

2. Participants in the meeting shall be convened by the Head of the Committee but must include representatives from the following agencies:

a) At the central level: leaders of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (chairing); members are representatives of: the Vietnam Red Cross; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention; the Ministry of Health; mass media agencies; units and organizations at the central level permitted to mobilize and receive relief funds and goods as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Decree;

b) At the local level:

- At the provincial level: leaders of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at the provincial level (chairing); members are representatives of: the Provincial People's Committee Office; the Provincial Red Cross; the Provincial Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs; the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; the Provincial Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention; the Provincial Department of Health; the Provincial Department of Finance; mass media agencies; units and organizations at the provincial level permitted to mobilize and receive relief funds and goods as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Decree;

- At the district level: leaders of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at the district level (chairing); members are representatives of: the District People's Committee Office; the District Red Cross; the District Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Office; the District Agriculture Office; the District Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention; the District Health Office; the District Finance Office; mass media agencies; units and organizations at the district level permitted to mobilize and receive relief funds and goods as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Decree;

- At the commune and ward level: leaders of the Fatherland Front (chairing); members are representatives of: the Commune People's Committee; the Commune Red Cross; labor, invalids, and social affairs officers; planning, transportation, water resources, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and salt industry officers.

Article 11. Utilization of funds and relief materials contributed to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents

1. Principles for distribution and utilization:

a) Based on the extent of damage caused by natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents;

b) Based on voluntary contributions and combined with the sources from organizations and individuals who have directly supported affected individuals and households due to natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents (not through the Reception Committee);

c) The People's Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels (taking the lead), in coordination with relevant agencies specified in Clause 2, Article 9, shall convene meetings to distribute and utilize funds and relief materials according to unified principles; ensuring reasonable support levels between provinces, between districts within a province, between communes within a district, between industries affected during each disaster, fire, or serious accident; between different disaster, fire, or serious accident periods; between individuals and households affected by natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents and social policy beneficiaries.

2. Recipients of support

Victims and relatives of victims (father, mother, husband, wife, children) affected by natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents in cases such as: fishermen encountering typhoons or tropical depressions at sea; victims injured by typhoons, earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, floods, flash floods, tornadoes, hailstorms, fires, work accidents while mitigating the consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents...

3. Contents of relief expenditures

a) Emergency assistance: famine relief, cold relief (food, foodstuffs, blankets, clothing, medical supplies...), emergency treatment for injured persons, funeral assistance for families with deceased members;慰问受害家庭；帮助重建因自然灾害、火灾或严重事故影响而倒塌、漂移或严重损坏的房屋，以稳定灾民及其亲属的当前生活；

b) Long-term assistance: after using the relief funds to provide assistance to the subjects as stipulated in Point a, Clause 3 of this Article and if there is remaining budget, the Relief Committees at all levels shall decide to use the funds to implement long-term supportive policies consistent with the local relief resources, specifically:

- Providing financial support to victims and victim families whose main laborers died to purchase or repair major production tools and means damaged or severely destroyed by natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents to continue production;

- Providing seeds and fertilizers for production;

- Providing financial support to dismantle temporary shelters (if any) for affected families; implementing preferential social allowances both monthly and long-term for particularly difficult families, especially victims and relatives of victims without shelter or ability to work.

4. Unutilized relief funds received through each fundraising campaign shall be used for subsequent disaster mitigation tasks. In the case where there is a surplus in the relief fund account at year-end, it may be transferred to the following year to continue implementation.

Article 12. Sources of funds for mobilizing, receiving, transporting, and distributing relief funds and materials

1. The state budget ensures funding for activities of units when assigned by competent authorities to lease warehouses and wharves for receiving and transporting relief goods.

2. Travel expenses (meal fees, accommodation fees, transportation ticket fees) incurred for officials and civil servants dispatched to perform tasks of mobilizing, receiving, transporting, and distributing relief funds and materials; other related expenses shall be covered from the unit's budget. In cases where travel expenses significantly affect the completion of the unit's tasks, a report should be submitted to the same-level finance authority for resolution within its jurisdiction or reported to the competent authority for decision.

3. Units performing tasks of mobilizing, receiving, transporting, and distributing relief funds and materials shall not use received relief funds to cover incidental expenses incurred during these processes.

Article 13. Financial Management and Reporting System

1. Within no more than ninety days from the occurrence of natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents, the Provincial Relief Committee shall be responsible for reporting to the Central Steering Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention on the amount of funds and goods collected and utilized for each target (relief for people's livelihood, environmental treatment, etc.) and any surplus funds and goods (if any). The Provincial Relief Committee shall specify the reporting time for district and commune levels.

2. At the end of the fiscal year, units receiving financial support for disaster aftermath recovery shall be responsible for submitting final accounts of the funds used according to the current financial regulations to the same-level financial authorities. Revenue and expenditure for disaster aftermath recovery from contributions shall be recorded and managed through the state budget in accordance with the State Budget Law and guiding documents.

Article 14. Publicizing Relief Funds and Goods

1. Organizations and units directly mobilizing and receiving relief funds and goods must publicize the amounts received and distributed to localities.

2. Local-level Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees shall implement publicizing the beneficiaries, assistance policies, and assistance levels for different groups.

3. Upon completion of the campaign, the Central Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee shall prepare a report summarizing the results of the campaign (total voluntary contributions in terms of funds and goods, the amount of funds distributed to affected localities due to natural disasters, fires, and serious accidents) to send to the Prime Minister, simultaneously sending it to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, the Ministry of Finance, and publicly announcing it through mass media.

Chapter IV

REGULATIONS ON ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS AND RECEIVING CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASSIST OTHER COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS

Article 15. Organizing Appeals and Campaigns for Contributions

1. The Prime Minister shall issue an appeal for support to the people of other countries when they suffer severe natural disasters requiring assistance from the Vietnamese people.

2. The Vietnam Red Cross shall issue an appeal for support upon being assigned the task by the Prime Minister.

The duration of the contribution campaign shall be determined by the Prime Minister or delegated to the Vietnam Red Cross to determine.

Article 16. Receiving and Distributing Relief Funds and Goods

1. The Relief Committees of the Vietnam Red Cross at all levels shall open accounts at the State Treasury to receive contributions from organizations and individuals supporting the people of other countries affected by natural disasters as called for by the Prime Minister.

2. All funds collected during the campaign shall be deposited into the account of the Relief Committees of the Vietnam Red Cross at all levels and transferred to the account of the Vietnam Red Cross Relief Committee.

3. Within thirty days from the end of the fundraising campaign, based on number The Vietnam Red Cross shall transfer relief funds and goods to the country affected by natural disasters; in cases where the campaign is to assist multiple countries affected by natural disasters, the Vietnam Red Cross (taking the lead) shall coordinate with relevant agencies to convene meetings to allocate relief funds and goods; simultaneously compiling the allocation results to report to the Prime Minister for specific assistance levels for each affected country.

Chapter V

REGULATIONS ON ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS AND RECEIVING CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASSIST PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM POVERTY-RELATED DISEASES

Article 17. Organizing appeals and fundraising

1. Central and local mass media agencies are permitted to appeal to readers, listeners, and viewers to contribute funds for charitable activities and to assist individuals suffering from serious illnesses on a case-by-case basis.

2. It is strictly prohibited for mass media agencies to misuse charitable activities to raise funds and misappropriate such funds for purposes other than intended.

Article 18. Receiving, managing, and utilizing contributions

All funds received through appeals and fundraising efforts by organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally for charitable activities and to assist patients with serious illnesses shall be transferred into a separate account of the unit to provide direct support to beneficiaries according to their addresses; the amount raised, the amount already provided to patients, and any remaining unused funds (if applicable) shall be publicly announced via mass media (newspapers, radio stations); at the same time, a written notification shall be sent to the local authorities where patients with serious illnesses reside.

Article 19. Costs for fundraising activities

Expenses incurred in fundraising, receiving, transporting relief goods, and transferring funds to assist patients with serious illnesses shall be covered by the unit's own budget and not reimbursed by the state budget.

Chapter VI

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 20. Responsibilities of Ministries, sectors, and localities

1. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Vietnam Red Cross are responsible for organizing and directing fundraising, receiving money and goods for relief assistance to people and regions affected by natural disasters, fires, and severe accidents, and supervising the implementation of these activities from central to local levels.

2. Mass media agencies shall cooperate with relevant agencies: the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, the Flood and Storm Control Steering Board, the Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Department, and the Finance Department at the same level to report during the fundraising process, receipt, distribution, and utilization of money and goods for disaster relief, fire damage, severe accidents, and assistance to patients with serious illnesses.

3. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for leading and coordinating with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and relevant agencies to inspect the collection and expenditure of money and goods for relief assistance to people and regions affected by natural disasters, fires, and severe accidents in accordance with the law.

4. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs is responsible for leading and coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to monitor and inspect the implementation of relief assistance to people and regions affected by natural disasters, fires, and severe accidents to ensure compliance with policies and regulations.

5. Relevant ministries and sectors, based on their assigned functions and tasks, are responsible for inspecting and guiding localities in handling issues related to environmental pollution, drinking water sources, and diseases caused by natural disasters, fires, and severe accidents.

6. People's Committees at all levels are responsible for directing relevant agencies to cooperate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front at the same level to implement the receipt, management, and distribution of money and goods for relief assistance; inspect the implementation of fundraising and receipt of money and goods for relief assistance and organize relief assistance for people affected by natural disasters, fires, and severe accidents in accordance with this Decree.

Article 21. Rewards and Handling of Violations

1. Rewards: domestic and foreign organizations and individuals who have achievements in mobilizing contributions; supporting, receiving, managing, and using sources of assistance for people inside and outside the country and localities affected by natural disasters, fires, serious accidents, and patients with severe diseases shall be rewarded according to the provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward.

2. Handling of violations: organizations and individuals who collect, manage, and distribute relief funds and goods contrary to the provisions of this Decree shall be subject to administrative penalties or criminal liability as provided by law depending on the severity of the violation.

Article 22. This Decree shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Previous regulations of the Government, Ministries, agencies at the level of ministries, and government agencies that conflict with the content of this Decree are hereby abolished.

The Ministry of Finance shall provide guidance on this Decree.

Article 23. Ministers, Heads of agencies at the level of ministries, Heads of government agencies, other central agencies, and Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees directly under the Central Government are responsible for implementing this Decree./.