Circular No. 71TC/HCSN on the regulations for equipping telephones at private residences for officials working in state agencies, state enterprises, armed forces, and mass organizations

CIRCULAR

Regulations on the provision of telephones at private residences for officials working in state agencies, enterprises, armed forces, and social organizations

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Pursuant to Directive No. 368/TTg dated June 22, 1995 of the Prime Minister on thrift and the prevention of waste in state agencies, armed forces, social organizations, and state-owned enterprises; following consultations with the Government Organizational Cadre Board (Document No. 119/TCCB-CCVC dated July 31, 1995) and the General Post Office (Document No. 1570/KTKH dated August 12, 1995), the Ministry of Finance hereby stipulates regulations on the provision of telephones at private residences for officials working in state agencies, state-owned enterprises, armed forces, and social organizations (hereinafter referred to as agencies and units) as follows:

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES:

1\. All agencies and units providing telephones for official use at private residences must comply strictly with the provisions of this circular.

2\. The provision of telephones for official use at private residences (including initial installation costs and monthly rental fees, long-distance telephone charges) shall only be provided to individuals who genuinely require out-of-office hours work and meet the criteria set forth in this circular.

3\. Agencies and units funded from the State Budget that need to provide telephones for official use at private residences for officials meeting the specified criteria must prepare their budget plans at the beginning of the year, submit them to financial authorities at all levels for review and notification along with the annual budget revenue and expenditure plan. All expenses for providing telephones at private residences for officials must be arranged within the approved annual budget plan; financial authorities at all levels will not supplement additional funds beyond the approved plan.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

1\. Scope and Objectives:

Individuals eligible for the provision of telephones at private residences for out-of-office hours work include:

a\. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and equivalent positions in Ministries, agencies at the level of Ministries, and government-affiliated agencies.

b\. Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons of social organizations, and Secretaries-General of mass organizations funded from the State Budget.

c\. Heads of Offices, Department Directors, Bureau Chiefs, and equivalent positions in Ministries, agencies at the level of Ministries, government-affiliated agencies, Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuracy, central-level social organizations...

d\. Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons of People's Committees, People's Councils of provinces and centrally-administered cities.

e\. Heads of Offices of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities.

g\. Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons of People's Committees, People's Councils of districts, counties, towns, and centrally-administered cities within provinces.

h\. Chairpersons of social organizations and mass organizations at provincial and centrally-administered city levels funded from the State Budget.

i\. Directors of Departments, Commissions, and equivalent leadership positions at provincial and centrally-administered city levels.

2\. Contents of expenditures for the provision of telephones for official use at private residences include the following items:

- Initial installation costs including: design fees (if applicable), purchase of ordinary telephones (under VND 500,000 per unit), purchase of wires, hiring labor for installation... according to contracts with postal companies.

- Monthly rental fees according to the quota set by the postal industry.

- Long-distance telephone charges when serving the common interests of the agency or unit (if applicable) apply only to individuals listed under points a, b, and d above. In special cases requiring international calls, approval from the head of the agency or unit is required for each call. Other individuals must pay for long-distance telephone charges themselves.

These expenditures must be reviewed by the agency or unit based on the nature of the work of each individual and reflected in the contract with the postal company.

3\. Other Provisions:

- For state employees who have been provided telephones at private residences before the issuance of this circular but no longer meet the specified criteria, if they wish to continue using the service, they must sign a rental contract with the postal company and pay according to the contract from the date of continued use.

- For individuals who were provided telephones at private residences but have since transferred to positions not eligible for such provision or retired, if they still wish to use the telephone, the equipment will not be reclaimed, but the agency or unit must notify the postal company to transfer the telephone to personal use and directly sign a monthly rental contract with the postal company, while the individual must pay the costs according to the contract with the postal company.

- If an individual who was provided a telephone at a private residence changes jobs but remains eligible for such provision, the previous agency or unit must notify the postal company to process the signing of a new rental contract with the new agency or unit.

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS:

1\. Based on the provisions of this circular, agencies and units must review the current number of telephones to properly arrange them according to the regulations.

2\. Financial authorities at all levels must ensure that the allocation of funds for the provision of telephones at private residences for eligible individuals adheres to the approved annual budget plan as stipulated in this circular. Agencies and units providing telephones for official use at private residences must ensure that expenditures are within the approved annual budget. Financial authorities at all levels have the right to audit expenditures related to the provision of telephones at private residences that do not comply with the provisions of this circular.

State-owned enterprises must base their application of the standards for the provision of telephones for official use at private residences as stipulated in this circular appropriately.

3\. Expenditures for the provision of telephones for official use at private residences for agencies and units should be recorded under Item 74 "Official Expenses" according to the corresponding chapters, types, sections, and categories of the current State Budget classification. State-owned enterprises may record these expenses in production costs or circulation expenses.

4/ The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall base their directives on the provisions of this Circular to guide the issuance of personal telephones for officers meeting the criteria specified in this Circular, after coordinating with the Ministry of Finance.

5/ This Circular takes effect from October 1, 1995; all previous regulations by ministries, sectors, agencies, and units regarding the provision of personal telephones that conflict with this Circular are hereby abolished.

In the course of implementing this Circular, if there are difficulties or obstacles, it is requested that relevant sectors, levels, agencies, and units report to the Ministry of Finance for study and appropriate amendments.