JOINT CIRCULAR

JOINT CIRCULAR NO. 74/2004/TTLT/BTC-BVHTT OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM ON GUIDELINES FOR SUPPORTING OPERATING EXPENSES FOR CREATING LITERARY AND ARTISTIC WORKS IN 2004

Considering the proposal of the Head of the Cadre and Civil Service Department,
Pursuant to Decision No. 411/QĐ-TTg dated May 5, 2004 of the Prime Minister on supporting operating expenses for creating literary and artistic works in 2004;
After receiving the agreement of the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Associations, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism jointly issue the following guidelines:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. In 2004, the State will support operating expenses for creating literary and artistic works with a focus on localities through local Literature and Art Associations and the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Associations.

The purpose of the State's financial support is to increase funding sources and improve the quality of creative activities for literary and artistic works at the local level, without reducing the regular annual support from local budgets due to this support.

2. The State will support creative activities for literary and artistic works in fields such as literature, fine arts, music, theater, film, architecture, photography, dance, folk art, and ethnic minority art, prioritizing topics that reflect:

- History, revolution, resistance war, and national cultural traditions.

- The process of renewal in building and defending the country, positive factors, and outstanding individuals in society.

- Youth and children.

Local Literature and Art Associations shall organize the review and approval of support levels for authors and groups of authors who have specific outlines for their topics, content, and deadlines for completing works or drafts.

3. Scope of Support

- Supporting authors and groups of authors who are members of local Literature and Art Associations in creative activities, collecting literary and artistic works. The level of support is based on the topic, scale, and quality of the work.

- Expenses for organizing training courses, seminars to enhance professional and political skills, holding creation camps, research, and immersion in reality.

- Expenses for publishing works.

4. Source of Support Funds: From the central budget.

5. Local Literature and Art Associations are responsible for issuing and publicly announcing the support procedures; establishing a Review Board to select, evaluate, and approve outlines, assess, and verify works and projects, and ensure the funds are used for the intended purposes and effectively.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

1. Local Literature and Art Associations shall allocate:

- Direct support funds for authors and groups of authors who are members of local Literature and Art Associations for creating works according to the specified topics. The specific level of support is determined by the local Literature and Art Association based on reasonable and legitimate costs during the creative process, the topic, scale, and quality of the work. This direct support is implemented through specific contracts between the authors/groups and the local Literature and Art Associations.

- Expenses for organizing reviews, critiques, evaluations, and acceptance of literary and artistic works according to each type. The cost is 100,000 VND per member of the Review Board per day.

- Expenses for publishing works. The level of support is decided by the local Literature and Art Association based on the type, scale, and quality of the work.

Local Literature and Art Associations shall organize training courses, seminars to enhance professional and political skills, hold creation camps, and apply the expense regulations stipulated in Point 2, Section II of this Circular.

Special expenses (if any) outside the expense regulations stipulated in this Circular and other current financial expenditure regulations, local Literature and Art Associations shall submit to the Provincial People's Council for specific expense determination.

2. The National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Associations shall allocate:

- Expenses for organizing, guiding, urging, and summarizing the program of creative activities for literary and artistic works.

- Expenses for organizing training courses, seminars to enhance professional and political skills, holding creation camps to gather, unify, and guide the cultural and artistic policies of the Party and the State. Specific expenses are as follows:

+ Food expenses: Organized in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at 30,000 VND per person per day; organized in other provinces and cities at 25,000 VND per person per day.

+ Accommodation expenses: Organized in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at 90,000 VND per person per day; organized in other provinces and cities at 60,000 VND per person per day.

+ Venue rental expenses for training courses and seminars (if applicable). Expenses are carried out according to specific contracts signed.

+ Printing expenses for training materials and seminars.

+ Transportation expenses for picking up and dropping off delegates from their accommodation to the training course and seminar venues (if applicable).

+ Other expenses for drinking water (15,000 VND per person per day), common medical supplies, and venue decoration.

+ Other expenses (if any).

3. The National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Associations and local Literature and Art Associations shall base their review, selection, and evaluation of outlines, estimated support funds, and supported subjects according to the regulations.

4. The preparation, implementation, and settlement of the budget for supporting creative activities for literary and artistic works in 2004 shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the State Budget Law (Law No. 01/2002/QH11 dated December 16, 2002), guiding documents of the Law, and the regulations stipulated in this Circular.

In cases where supplementary funds for the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Associations and local Literature and Art Associations remain unused and there are still tasks to be completed, the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Associations and local Literature and Art Associations shall submit documents to the competent finance authorities for consideration and handling within their authority or submit to the competent authority for decision to transfer the remaining funds to the next year for implementation in accordance with the State Budget Law.

The local Literary and Artistic Associations and the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Circles shall implement financial transparency in accordance with current regulations.

At year-end, the local Literary and Artistic Associations shall summarize, evaluate, and report on their activities' results (funds utilized, major products supported) to the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Circles for consolidation and reporting to the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to compile the situation and report to the Prime Minister.

5. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall cooperate with the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Circles to consolidate the creative work plans of the local Literary and Artistic Associations and provide comments on contents that do not align with the objectives and directions.

6. The Ministry of Finance shall cooperate with the Ministry of Culture and Information, the National Committee of the Vietnam Federation of Literature and Art Circles, and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to inspect the utilization of support funds for accurate content, effectiveness, and practicality.

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

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

During implementation, if there are any difficulties, they should be reported to the Joint Ministries for study and appropriate amendments.