Directive No. 855/TTg on preparing forces, organizing commodity circulation, stabilizing markets, prices, and social order and safety during the 1996 Bính Tý Tet holiday.

 DIRECTIVE

OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Regarding preparation of forces, organization of goods circulation, market stability, price control, and social order during the Binh Ty Tet holiday in 1996

In the first quarter of each year, prices of various goods, especially foodstuffs and consumer goods, tend to rise significantly, adversely affecting the annual inflation rate. In the last months of 1995, thanks to the frequent and close guidance of the Government, the efforts of relevant sectors and levels in mobilizing goods sources, continuously monitoring supply-demand relations and market trends, promptly addressing imbalances and bottlenecks in goods circulation, combining measures to boost production and business with monetary and financial measures, and combating smuggling, price fluctuations were not significant, contributing importantly to controlling the inflation rate for 1995 lower than that of 1994.

The results of implementing the anti-inflation target for 1996, as approved by the National Assembly, depend very much on the success in curbing the usual price hikes that occur during the Tet holiday period. To achieve the goal of controlling inflation right from the first quarter of 1996 (especially this year when Tet falls in the middle of the quarter), the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1/ Relevant sectors and levels need to strengthen guidance to boost production and construction, organize good exploitation of goods sources, ensure smooth circulation, and meet sufficient demand for goods consumption by the people during the Tet holiday.

To implement this task effectively, the Government has recently issued many guiding documents, including documents number 5296/KTTH dated September 22, 1995 on managing foodstuffs in the last months of 1995; number 6671/KTTH dated November 18, 1995 on resolving sugar consumption and preparing foodstuffs for the Tet holiday; number 6973/KTTH dated December 5, 1995 on transporting rice from the South to the North to balance rice supplies; number 7109/KTTH dated December 9, 1995 on managing cement supply-demand at the end of 1995 and the first quarter of 1996; and Directive number 784/TTg dated November 23, 1995 on clearing warehouse stocks at Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City ports. Ministries, sectors, and local authorities at all levels need to strictly comply with, urge, and organize inspections of the implementation of the Prime Minister's directives in these documents.

2/ A working group comprising the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Government Price Board, and the State Bank, led by a Deputy Minister of Trade, was established in December 1995. This group needs to inspect and resolve on-site any difficulties in implementing the Prime Minister's directives in documents number 5296/KTTH dated September 22, 1995 and 6973/KTTH dated December 5, 1995 of the Government in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while also inspecting the amount of circulating rice reserves according to the Prime Minister's requirements in Ho Chi Minh City and northern provinces.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to accurately calculate the food consumption demand during the Tet holiday, and simultaneously instruct the Northern Food Corporation and Southern Food Corporation to prepare rice forces in the South for transportation to the North if necessary.

The Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development need to urge and inspect the organization of regular sales of foodstuffs to serve the people; based on drawing lessons from Ho Chi Minh City, discuss with the People's Committee of Hanoi on expanding the retail network of foodstuffs in Hanoi.

3/ Mobilize and encourage production and business units of all economic components to exploit food sources such as pork, sugar, salt, chicken, duck, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables... to meet the increased demand of the people during the Tet holiday.

The Ministry of Finance needs to promptly and publicly announce the exemption of import duties and the duration of application for the above goods brought into consumption in cities, towns, and industrial zones with dense populations. Inspection and control forces (police, market management, tax, traffic control) have the responsibility to create favorable conditions for traders to bring foodstuffs into sale in cities, towns, and districts. People's Committees at all levels and related sectors need to inspect and strictly punish any harassment, extortion, or unreasonable questioning of domestic goods transportation on all traffic routes.

4/ Based on the capacity and demand for goods in 1996 determined with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Trade needs to proactively assign import tasks to import units from January 1996, ensuring that most important materials and goods are brought back in the first quarter of 1996; solve the issue of issuing permits for enterprises to import some consumer goods early to serve the Tet holiday, while also implementing the goal of reducing cash in circulation.

5/ The State Bank needs to implement measures to reduce cash in circulation. If necessary, submit to the Prime Minister in January 1996 for the issuance of a batch of bonds with attractive interest rates to mobilize capital from the public; organize well foreign exchange buying and selling to serve import-export demands and facilitate overseas Vietnamese returning home for the Tet holiday.

The Ministry of Finance needs to coordinate with the State Bank to strictly control year-end bonus payments, guide enterprises to adopt reasonable forms of year-end bonuses, avoiding large cash bonuses being given to individuals and units during the Tet holiday.

6/ Customs, Border Defense, Interior, and Market Management sectors need to closely cooperate with provincial People's Committees along the border to strengthen inspection and control, prevent smuggling of foodstuffs and consumer goods across borders, especially on sea border lines.

7/ The Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, within their respective functions, shall coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and People's Committees at provincial and municipal levels to strictly direct the implementation of Directive 406/TTg dated August 8, 1994, issued by the Prime Minister on prohibiting the production, trading, and setting off fireworks; review and supplement necessary measures for thorough implementation of Decree No. 36/CP dated May 29, 1995, issued by the Government on ensuring traffic order and safety on roads and urban transport; disseminate down to grassroots leadership levels to widely launch mass movements among the people to conscientiously implement Decree No. 87/CP and Directive No. 814/TTg dated December 12, 1995, issued by the Prime Minister on strengthening management, establishing order and discipline in cultural activities, and eradicating social evils. Promptly punish according to the law individuals and organizations causing disturbances to public order and security, circulating harmful cultural products, spreading superstitious beliefs, gambling, prostitution, and drug addiction.

Heads of central ministries, sectors, and People's Committees at all local levels shall be responsible for directing and supervising the organization of year-end summary meetings at agencies and enterprises with practical content, adhering to the principle of thrift and avoiding wasteful formalism. Prevent the occurrence of organizing banquets and drinking sessions that are wasteful, strictly prohibit the giving of gifts, presents, and inappropriate monetary rewards to leaders and officials of higher-level agencies and between agencies.

8/ People's Committees at provincial levels shall closely cooperate with central ministries and sectors, on one hand, directing and supervising subordinate units to effectively maintain public order and security in their areas, and on the other hand, organizing healthy market management, actively tapping into a diverse range of goods to meet the consumption needs of the people; organizing festive activities during the Tet holiday in accordance with national cultural traditions and specific conditions of each locality; encouraging sports and artistic activities during the Tet holiday based on the spirit of joyfulness, healthiness, unity, enthusiasm, thrift, and mutual assistance among the people. All sectors and levels of government need to pay attention to caring for policy families, poor families, and retired officials facing many difficulties so that everyone and every family can welcome the Spring and celebrate the traditional Tet festival happily.

Ministers of ministries, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government, Chairmen of People's Committees at provincial and centrally-administered city levels must fully recognize the importance of stabilizing the market, prices, and maintaining security during the Tet holiday, and develop plans to implement this Directive.