Circular No. 9-TC/HCVX stipulates travel expenses for state workers and officials on domestic business trips.

CIRCULAR

DECREE NO. 9-TC/HCVX OF FEBRUARY 17, 1994 ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE ON THE REGIME OF BUSINESS TRAVEL ALLOWANCES FOR STATE EMPLOYEES ON DOMESTIC BUSINESS TRIPS.

In recent times, the old regime of business travel allowances has become unsuitable. At the same time, there has been a situation where state employees on domestic business trips have been hosted with meals, accommodation, and transportation costs by the host organization (in some cases, hosting has exceeded necessary levels), yet they still receive reimbursement for business travel expenses from their dispatching agency. As a result, the State budget has to bear these costs twice. This phenomenon is widespread and has caused negative public opinion among agencies, economic and social organizations, and the general public. To address this issue and implement Resolution No. 30-12-1993 of the 9th National Assembly, Session 4 regarding "Practicing thrift, combating waste, corruption, and smuggling," while also creating conditions for state employees to complete their assigned tasks during business trips, the Ministry of Finance amends the domestic business travel allowance regime previously stipulated in Circular No. 9-TC/HCVX dated February 26, 1991 as follows.

2. Individuals who have registered as the principal investigator of a Research Project or Pilot Production Project and those participating in its implementation shall not participate in the Evaluation and Selection Council for that Research Project or Pilot Production Project (hereinafter referred to as the Council). In necessary cases, members of the Council may be staff members of the organization registering as the principal investigator of the Research Project or Pilot Production Project, but not more than one person and they cannot serve as Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, or reviewing member.

1. Increase the business travel allowance subsidy for state employees so that they can cover necessary expenses for food, accommodation, and transportation during business trips which exceed those incurred when at home, and to prevent the host organization from having to provide additional support.

2. Agencies and units are responsible for reasonably arranging staff for business trips and strictly managing business travel expense expenditures. Agencies and units must arrange for business travel expenses within the annual approved state budget plan; the state budget will not supplement additional funds for new business travel expense levels. Agencies and units must economize on unreasonable expenditures in hospitality, conferences, asset purchases, and adjust their approved expenditure plans to allocate additional funding for new business travel expense levels as prescribed in this circular.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

1. Business travel expenses are payments made to state employees dispatched for domestic business trips to cover train and bus ticket fares for themselves and transportation fees for luggage and materials carried for work purposes (if applicable); subsidies for state employee business travel expenses during the journey and at the destination, and rental fees for accommodation at the destination.

2. The content of business travel expenses includes the following items:

- Purchase of train and bus tickets for travel from the agency to the place of business.

- Business travel allowance subsidy.

- Accommodation rental fee at the place of the business trip.

The above business travel expenses are specified as follows:

a) Payment for train and bus fares:

- State employees traveling by state-owned, joint-stock, or private means of transportation, if they possess valid and legal train or bus tickets, may be reimbursed according to the standard fare rates set by the state. For air travel, approval from the unit or agency head is required, and only then can the cost of purchasing tickets be reimbursed.

- State employees who self-fund their means of transportation for business trips may be reimbursed based on the actual kilometers traveled and the standard fare rate for state-owned passenger buses in the locality.

Train and bus fares include the cost of tickets, ferry, and boat crossing fees for the state employee and accompanying luggage for the business trip (if applicable) that the state employee directly pays. If state employees travel by the agency's car, they cannot be reimbursed for train and bus fares.

b) Business travel allowances include travel allowances and lodging allowances aimed at supplementing salaries to cover normal meal expenses (without beer or wine) for state employees on business trips more than 30 kilometers away from their agency headquarters (for mountainous districts, it is 20 kilometers). Business travel allowances are calculated from the day the state employee starts the trip until the return, including allowances for travel days and working days at the destination (including Sundays, holidays, and festivals) as follows:

- State employees traveling to plains and midlands regions receive 10,000 VND per day (previously 4,500 VND per day).

- State employees traveling to highland, island, border, and remote areas receive 20,000 VND per day (previously 4,500 VND per day).

The following situations do not qualify for business travel allowances:

- Time spent in hospitals, health stations, recuperation houses, and rest centers.

- Days off during the business trip.

- Days spent studying at long-term or short-term training schools, or days assigned to reside or be seconded to other locations or agencies.

c) In addition to the aforementioned allowances, state employees are also reimbursed for accommodation rental fees at the destination. The amount for bed rental expenses is reimbursed based on actual receipts but shall not exceed 50,000 VND per day.

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

1. The business travel expense regime stipulated in this circular applies to administrative and public service agencies. Reimbursements are recorded under item 72 "Business Travel Expenses" in the corresponding chapter, type, section, and category of the state budget ledger and are included in the annual expenditure quota.

For state enterprises, this business travel expense regime may be applied and recorded in production costs or circulation fees.

2. State employees who are temporarily advanced money to purchase train and bus tickets and cover business trip expenses must promptly settle the trip expenses to repay the advance. Staff members dispatched for business trips are responsible for settling all meal and accommodation expenses for guesthouses or hotels at the destination. Agencies and units where dispatched staff members stay are responsible for collecting all pre-paid expenses from the dispatched staff members and must not use state budget funds for wasteful hospitality or gift-giving to state employees on business trips.

3. Financial authorities at all levels have the right to audit and settle quarterly and annual expenditures of agencies and units concerning meal, accommodation expenses, and other expenses not in accordance with this circular. Those who order improper business travel expense reimbursements must bear responsibility for compensating the treasury.

4. This Circular takes effect from March 1, 1994. All previous regulations on travel expenses issued by the Ministry of Finance that conflict with this Circular are hereby abolished.

During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, agencies and units are requested to report to the Ministry of Finance for timely supplementation and amendment.