Joint Circular No. 95/2002/TTLT-BTC-UBDSGDTET on the contents and expenditure levels of the National Target Program on Population and Family Planning

MINISTRY OF FINANCE - POPULATION FAMILY AND YOUTH COMMISSION ********	SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence - Freedom - Happiness ********
No.: 95/2002/TTLT/BTC-UBDSGDTRE	Hanoi, October 22, 2002

 

JOINT CIRCULAR

||| DECISION NO. 95/2002/TTLT/BTC-UBDSGDTRE OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE - POPULATION FAMILY AND YOUTH COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 22, 2002 ON GUIDELINES FOR CONTENT AND EXPENSE LEVELS OF THE NATIONAL POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING TARGET PROGRAM

Pursuant to Decision No. 147/QD-TTg dated December 22, 2000 of the Prime Minister on approval of the Population Strategy of Vietnam for the period 2001-2010;
Pursuant to Decision No. 71/2001/QD-TTg dated May 4, 2001 of the Prime Minister on national target programs for the period 2001-2005;
Pursuant to Decision No. 18/2002/QD-TTg dated January 21, 2002 of the Prime Minister on approval of the National Target Program on Population and Family Planning until 2005;
Pursuant to Decision No. 42/2002/QD-TTg dated March 19, 2002 of the Prime Minister on management and implementation of national target programs;
The Ministry of Finance and the Population Family and Youth Commission hereby provide guidelines for the content and expense levels of projects under the National Target Program on Population and Family Planning (hereinafter referred to as the DS-KHHGĐ Program) as follows:

A/ GENERAL PROVISIONS:

1/ The subjects implementing this circular are units using funds from the DS-KHHGĐ Program.

2/ The DS-KHHGĐ Program includes seven projects specified in Decision No. 18/2002/QD-TTg dated January 21, 2002 of the Prime Minister on approval of the National Target Program on Population and Family Planning until 2005, specifically as follows:

- Communication and behavior change education project.

- Project to strengthen reproductive health/family planning services for poor, difficult, remote, and far-flung areas.

- Sub-project to improve the population information management system within the project to enhance the quality of population information and data.

- Research project on issues related to population quality.

- Project to integrate population factors with sustainable family development through credit, savings, and family economic development activities.

- Project to enhance management capacity for population workforce to contribute effectively to the implementation of the program.

- Reproductive health/family planning care project.

3/ Funds for the DS-KHHGĐ Program are formed from the following sources: State budget capital (including loans from official development assistance ODA and foreign aid), capital raised from organizations and individuals, and income according to state regulations. These sources of funding are managed and utilized in accordance with the Law on State Budget, guiding documents for the implementation of the State Budget Law, and the provisions of this circular.

4/ In addition to the contents and expense levels prescribed in this circular, ministries, sectors, and localities shall proactively mobilize additional resources based on their capabilities and specific circumstances to implement policies of ministries, sectors, and localities aimed at promoting the objectives of the Population and Family Planning Program.

B/ SPECIFIC PROVISIONS ON CONTENT AND EXPENSE LEVELS OF THE PROGRAM:

I/ COMMON CONTENT AND EXPENSE LEVELS FOR PROJECTS UNDER THE DS-KHHGĐ PROGRAM:

1/ Expenses for writing, compiling, and translating specialized materials for each project, detailed as follows:

- Writing and compiling specialized materials: Maximum expense not exceeding 50,000 VND per standard page of 300 words.

- Translating and proofreading materials from Vietnamese to foreign languages: Maximum expense not exceeding 40,000 VND per standard page of 300 words.

- Translating and proofreading materials from foreign languages to Vietnamese: Maximum expense not exceeding 35,000 VND per standard page of 300 words.

2/ Expenses for training and professional skill enhancement courses for each project, in accordance with current regulations on conference and training expenses.

3/ Expenses for training, cooperation, and experience exchange abroad, decided by the Program Director, in accordance with current regulations on short-term overseas travel expenses.

4/ Purchase of transportation means serving the professional activities of each project after approval by the competent authority.

5/ Expenses for surveys, evaluations, and periodic monitoring of the implementation of professional objectives of each project.

6/ Expenses for surveys according to the professional content of each project approved by the Program Director. Specific content and expense levels are applied in accordance with Circular No. 114/2000/TT-BTC dated November 27, 2000 of the Ministry of Finance on managing expenses for surveys funded from state budget operational funds.

7/ Domestic counterpart funds (if any) of ODA and foreign aid loan projects as stipulated in agreements between the Government of Vietnam and governments of other countries or international organizations.

8/ Other expenses (if any).

II/ SPECIAL CONTENT EXPENSES FOR EACH PROJECT:

In addition to the common content expenses mentioned above, each project may incur special content expenses as follows:

1/ Communication and Behavior Change Education Project.

1.1/ Expenses for communication-education activities to change behavior of central ministries, sectors, and local levels (province, district, commune): printing costs for publications, materials, and forms serving communication activities, education and propaganda activities. Expenses for propaganda on mass media (radio, television, press) are charged according to the state-prescribed rates.

1.2/ Expenses for building new, maintaining, and expanding effective communication intervention models in pilot communes as decided by the Minister-Chairman of the Population Family and Youth Commission.

1.3/ Expenses for producing, duplicating, and distributing various types of communication products (including free distribution of the Family and Society newspaper to remote, difficult, and far-flung areas).

1.4/ Expenses for rewarding writing contests on population-family planning organized by the Minister-Chairman of the Population Family and Youth Commission:

Best article awards: Class A: 300,000 VND per article; Class B: 200,000 VND per article; Class C: 100,000 VND per article.

Best photo awards: Class A: 100,000 VND per photo; Class B: 80,000 VND per photo; Class C: 50,000 VND per photo.

1.5/ Expenses for community-level communication campaigns:

- Expenditure for population awareness survey on reproductive health: Training for survey participants, printing survey forms, compiling data, writing survey reports. Amount: VND 300,000 per campaign/village.

- Allowance for staff participating in campaigns: VND 5,000 per person/day.

- Costs for decoration and hiring transportation means: According to local market prices.

1.6/ Expenditure for communication activities at village level:

- Support for small advisory group materials and drinking water: VND 20,000 per group.

- Village radio broadcasting (editing, broadcasting): VND 10,000 per item (100 words).

- Repairing posters and slogans: According to local market prices.

- Special lectures: VND 30,000 per person/session (4 hours).

1.7/ Expenditure for purchasing equipment to support communication activities after approval by competent authority.

2/ Project Enhancing Reproductive Health Services/Family Planning for Poor, Difficult, Remote Areas.

2.1/ Expenditure for purchasing family planning equipment and tools according to the unified list between the Population Family and Children Commission and the Ministry of Health.

2.2/ Expenditure for propaganda, counseling, and service provision campaigns:

- Allowance for staff participating in campaigns and counseling: VND 5,000 per person/day.

- Decoration costs and rental of transportation means: According to local market prices.

- Support for group discussions: VND 20,000 per group.

2.3/ Expenditure for essential medicines for family planning services and gynecological treatments according to the essential drug norms and consumables for infection prevention during family planning procedures issued by the Ministry of Health after consultation with the Ministry of Finance. In addition, male sterilization provides free condoms once 20 pieces and free early pregnancy diagnosis for the wife; female sterilization provides free early pregnancy diagnosis.

2.4/ Management and technical costs (customer records, follow-up forms, statistical tables; soap, electricity, oil, etc.) for: Female sterilization: VND 4,000 per case; male sterilization: VND 3,000 per case; intrauterine device insertion: VND 2,000 per case; abortion under six weeks: VND 1,500 per case (for cases applying clinical contraception methods that fail).

2.5/ Allowance for medical staff performing family planning procedures and surgeries according to Circular No. 150/TT-LB dated April 16, 1996, issued by the Joint Office of the Government Organizational Affairs Council - Ministry of Finance - Ministry of Health guiding the implementation of Decision No. 794/TTg dated December 5, 1995, of the Prime Minister. Medical staff who have received surgery allowances from the program's budget shall not receive such allowances from regular healthcare facility budgets, and vice versa.

2.6/ Payment for medical staff conducting prenatal examinations: VND 1,000 per person/session.

2.7/ Payment for medical staff administering tetanus shots to pregnant women: VND 1,000 per dose.

2.8/ Payment for vaginal speculum examination: VND 10,000 per examination.

2.9/ Payment for wet mount microscopic examination: VND 3,000 per slide.

2.10/ Payment for iron tablets provided free to pregnant women: VND 1,000 per person.

2.11/ Payment for clean delivery kits: VND 5,000 per kit.

3/Sub-project Improving the Population Management Information System under the Project Enhancing Quality of Population Information and Data:

3.1/ Expenditure for collecting and updating input information of the population management information system: VND 500 per form. Expenditure for collecting and updating monthly dynamic information: VND 200 per form.

3.2/ Printing of forms and reporting templates.

3.3/ Expenditure for electronic information creation activities: Content and expenditure levels according to Circular No. 111/1998/TT-BTC dated August 3, 1998, issued by the Ministry of Finance guiding expenditure levels for creating electronic information under information technology.

3.4/ Communication activity expenditure according to the pricing framework set by the Postal Telecommunications Corporation.

3.5/ Expenditure for regular procurement, repair, and maintenance of computer systems.

4/ Project Research on Issues Related to Population Quality:

4.1/ Expenditure for research activities: Scientific research expenditures linked to the project content approved by the Minister-Chairman of the Population Family and Children Commission according to the research outline. Expenditure levels apply according to Joint Circular No. 45/2001/TTLT/BTC-BKHCNMT dated June 18, 2001, issued by the Joint Office of the Ministry of Finance - Ministry of Science and Technology - Ministry of Environment guiding certain expenditure regulations for scientific and technological tasks.

4.2/ Expenditure for equipment, tools, materials, and chemicals serving research activities.

4.3/ Expenditure for experimental activities and model construction to improve population quality.

5/ Project Integrating Population Factors with Sustainable Family Development through Credit, Savings, and Family Economic Development Activities:

5.1/ Expenditure for constructing models integrating population factors, reproductive health care/family planning with sustainable family development in villages after approval by the Minister-Chairman of the Population Family and Children Commission.

5.2/ Allowance for training village-level staff for education and behavior change towards building normative families: VND 5,000 per person/day.

5.3/ Support for thematic group activities at the village level: VND 20,000 per group/session.

5.4 Expenditure for producing and reproducing special communication materials in ethnic minority languages.

6/ Project Enhancing Management Capacity for Population Staff to Effectively Implement the Program:

6.1/ Expenditure for managing population and family planning programs at village, town, and township levels:

- Payment for population volunteers: VND 25,000 per person/month.

- Payment for village-level dedicated population staff:

+ High mountainous and island areas: VND 210,000 per person/month.

+ Deep rural, low mountainous, midland, and coastal areas: VND 190,000 per person/month.

+ Plain, city, and provincial town areas: VND 170,000 per person/month.

- Management costs: preliminary summary, final summary, meetings, office supplies: VND 360,000 per village/month.

6.2/ Commendation, rewards, and incentives for collectives and individuals annually according to the decision of the Minister-Chairman of the Population Family and Children Committee. The expenditure level shall be applied in accordance with Circular No. 25/2001/TT-BTC dated April 16, 2001, issued by the Ministry of Finance guiding financial management work to implement the system of rewards for outstanding achievements in economic and social tasks and national defense. In addition, to encourage communes with outstanding achievements in population and family planning work, the Program's budget for population and family planning will support communal welfare projects to integrate cultural, educational, and sports activities with population and family planning; the support level is: VND 2,000,000 per commune per year. Each year, the maximum number of communes to be rewarded equals the number of districts in each province, but it is not necessarily the case that each district has one commune rewarded if there are no more prominent achievements compared to other communes in other districts.

6.3/ Expenditure on training and capacity building for cadres: Content and expenditure levels shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of Circular No. 105/2001/TT-BTC dated December 27, 2001, issued by the Ministry of Finance guiding the use of training and capacity-building funds for state civil servants.

7/ Reproductive Health/Family Planning Project:

7.1/ Expenditure on purchasing contraceptive devices for free distribution and social marketing.

7.2/ Management costs, technical fees, and surgical allowances for family planning services, gynecological treatment, and cases of induced abortion and menstrual regulation due to failed contraceptive methods: Specific expenditure levels shall be applied as stipulated in Points 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5 of the Project to Strengthen Reproductive Health Services/Family Planning for Poor Areas, Difficult Areas, Remote Areas, and Far-flung Areas.

7.3/ Expenditure for social marketing activities under projects approved by the Minister-Chairman of the Population Family and Children Committee. Financial management mechanisms for social marketing activities shall be implemented in accordance with current regulations.

7.4/ Allowance for population cadres monitoring and counseling users of non-clinical contraception methods: VND 1,000 per person accepting.

7.5/ Allowance for health workers monitoring and counseling users of clinical contraception methods: VND 1,000 per person accepting.

7.6/ Payment for health workers performing contraceptive injections: VND 1,000 per injection.

7.7/ Expenditure for implementing the policy of sterilization:

- Direct support for voluntary sterilization: VND 136,000 per person (including sterilization insurance).

- Organizational implementation expenses: Including gathering and transporting subjects to service locations, transporting service teams to communes, and caring for sterilized persons at the surgery site and at home. Specific expenditure levels:

+ Mountainous provinces, Central Highlands: VND 40,000 per case.

+ Northern central coastal provinces: VND 30,000 per case.

+ Plain provinces, centrally-administered cities: VND 25,000 per case.

7.8/ Expenditure for managing and supplying equipment and devices for family planning and contraceptive devices.

III/ ESTABLISHING BUDGET PROJECTIONS, DISTRIBUTION, SETTLEMENT, AND REPORTING REGULATIONS:

The budget of the Population and Family Planning Program shall be managed, projected, distributed, and settled in accordance with the State Budget Law, Decision No. 42/2002/QĐ-TTg dated March 19, 2002, of the Prime Minister on the management and operation of National Target Programs and current guiding documents of the State. Units using the Program's budget must maintain accounting books to record, account for, and settle the Program's budget provided to the unit in accordance with the current regulations of the administrative and public institution accounting system. For procurement activities carried out in accordance with Circular No. 121/2000/TT-BTC dated December 29, 2000, issued by the Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of bidding for the purchase of supplies, materials, equipment, and working tools for state agencies, armed forces, mass organizations, and state-owned enterprises using state budget funds.

Additionally, the inter-ministerial guidance further specifies the following contents:

1/ Reporting System:

- Annually, based on the projected budget of the Population and Family Planning Program assigned by local People's Committees, Provincial Population Family and Children Committees have the responsibility to report detailed budget allocation situations of the Population and Family Planning Program and each Project under the Program to the Population Family and Children Committee (attached appendix), and send copies to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

- Heads of Ministries, sectors, Chairmen of Provincial People's Committees directly under the Central Government have the responsibility to report financial status and results of Project implementation in accordance with current regulations.

2/ In special cases, the Chairman of the National Population and Family Planning Program may decide to transfer funds to Ministries, sectors, and localities to implement responsibility contracts for specialized work. The National Population Family and Children Committee approves the budget expenditure according to the current standards and expenditure rates of the State. Ministries, sectors, and localities are responsible for implementing expenditures according to the standards and expenditure rates and preparing final settlement reports of the allocated funds sent to the Population Family and Children Committee (with attached copies of expenditure vouchers) for the Population Family and Children Committee to approve and consolidate into the Program's final settlement.

3/ For funds allocated in kind:

- The Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee when distributing physical items (from the central budget) to units must notify the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committees of provinces and centrally administered cities (for localities) and the supervising agencies (for ministries and sectors) of the quantity and unit price of each type of physical item distributed each time for the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committees of provinces and centrally administered cities and supervising agencies to monitor and manage. Specifically, for fixed assets, there must be a handover record between the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee, the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee of provinces and centrally administered cities (or supervising agencies), and the Department of Finance and Prices. In the event that the Project concludes, the handover of assets from the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee to ministries, sectors, and localities must be carried out according to current state regulations. The Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committees of provinces and centrally administered cities and supervising agencies have the responsibility to guide units to monitor, manage, and use the distributed physical items for their intended purposes effectively.

- The Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee must compile the value of physical items distributed to ministries, sectors, and localities to settle accounts with the central budget and submit along with the annual settlement report a summary table of physical items distributed in the year. Ministries, sectors, and localities receiving funding in the form of physical items from the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee do not need to settle accounts with their own ministry, sector, or local budgets but must maintain records to closely track, inspect, and supervise the issuance, use, and inventory of the items. Specifically, for the handover of fixed assets, procedures for transferring assets must be followed.

IV/ IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

This Circular takes effect fifteen days from the date of signature and replaces Circular Joint No. 67/1998/TT-LT/BTC-UBQGDS dated May 18, 1998 issued by the Ministry of Finance and the National Committee on Population and Family Planning.

The funds to implement this Circular are allocated in the annual budget estimate of the National Target Program on Population and Family Planning assigned by the State. For the year 2002, they will be arranged within the already assigned budget estimate.

During implementation, if any difficulties arise, they should be promptly reported to the joint Ministry of Finance - Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee for appropriate amendments.

 

DISTRIBUTION BUDGET REPORT OF THE NATIONAL TARGET PROGRAM ON POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING

Year: …

(In accordance with the budget allocation decision of the People's Committee of the province/city)

Unit: dong

Name of Project	Implementation in previous year			Budget estimate for this year			Remarks
	(thousand dong/year)	Central funds	Raised funds	(thousand dong/year)	Central funds	Raised funds
1/ Communication and education project to change behavior
2/ Strengthening reproductive health services and family planning project for poor areas, remote areas, and ethnic minority areas
3/ Sub-project to improve the population information management system under the project to enhance the quality of population information and data
4/ Research project on issues related to population quality
5/ Integration of population factors with sustainable family development through credit, savings, and economic development activities
6/ Capacity building project for population cadres to effectively implement the program
7/ Reproductive health and family planning care project
Total

Date: ... day ... month ... year ...

Chairman of the Population, Family Planning, and Children's Committee of the province...

(Signature, stamp)