Joint Circular No. 96/2007/TTLT-BTC-BNN guiding the management and use of state budget funds for the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for the management and use of state budget funds allocated to the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020

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Based on Decree No. 221/2013/NĐ-CP dated December 30, 2013 of the Government stipulating the system of applying administrative handling measures for placement in compulsory drug rehabilitation facilities (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 221/2013/NĐ-CP);

Pursuant to Decision No. 11/2006/QĐ-TTg dated January 12, 2006 of the Prime Minister approving the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020.

I- GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. This Circular provides guidelines for the management and use of state budget funds allocated to the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020 as stipulated in Decision No. 11/2006/QĐ-TTg dated January 12, 2006.

2. The sources of funding for the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development include: annual state budget funds; funds from domestic and foreign economic organizations and individuals; international cooperation funds; and other lawful sources of funding.

3. Units using funds under the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development must ensure that they are used for their intended purposes and in accordance with regulations; they are subject to inspection and supervision by competent authorities; at the end of each year or upon completion of projects, they must settle accounts for the funds used according to current regulations.

II- SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

1. Sources of funding and items of expenditure for the Priority Program on Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020 include:

a) Expenditure from research and scientific development funds:

- Implementing research topics applying gene technology, cell technology, microbial technology, enzyme and protein technology to provide materials and methods for subsequent research on crop breeding, livestock breeding, and microbial breeding;

- Implementing projects applying biotechnology to breed new crop varieties, livestock breeds, microbial strains, and biological products;

- Implementing projects applying biotechnology to study industrial-scale plant protection products, soil fertility maintenance and enhancement, agricultural and rural environmental cleaning and treatment, and production of preservation and processing products;

- Supporting pilot production projects for products. The maximum support level does not exceed 30% of the project's budget (excluding the value of buildings and equipment included in the project);

- Importing new materials and technologies for biotechnology research and development by public institutions;

- Purchasing additional research and scientific development equipment for agricultural biotechnology.

b) Expenditure from investment development funds, as approved by authorized bodies:

- Investing in building and completing key laboratories for animal and plant cell technology, gene technology, as approved by authorized bodies;

- Deepening investment, upgrading facilities, and modernizing agricultural biotechnology laboratories with advanced equipment, as approved by authorized bodies;

- Establishing a national database and information system on agricultural biotechnology to provide information on agricultural biotechnology and main products of agricultural biotechnology.

c) Expenditure from training funds:

- Overseas training: Doctoral and master's degree training; refresher courses lasting from six months to one year for agricultural biotechnology scientists who already hold doctoral or master's degrees;

- Domestic training: Doctoral, master's, bachelor's, and technical training in agricultural biotechnology; further training for agricultural biotechnology scientists and lecturers.

d) Economic service expenditure:

- Providing 100% interest subsidy for enterprises borrowing from banks to import advanced biotechnology from abroad for agricultural product manufacturing. The interest subsidy period shall not exceed twelve months.

The selection of enterprises eligible for technology import support and specific support levels for each project shall be decided by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;

- Expenditure for activities related to the national database and information system on agricultural biotechnology to provide information on agricultural biotechnology;

- Expenditure for the Office of the Agricultural Biotechnology Program: purchasing equipment; information dissemination and promotion; international cooperation surveys with countries having advanced biotechnology; seminars, conferences, mid-term and final evaluations of the program; identifying and selecting scientific and technological tasks in agricultural biotechnology; inspecting, accepting, and evaluating research and project topics within the program; expenditure for market creation activities to develop the agricultural biotechnology industry in Vietnam, and other expenses.

e) Expenditure from funds of domestic and foreign economic organizations, individual funds, international cooperation funds, and other lawful sources of funding shall be implemented in accordance with legal provisions.

2. Expenditure levels:

The items of expenditure and expenditure levels for implementing the Agricultural Biotechnology Program shall be carried out according to current financial expenditure standards.

For biotechnology research and project topics in agriculture: based on the necessity of implementing tasks and the available budget, the head of the unit assigned to implement the topic and the project leader shall decide on hiring domestic and foreign experts; the form of hiring (by time or by product) shall be appropriate; the expenditure level according to the actual agreement in the contract with the expert shall ensure quality and effectiveness (for hiring experts at a rate of 1,000 USD or more per month, approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is required).

In cases where it is necessary to hire domestic and foreign experts with experience to advise the Program Management Board, based on the level of necessity for implementing tasks and financial capacity, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall select and decide on hiring experts, the form of hiring (by time or by product) appropriately; the expenditure according to the actual contract agreed with the expert must ensure quality and effectiveness.

3. Product recovery:

- For research topics and projects implemented from scientific research funding that have recoverable products, they shall be carried out in accordance with current regulations applicable to science and technology projects funded by state budget.

- For production trial projects in the field of agricultural biotechnology, the recovery fund for these projects is 60% of the state budget support funding. The time for recovering funds for each project shall be decided by the approving authority, but not exceeding 24 months after the project's completion.

In cases where a project must be suspended due to objective reasons causing damage to the project, such as typhoons, floods, fires, the recovery fund may be exempted or reduced according to current regulations applicable to science and technology projects funded by the state budget. When encountering the above situations, the main units of the projects must report in writing to the superior management agency for inspection and confirmation regarding the implementation process and the reason for suspending the project; the ability to repay state budget support funding. After inspection and confirmation, the Ministries, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and decision on the amount of exemption or reduction of the recovery fund based on a written agreement with the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for monitoring and urging the recovery of products; annually compiling and reporting the final settlement of program funds along with the annual report of the agricultural biotechnology program.

4. Budget preparation, execution, and settlement:

The preparation, execution, and settlement of research funding, training expenses, economic expenses, and investment capital of the Agricultural Biotechnology Program shall be carried out in accordance with current regulations. This Circular supplements some points as follows:

Based on the program content and guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, relevant ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises with the need to participate in implementing the program's contents shall build tasks (topics, projects...) and register with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for examination and review.

Annually, based on the reviewed tasks, units shall prepare the budget for implementing the program and submit it to the superior management agency for consolidation into the budgets of ministries, sectors, and localities according to current regulations; simultaneously submitting to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consolidation at the time of annual budget preparation, to be submitted to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment for consolidation and submission to the competent authority for decision-making; specifically:

- For science and technology training expenses: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to determine science and technology tasks and the budget for science and technology expenditures to be submitted to the competent authority for examination and decision-making, to be assigned to relevant ministries and sectors; for the expenses of topics and projects implemented by localities and organizations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall sign contracts in accordance with regulations.

- For training expenses:

+ For domestic training: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to determine the demand for human resource training and the budget for implementation, to be submitted to the competent authority for examination and decision-making.

+ For overseas training, this is implemented in accordance with Decision No. 356/QĐ-TTg dated April 28, 2005 of

5. Reporting, inspection, and supervision work:

- Regularly, units assigned to implement the Agricultural Biotechnology Program shall be responsible for reporting the implementation situation according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall be responsible for coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to inspect regularly or at random the implementation of the Agricultural Biotechnology Program's content and the use of its funds to ensure proper and effective use.

Annually, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall compile the implementation situation of the Agricultural Biotechnology Program and report to the Prime Minister, simultaneously sending to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Education and Training.

III- IMPLEMENTATION

1. This Circular takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for directing the Agricultural Biotechnology Program; reviewing tasks registered by ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises to implement the Agricultural Biotechnology Program.

During implementation, if there are difficulties, units are requested to reflect them to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and appropriate amendments and supplements./.