Circular No. 98/1998/TT-BTC on equipping, managing, and using telephone and fax communication devices in state agencies and units.

CIRCULAR

Provisions on equipping, managing, and using telephone communication devices,

Fax in state agencies and units

To implement the Decree on thrift, anti-waste, and effective use of state budget funds, the Ministry of Finance stipulates the provisions on equipping, managing, and using telephones, Fax, and other communication means in administrative and service organizations, political-social organizations, social organizations, and occupational social organizations that use state budget funds (hereinafter referred to as agencies and units) as follows:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS:

1. Communication means such as telephones and Fax installed in state agencies and units for work needs must be strictly managed in accordance with regulations, and absolutely not to be used for personal purposes.

2. The installation of communication means must be based on the work needs of each agency and unit to ensure suitability, economy, and effectiveness. The funds for paying telephone, Fax charges... within the annual budget estimate of the agency or unit shall be announced by the competent authority.

3. The head of the agency or unit is responsible for strictly managing the procurement, installation, and use of communication means in their unit. Anyone who uses the communication means of the agency or unit for personal purposes must pay the postal charges to the Post Office.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

1. On telephone and Fax installation.

Each office is equipped with one fixed-line telephone of the common type. In special cases requiring additional equipment, it must be decided by the head of the agency or unit.

Depending on the specific situation of the agency or unit, each agency or unit may be equipped with a maximum of two Fax machines.

Message sending machines are only provided for cases where mobile work requires timely communication between the agency and the person assigned to work.

Agencies and units are not allowed to install mobile phones; In exceptional cases where work requirements necessitate it, this must be decided in writing by the Minister or the head of a ministry-level agency or government-affiliated agency, or the Chairman of the People's Committee of a province or city.

2. On management and use:

The head of the agency or unit must strictly manage the use of communication means within their agency or unit. They must specify which telephones can make inter-provincial and international calls; other telephones are limited to intra-provincial or intra-city calls.

The use of Fax and international telephone calls must be approved by the head of the unit (or authorized person) regarding the content of the transaction.

For mobile telephones, the head of the unit must specify the use of the phone for each user to ensure its use for official purposes. The head of the unit and the user of the mobile telephone are responsible for improper use.

Fixed-line telephones installed in offices from the Department level (or equivalent) downwards in central agencies; from the Director level (or equivalent) downwards in local agencies when making international, inter-provincial calls, or calling mobile phones, must maintain a record for each transaction indicating the date, caller, and called number (according to the attached form). The head of the unit (or authorized person) is responsible for approving each transaction.

No civil servant or public official may use the telephone in the agency or unit for personal matters. Anyone who uses the office telephone for personal matters must pay the postal charges to the Post Office.

At the end of each month, the unit using telephones must submit the record of international, inter-provincial, and mobile phone transactions to the financial department of the agency. The financial department of the agency is responsible for checking and comparing with the billing statement from the Post Office to exclude unauthorized transactions and require the user to pay the postal charges for those transactions.

Any excess installations or incorrect installations of mobile phones or message sending machines as specified in this Circular must be recovered by the agency or unit and reported to the Post Office to terminate the subscription fees for those machines.

3. The installation, management, and use of telephones at home continue to follow Circular No. 71 TC/HCSN dated September 30, 1995, issued by the Ministry of Finance.

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS:

1. The Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall base their guidance on this Circular to issue appropriate guidelines that meet work requirements after consultation with the Ministry of Finance.

2. State-owned enterprises shall base their guidelines on this Circular to establish suitable regulations according to the nature of their operations and publicly disclose these regulations within the enterprise.

3. Expenses for telephone and telegraph charges are recorded under item 111 "Information, Propaganda, and Communication" in the corresponding chapter and sub-item of the current state budget classification.

4. This Circular takes effect fifteen days from the date of issuance. During implementation, any issues should be reported to the Ministry of Finance for review and resolution.

Unit:...

INTERNATIONAL AND INTERPROVINCIAL CALL REGISTRATION BOOK FOR MOBILE PHONES

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Date... month... year…

Head of Unit/