Legal news in February 2018 in Viet Nam

1. Dossier for registration of using color photocopiers with provincial-level People’s Committees

This is the new regulation on management of use of printing equipment in Decree No. 25/2018/ND-CP dated 28 February 2018, amending and supplementing some articles of Decree No. 60/2014/ND-CP on printing activities.

Accordingly, printing establishment must register with provincial-level People’s Committee before using any color photocopy machine or printer with color photocopying function.

The dossier includes:

(a) Application for registration of using the machine in prescribed standard form;

(b) A copy of the machine’s import permit, accompanied by the original for couter-check or a certified true-copy if sent by post or delivery service; contracts and machine purchase invoices or machine hire purchase source documents;

(c) Application for transfer (with respect to machines already registered for use) certified by the People’s Committee of the province or centrally-run city where the registration was certified.

In addition, the new Decree also abolishes the provision that color photocopiers should only be used for internal affairs of agencies or organizations and not used for business in any form.

This Decree shall take effect on 1 May 2018.

2. Process of settling complaints about employment

On 27 February 2018, the Government issued Decree No. 24/2018/ND-CP on settlement of complaints and denunciations in the field of labor and vocational education (“Decree 24”).

Accordingly, Decree 24 adds a new complaint procedure, that is complaints about employment and occupational safety and hygiene (the current law has not included these two categories).

Specifically, the complaint procedure on employment is as follows:

(a) The infringed person makes a complaint to the head of the employment service organization; the national authority for vocational qualification and certification (organizations) or initiate a lawsuit in a court.

(b) In case of disagreement with the first decision on complaint settlement or beyond the time-limit for settling the complaint, the complainant may file a lawsuit in a court or a second complaint to the Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of the province where the organization’s head office is located.

(c) If the complainant disagrees with the second decision on complaint settlement or beyond the time-limit for settling the complaint, the complainant shall have the right to initiate a lawsuit in a court.

The new Decree specifies that the time-limit for settling first-time complaints shall not exceed 30 days, or 45 days for complicated cases, counting from the date of acceptance. In mountainous and remote areas with difficult transportation conditions, the time-limit for settling such complaints shall not exceed 45 days, or 60 days for complicated cases, counting from the date of acceptance.

Within 30 days after the expiration of the time-limit for settling complaints, the first-time complaints are not resolved or the complainants disagree with the first-time settlement results, second-time complaints may be requested for settlement; for mountainous and remote areas with difficult transportation conditions, the time-limit may be longer but must not exceed 45 days.

The time-limit for the settlement of second-time complaints shall not exceed 45 days from the date of acceptance; for complicated cases or in mountainous and remote areas with difficult transportation conditions, the time-limit shall not exceed 60 days from the date of acceptance.

According to this Decree, the complainant has the right to withdraw the complaint at any time. The withdrawal of the complaint must be made in writing with the signature or finger print of the complainant.

Where the complained person disagrees with the decision on settlement of his/her second-time complaint, he/she may initiate administrative lawsuits.

Workers have the right to initiate a civil action in three cases: There are grounds to believe that the decision or conduct of the employer or enterprise sending workers abroad is illegal, directly infringing upon their legitimate rights and interests; They disagree with the first decision on the settlement; The time-limit for settling a first-time complaint has expired, however not yet been settled.

Workers have the right to initiate lawsuits according to administrative procedures in two cases: They disagree with the second decision on settlement;

The time-limit for settling a second-time complaint has expired but not yet been settled.

Decree 24 shall take effect on 15 April 2018.

3. New regulations on compulsory explosion and/or fire insurance deduction

On 23 February 2018, the Government issued Decree No. 23/2018/ND-CP on compulsory fire and/or explosion insurance (“Decree 23”).

This Decree requires establishments with fire and/or explosion risks such ascondominiums, hotels, guest houses and guest houses of 5 or more floors; kindergartens and preschools with 100 children or more; oil and gasoline stations with one or more fuel dispensers, etc. must buy compulsory fire and/or explosion insurance.

Objects under compulsory fire and explosion insurance mean all the properties of an establishment with fire and/or explosion risks, including: Houses, building works and assets attached to houses and building works; machines, equipment; all kinds of goods, materials and supplies.

Insurance companies will not have to pay compensation in the cases: Earthquakes or other natural disturbances; Damage caused by political, security and social order incidents; Damage caused by fire and/or explosion by intentional action of the insured; Damage to data, software and computer programs; etc.

The new Decree specifies the minimum compulsory deduction for compulsory fire and/or explosion insurance (the amount to be paid by the insurance buyer for each insurance event) as follows:

(a) The amount of insurance up to VND 2 billion: VND 4 million;

(b) The amount of insurance of over VND 2 billion to VND 10 billion: VND 10 million;

(d) The amount of insurance of over VND 50 billion to VND 100 billion: VND 40 million;

(e) The amount of insurance of over VND 100 billion to VND 200 billion: VND 60 million;

(f) The amount of insurance over VND 200 billion: VND 100 million. At the same time, based on Clause 1, Section 1 of the Appendix to this Decree, the deduction level must not exceed:

(a) 1% of the amount of insurance for any category A establishment with fire and/or explosion risks;

(b) 10% of the amount of insurance for any category B establishment with fire and/or explosion risks.

The above-mentioned provisions shall apply to establishments with fire and/or explosion risks (except for nuclear facilities), which have a total amount of insurance for all assets in a location less than VND 1,000 billion.

Decree 23 shall take effect on 15 April 2018.

4. Types of organizations providing consultancy and services on copyright and related rights

According to Decree No. 22/2018/ND-CP dated 23 February 2018, providing guidelines for Intellectual Property Law 2005, amended and supplemented in 2009 (“Decree 22”), organizations providing consultancy and services on copyright and related rights include:

(a) Enterprises established and operating under the laws on enterprises.

(b) Cooperatives and unions of cooperatives established and operating under the laws on cooperatives.

(d) Law-practicing organizations established and operating under the law on lawyer, except:

(i) Branches of foreign law-practicing organizations;

(ii) Limited liability law firms with 100% foreign owned capital;

(iii) Limited liability law firms in the form of a joint venture between a Vietnamese lawyer’s profession-practicing organization and a foreign law-practicing organization.

The new Decree also specifies exploitation and use of audio and video recordings as follows:

(a) Any organization or individual using audio or video recordings pursuant to Clauses 1 and 2 of Article 33 of the Law on Intellectual

Property shall pay royalties, remunerations and material benefits to the copyright owner.

(b) Copyright collection societies shall agree on royalties’ collection and distribution in accordance with the law.

(c) Authorizing copyright collection societies shall be responsible for making a list of members and works and shall be responsible for signing contracts with authorized representative organizations.

(d) Authorizing copyright collection societies are only responsible for negotiating the collection of royalties according to the list of members or works in the authorization contracts.

Accordingly, direct or indirect uses of audio and video recordings, which have been published in business and commercial activities such as restaurants, hotels, shops, supermarkets; establishments providing karaoke, postal or telecommunication services, or providing services in digital environment; in tourist and aviation activities, public transport; are not required to obtain permission, but must pay royalties and remunerations.

Similarly, broadcasting organizations’ uses of the audio and video recordings already published for broadcast by wireless or wired means, including satellite transmission or digital environment; broadcasting and re-broadcasting broadcasted programs also have to pay royalties and remunerations.

Remuneration for performers in the case where an audio or video recording is used in accordance with the above provisions depends on their agreement of with the producer of the audio or video recordings for implementation of the audio or video recording program.

Objects not covered by the scope of copyright protection under Decree 22 include: simple news and administrative documents. In particular, the current news is daily short press news, simply for news conveying, not of creative nature; Administrative documents include documents of State agencies, political organizations, social organizations, etc. and units of the people’s armed forces.

According to this Decree, a reasonable citation from a work that does not misinterpret the author’s meaning for comment or illustration in another work must satisfy two conditions: The citation is for the purpose of introduction, comment or clarification of the problem mentioned in the latter work; The citation does not prejudice the copyright of the work used for the citation; is appropriate to the nature and characteristics of the type of work used for the citation.

Decree 22 shall take effect on 10 April 2018

5. New regulations on conditions for establishment of microfinance institutions

On 23 February 2018, the State Bank of Vietnam issued Circular No.03/2018/TT-NHNN, on licensing, organization and operation of the microfinance institutions (“Circular 03”).

Accordingly, the conditions for issuance of a license for establishment and operation of a microfinance institution are more recent than those stipulated in Point 9, Section II of Circular No. 02/2008/TT-NHNN dated 2 April 2008.

Specifically:

(a) Having a charter capital of at least equal to the legal capital as prescribed (VND 5 billion);

(b) Having owners, founding members as stipulated in Article 8 of this Circular;

(c) Having managers, executives and members of supervisory board who meet the criteria and conditions prescribed in Articles 20, 21, 22 and 23 of this Circular;

(d) Having a Charter in accordance with Article 31 of the Law on Credit Institutions and relevant laws;

(e) Having a scheme for establishment and feasible business plan for the first three years of operation.

In addition, a microfinance institution is a limited liability company with two or more members must ensure that at least one founding member is an organization that has been or is directly involved in managing or running the microfinance programs and projects that have been operating safely and sustainably for at least 3 consecutive years before the time of applying for a license.

Circular 03 also specifies that for an individual who is a founding member of a microfinance institution, which is a limited liability company with two or more members, must satisfy the following conditions:

(a) Having Vietnamese nationality and having full capacity for civil acts as prescribed by law;

(b) Not being entities prohibited from establishing and managing enterprises in accordance with the Law on Enterprises;

(c) Not being fined for administrative violations in the monetary and banking sector within the highest fine bracket for acts of violating regulations on licenses, management, shares, share certificates and capital contribution, etc.

(d) Not being a founding shareholder or founding member of another credit institution in Vietnam;

(e) Being financially capable to contribute capital to establish the microfinance institution;

(f) Undertaking not to use trust funds, mobilized capital, and borrowed capital from other organizations or individuals for capital contribution;

(g) Committed to financially support to the microfinance institution to overcome difficulties in case of capital or liquidity difficulties.

In addition, the percentage of equity ownership in microfinance institutions is stipulated as follows:

(a) Proportion of capital contribution of an individual capital contributing member shall not exceed 5% of charter capital;

(b) Proportion of capital contribution of a capital contributing member and related persons shall not exceed 50% of charter capital;

(c) Proportion of capital contribution of all capital contributing members being political organizations or socio-political organizations must reach the minimum percentage of 25% of charter capital;

(d) Proportion of capital contribution of domestic capital contributing members that are not political or socio-political organizations must not exceed the percentage of capital contribution by political or social – social organizations;

(e) Proportion of capital contribution of foreign capital contributing members must not exceed the percentage of capital contribution by political or socio-political organizations (the currently stipulated proportion is less than 50 % of charter capital).

After being granted with the license, microfinance institutions must register enterprise establishment according to the laws. At the same time, its operation must commence within 12 months from the date of issuance of the license; microfinance institutions can only operate from its date of opening. If the microfinance institution does not commence its operation after 12 months from the date of issuance of the license, the State Bank shall revoke the license.

This Circular also requires the licensed microfinance institution to inform the branch of State Bank of the conditions for opening at least 15 days before the intended date of opening.

Circular 03 shall take effect on 15 April 2018

6. Deferred deadline for closing the bank account of the lawyer’s office

This is a remarkable point in Circular No. 02/2018/TT-NHNN dated 12 February 2018 of the State Bank of Vietnam, amending Circular No.32/2016/TT-NHNN dated 26 December 2016, providing guidelines on opening and use of payment accounts at payment service suppliers. Whereby:

Within 24 months as from 1 March 2017, organization without legal status (e.g. lawyers’ offices) must opt to convert the payment account under its name into an account under the name of a natural or legal person or a general payment account, or to close that account.

According to the old regulations in Circular No. 32/2016/TT-NHNN, after 12 months from 1 March 2017, banks will close accounts of organizations without legal entity status if they do not proceed to convert the accounts.

Thus, it can be seen that the State Bank has deferred the time limit for closing the accounts of organizations failing to carry out conversion procedures.

This Circular shall take effect on 12 February 2018.

7. Limitation on asset lease brokerage by credit institutions

Circular No. 16/2018/TT BTC dated 7 February 2018 of the Minister of Finance, on guidelines for financial regimes of credit institutions and branches of foreign banks (hereinafter referred to as “credit institutions”) come into force on 26 March 2018.

According to the Circular, brokerage to be paid to a third party (as intermediary) must not be paid to the following subjects:

(a) Managers, employees and related persons of credit institutions;

(b) Agents of credit institutions.

Brokerage must only be paid for brokerage activities permitted by law and specified in a contract or written confirmation between the credit institution and the broker.

The contract or confirmation must contain basic information such as name of the broker, commission amount, method of payment, etc.

Regarding expenditure for lease brokerage of each asset, a credit institution or foreign bank branch is allowed to spend up to 5% of the total amount of proceeds obtained from the asset leasing activities brokered by an agent for a year.

Thus, compared with the current regulations, the level of brokerage for leasing assets of credit institutions and foreign bank branches has been specifically limited to each asset, and is no longer applied to the total assets for lease.

Also, according to this provision, the maximum level of brokerage at which credit institutions and foreign bank branches can pay for brokered sale of each mortgaged or pledged asset is 1% of the actual value gained from the sale of such asset through brokerage.

The Board of Management, the Members’ Council or General Director/Director of the credit institutions shall introduce and publish their own regulation on brokerage payment to implement.

8. New regulations on bidding costs for issuance of Government bonds

On 7 February 2018, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular No.15/2018/TT-BTC, on expenses for issuance, swap, buy out, payment of principal and interest of Government bonds, bond guaranteed by the Government, and local government’s bonds.

Whereby:

(a) The bidding costs payable to the Exchange of the State Bank of Vietnam (“SBV”) for the issuance of treasury bills at the SBV Exchange is equal to 0.01% of the nominal value of the bills issued by bidding.

(b) The bidding costs payable to the SBV Exchange for issuance of Government bonds is equal to 0.025% of the nominal value of Government bonds issued by bidding but not shall not exceed VND1 billion per bidding session.

(c) The bidding costs payable to the SBV Exchange for re-purchase of Government bonds is equal to 0.0075% of the re-purchase price of Government bonds repurchased by bidding but shall not exceed VND300 million per bidding session.

In addition, costs of issuing agent activities, to be paid to issuing agents, areequal to 0.1% of the nominal value of the Government bonds issued throughagents.

This Circular takes effect on 1 April 2018.

9. Construction establishments’ responsibility to protect theenvironment in construction and to report on environmentalprotection

As of 1 April 2018, the Ministry of Construction’s Circular No.02/2018/TT-BXD dated 6 February 2018 on the environmental protection in construction of building works and the regime on reporting the environmental protection work of the construction industry shall become effective.

Accordingly, construction contractors will be responsible for implementation of environmental management and protection plans and regulations on environmental protection in the course of executing construction packages, arranging personnel in charge of the environment according to the provisions of the environmental protection law in order to take environmental protection measures according to the Environmental impact assessment report or the Environment plan of such construction.

In addition, contractors must develop and implement rules and regulations on environmental protection in construction of building works; stop construction of building works when the danger of serious pollution and environmental incidents is found and take remedial measures to ensure compliance with environmental protection requirements before continuing the construction.

The new Circular also stipulates that establishments producing construction materials, exploiting natural minerals for use as construction materials, and manufacturing mechanical construction products shall have the responsibility to report on environmental protection as follows:

(a) Making a report on environmental protection in a standard form of Appendix 1 to this Circular once a year and send it to provincial-level Department of Construction before 31 December every year.

(b) Updating and archiving the information and data of the environmental protection reports at the website address:

http://dulieumoitruong.xaydung.gov.vn.

10. Conditions for food safety assurance applicable to food additives and cases exempted from safety inspection of imported food

These are the remarkable contents in Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP dated 2 February 2018, detailing the implementation of a number of articles of Law on Food Safety.

Accordingly, establishments producing and trading in food additives must satisfy the following conditions for food safety assurance:

(a) Meeting general regulations on conditions for food safety assurance as prescribed.

(b) Only mixing the food additives on the list of additives authorized for being used in foodstuffs by the Ministry of Health (“MoH”) and the final product does not cause any harm to human health;

(c) In the case of creation of a new product, which has a new use, the new use, target user and maximum level of use must be substantiated.

(d) Repackaging, sub-dividing, dispensing food additives must be carried out at establishments assuring food safety and labelling must be performed in accordance with current regulations.

The new Decree allows self-declaration by organizations and individuals producing and trading in foods for ready packaged processed foods, food additives, food processing aids, food containers, packaging materials in direct contact with food.

Produced or imported products and raw materials, which are used only for production or processing of goods for export or for internal production of organizations and individuals, and which are not sold on the domestic market, shall be exempted from product self-declaration.

Organizations and individuals producing and trading in the following foods must register their declarations of product(s): health food, medical nutrition food, food for special diet; nutritional products for children up to 36 months of age; combined food additives with new uses, food additives not included in the list of additives permitted for use in food or not used for the subjects as prescribed by the MoH.

With respect to use of food additives in food products, this Decree requires production and business organizations and individuals to use only additives included in the list of additives permitted for use in foods, per maximum permitted level, for permitted foods only; and the additives must have a clear origin or source, must not expire and meet all requirements for food additives.

In addition to allowing food businesses to self-declare their products, Decree 15 specifies nine cases exempted from safety inspection of imported food, including:

(a) Product has been issued with a Certificate of Registration of Product

Declaration;

(b) Products carried by person entering Vietnam, sent in advance or sent after entering, to serve their daily living needs or for the purpose of the trip; gifts and presents within the duty-free allowance as prescribed.

(d) Products in transit, transhipped, temporarily imported, re-exported or stored in bonded warehouses;

(e) Samples for testing or research in a quantity appropriate for the purpose of testing or research certified by the organization or individual.

(f) Products used for displaying in fairs and exhibitions.

(g) Produced or imported products and raw materials used only for the production or processing of goods for export or for internal production of organizations or individuals, not sold on the domestic market;

(h) Products temporarily imported for sale at duty-free shops;

(i) Goods imported for emergency purposes under the direction of the Government or the Prime Minister.

This Decree shall take effect on 2 February 2018.

11. Three cases where audio recording of defendant interrogation is opened in court

This is notable content in Joint Circular No.03/2018/TTLT-BCA-VKSNDTC-TANDTC-BQP issued by the Minister of Public Security, Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court, and Minister of National Defense on 1 February 2018.

Accordingly, the Trial Panel shall decide, whether or not listening to or watching audio or audio-visual recording at the court is allowed, in the following cases:

(a) To examine evidences, documents and objects related to the case which the Trial Panel deems necessary to conduct public examination at the trial.

(b) The defendant alleged that he/she had confessed under duress or torture or the defendant or the legal representative of a commercial legal entity committing a crime changes his/her testimony.

In the above cases, the Court should prepare a plan for listening to or viewing audio or audio-visual recordings at a trial.

This Circular shall take effect on 18 March 2018.

12. Other sectors

Finance

Decision No. 209/QD-BTC dated 13 February 2018 of the Ministry of Finance, announcing new administrative procedures in the field of public asset management within the scope of management functions of the Ministry of Finance.
Decision No. 201/QD-BTC dated 12 February 2018 of the Ministry of Finance, on the Cyberinformation Security Regulation of the Ministry of Finance.
Decision No. 185/QD-BTC dated 9 February 2018 of the Minister of Finance, providing for the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Department for Accounting and Auditing Management and Supervision.
Circular No. 18/2018/TT-BTC dated 12 February 2018 of the Minister of Finance, providing guidelines for financial regimes applicable to microfinance institutions.
Circular No. 17/2018/TT-BTC dated 9 February 2018 of the Minister of Finance, amending Circular No. 305/2016/TT-BTC, providing for the collection rates and regime for collection, submission, management and use of service charges for maintaining the digital certificate status check system.

Banking

Decision No. 249/QD-NHNN dated 5 February 2018 of the State Bank of Vietnam, promulgating amended and supplemented administrative procedures in the field of licensing bank establishment and operations within the scope of management function of the State Bank of Vietnam.
Consolidated Document No. 08/VBHN-NHNN dated 27 February 2018 of the State Bank of Vietnam, providing guidelines for opening and use of payment accounts at payment service suppliers.
Consolidated Document No. 07/VBHN-NHNN dated 13 February 2018 of the State Bank of Vietnam, providing for credit information activities of the State Bank of Vietnam.
Circular No. 20/2018/TT-BTC dated 12 February 2018 of the Minister of Finance, providing guidelines for financial regimes applicable to people’s credit funds.

Trade

Consolidated Document No. 14/VBHN-BCT dated 22 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, on industrial explosive materials.
Consolidated Document No. 12/VBHN-BCT dated 13 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, on trading in petrol and oils.
Consolidated Document No. 11/VBHN-BCT dated 12 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, on e-commerce.
Consolidated Document No. 09/VBHN-BCT dated 8 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, on the consolidation of Decrees on conditions for business investment in the field of food business within the scope of State management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Decision No. 590/QD-BCT dated 21 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, announcing the list of legal documents in the fields under State management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which were issued from 1 January 2017 to 31 January 2018, expired in whole or in part.
Decision No. 213/QD-TTg dated 12 February 2018 of the Prime Minister, approving the Scheme on “Strengthening bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and other key strategic partners”.
Decision No. 537/QD-BCT dated 9 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, amending Decision No. 3283/QD-BCT, on the application of official anti-dumping measures to some steel I-beams originating from the People’s Republic of China.
Decision No. 539/QD-BCT dated 9 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, amending Decision No. 1105/QD-BCT on the application of official anti-dumping measures to imported plated steel products issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Circular No. 02/2018/TT-BCT dated 27 February 2018 of the Minister of Industry and Trade, detailing the List of goods traded and exchanged by border residents.
Circular No. 01/2018/TT-BCT dated 27 February 2018 of the Minister of Industry and Trade, detailing goods traded and exchanged by traders through auxiliary border gates and opened paths.
Consolidated Document No. 13/VBHN-BCT dated 22 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, providing for the list of potentially unsafe products and goods under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Labour

Decision No. 228/QD-BHXH dated 13 February 2018 of the Vietnam Social Insurance, on the regulation on operation of the Vietnam Social Insurance’s Information Portal.
Circular No. 01/2018/TT-BLDTBXH dated 27 February 2018 of the Minister of Health Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs on the system of statistical indicators of the Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs branch.

Health

Decision No. 782/QD-UBND dated 13 February 2018 of the People’s Committee of Hanoi, announcing the list of abolished administrative procedures under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health of Hanoi
Circular No. 04/2018/TT-BYT dated 9 February 2018 of the Minister of Health, on Good Laboratory Practice.
Circular No. 03/2018/TT-BYT dated 9 February 2018 of the Minister of Health, on good distribution practice for medicines and medicinal materials.

Transport

Decree No. 16/2018/ND-CP dated 2 February 2018, on announcement of maritime routes and traffic lanes in Vietnamese territorial waters.
Decision No. 236/QD-TTg dated 23 February 2018 of the Prime Minister, approving the readjustment in the Planning for development of air transport for the period up to 2020, with an orientation to 2030.
Decision No. 321/QD-BGTVT dated 9 February 2018 of the Ministry of Transport, announcing supplemented administrative procedures in the registration field within the scope of management function of the Ministry of Transport.
Circular No. 08/2018/TT-BGTVT dated 22 February 2018 of the Minister of Transport, providing for the standard forms of minutes and decisions used in sanctioning administrative violations in the maritime field.
Circular No. 07/2018/TT-BGTVT dated 7 February 2018 of the Minister of Transport, providing for the inspection of seagoing vessels.
Circular No. 06/2018/TT-BGTVT dated 7 February 2018 of the Minister of Transport, on technical-economic norms for operation, exploitation and maintenance of security alarm systems of seagoing vessels.

Construction

Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP dated 5 February 2018 of the Government on the implementation of the Law on Planning.
Decision No. 198/QD-TTg dated 9 February 2018 of the Prime Minister, approving the Scheme on improvement of the system of standards and national technical regulations on construction.
Consolidated Document No. 08/VBHN-BCT dated 8 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, on the order of and procedures for supplementing, adjusting the planning and investment management with respect to projects on investment in construction of building works being petroleum depots, liquefied petroleum gas depots, and liquefied natural gas depots.

Administration – Judiciary

Decree No. 19/2018/ND-CP dated 2 February 2018, providing for calculation of the total quantity or volume of narcotics in a number of articles of Criminal Code 2015.
Resolution No. 16/NQ-CP dated 27 February 2018 of the Government, on simplification of administrative procedures and civil papers related to population administration under the State management of the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Decision No. 250/QD-TTg dated 28 February 2018 of the Prime Minister, approving the Scheme for further renovation and improvement of the judicial assessment performance.
Decision No. 63/QD-TTCP dated 26 February 2018 of the Government Inspectorate, approving the “Set of Anti-Corruption Work Evaluation Indicators for provincial-level People’s Committees in 2017”.
Decision No. 891/QD-UBND dated 26 February 2018 of the People’s Committee of Hanoi, approving the Scheme for “Improving and enhancing the quality of relations among citizens and administrative agencies in Hanoi, towards a modern, professional and efficient administrative system”.
Decision No. 199/QD-TTg dated 9 February 2018 of the Prime Minister, approving the plan for simplification of administrative procedures and regulations related to criminal records and request for submission of notarized or authenticated papers.
Decision No. 48/QD-TTCP dated 6 February 2018 of the Government Inspectorate, on publication of the list of fully-expired legal documents under State management of the Government Inspectorate in 2017.
Decision No. 502/QD-UBND dated 5 February 2018 of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, announcing the list of legal documents, which has expired or been suspended.
Circular No. 07/2018/TT-BCA dated 12 February 2018 of the Minister of Public Security, providing for prisoners’ meetings with their relatives; mail receiving and sending; receiving money and objects, and contacting their relatives by telephone.
Joint Circular No. 04/2018/TTLT-BCA-BQP-TANDTC-VKSNDTC dated 9 February 2018 of the Minister of Public Security, Minister of National Defense, Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court, and Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, on co-ordinating implementation of the provisions of the Criminal Proceedings Code 2015 on conditional early release from imprisonment.
Circular No. 05/2018/TT-BCA dated 7 February 2018 of the Minister of Public Security, providing for the collection of documents and formulation of dossiers to request for application of administrative measures for compulsory addiction treatment.
Joint Circular No. 02/2018/TTLT-BCA-VKSNDTC-TANDTC-BQP dated 1 February 2018 of the Minister of Public Security, Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court, and Minister of National Defense, providing for the order, procedures, time-limit and location of reading and recording copies of documents or digitalized documents concerning accusations, defences or other copies of documents relating to the defense, by the accused or the legal representative of a commercial legal person committing an offense.

Agriculture – Forestry – Fishery

Decree No. 17/2018/ND-CP dated 2 February 2018, amending Decree No.67/2014/ND-CP, on fishery development policy.

Decision No. 687/QD-BNN-PC dated 27 February 2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on publication of the List of legal documents still in force until 31 December 2017 in the fields under State management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Decision No. 517/QD-BNN-KTHT dated 7 February 2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on publication of replacement administrative procedures within the scope of State management functions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Decision No. 500/QD-BNN-PC dated 6 February 2018 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, on publication of the list of legal documents in the fields under State management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which expired in whole or in part in 2017.
Circular No. 03/2018/TT-BNNPTNT dated 9 February 2018 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, on the list of pesticides permitted for use or banned from use in Vietnam.
Circular No. 14/2018/TT-BTC dated 7 February 2018 of the Minister of Finance, amending Circular No. 207/2016/TT-BTC, providing for the collection rates and regime for collection, submission, management and use of charges and fees in the fields of cultivation and plant varieties in forestry.

Miscellaneous

Consolidated Document No. 10/VBHN-BCT dated 9 February 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, providing guidelines for the Electricity Law and Amended Electricity Law.

Decision No. 592/QD-UBND dated 8 February 2018 of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, on the regulation on coordination in State management of lines of conditional investment business on security and order in the area of Ho Chi Minh City.

Circular No. 01/2018/TT-BTNMT dated 7 February 2018 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, providing for the economic-technical norms of the system of radar stations monitoring waves and sea surface currents.