Circular No. 21/2009/TT-BCT dated July 15, 2009 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade prescribing the formulation and support of the implementation of the 2009 Trade Promotion Program for domestic market

CIRCULAR

PRESCRIBING THE FORMULATION AND SUPPORT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2009 TRADE PROMOTION PROGRAM FOR THE DOMESTIC MARKET

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 189/2007/ND-CP dated December 27, 2007, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 30/2008/ND-CP dated December 11, 2008, on urgent solutions for preventing economic decline, maintaining economic growth and assuring social welfare; and the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 12/2009/QD-TTg dated January 19, 2009, promulgating the plan to implement the Government’s Resolution No. 30/2008/NQ-CP dated December 11, 2008, on urgent solutions for preventing economic decline, maintaining economic growth and assuring social welfare;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 529/2009/QD-TTg dated April 24, 2009, on funds for implementation of the 2009 trade promotion program for the domestic market;

After reaching agreement with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade guides the implementation of the 2009 trade promotion program for the domestic market as follows:

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.

Scope of regulation

This Circular prescribes the formulation and support of the implementation of the 2009 trade promotion program for the domestic market (below referred to as the Program) approved under the Industry and Trade Minister’s decision.

Article 2.

Subjects of application

When implementing the Program’s activities, organizations of all economic sectors which have legal entity status, are established under law, wish to joint the Program and have schemes approved by the Evaluation Council and the Minister of Industry and Trade shall observe this Circular and relevant laws.

Chapter II

PROGRAM’S ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT PRINCIPLES

Article 3.

The Program’s activities

The Program covers the following principal activities:

1. Support activities to raise the business community’s capacity

- Market investigation and survey of consumers, distribution networks and traders; synthesis and supply of investigation results

+ Implementation time: third and fourth quarters of 2009

- Organization of workshops and seminars:

+ Implementation time: August 2009

2. Organization of fairs of farm produce and products of craft villages in southern and northern Vietnam

- Fair of farm produce and products of craft villages in southern Vietnam

- Fair of farm produce and products of craft villages in southern Vietnam

+ Time of organization: one week in November 2009

- Fair of farm produce and products of craft villages in northern Vietnam

+ Time of organization: one week in March 2010

3. Activities to sell Vietnamese products in rural areas, industrial parks and urban areas

- Sale of Vietnamese products in rural areas

+ Implementation duration: from August 2009 to August 2010

- Market days to sell Vietnamese products to industrial park workers

+ Implementation duration: from August 2009 to August 2010

- Weekend market-days to sell Vietnamese products in urban areas

+ Implementation duration: from August 2009 to August 2010

4. Communication activities

- Communication on television and print and online newspapers

+ Implementation duration: from August 2009 to August 2010

- Distribution of printed publications

+ Implementation duration: from August 2009 to August 2010

Article 4.

Support principles and levels

1. To allocate 100% of funds for support activities to raise the business community’s capacity, covering:

- Market investigation and survey of consumers, distribution networks and traders; synthesis and supply of investigation results

- Organization of workshops and seminars

2. To allocate 100% of funds for communication activities, covering:

- Communication on television and print and online newspapers

- Distribution of printed publications

3. To allocate 70% of funds for the organization of fairs of farm produce and products of craft villages in southern and northern Vietnam, covering:

- Fair of farm produce and products of craft villages in northern Vietnam

4. To allocate 70% of funds for activities to sell products in rural areas, industrial parks and urban areas, covering:

+ Sale of Vietnamese products in rural areas

+ Market-days to sell Vietnamese products to industrial park workers

+ Weekend market-days to sell Vietnamese products in urban areas

5. The levels of remuneration paid to the Secretariat and the Evaluation Council; the levels of support for the evaluation of schemes shall be specified by the Minister of Industry and Trade under a decision to establish the Evaluation Council and the Secretariat. Other expenses comply with current regulations and come from the Program’s funds.

Chapter III

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ORDER AND PROCEDURES

Article 5.

The Program’s Evaluation Council

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall decide to establish, and promulgate a Regulation on the organization and operation of, the Program’s Evaluation Council.

Article 6.

Order of receiving and processing dossiers

1. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall post bidding letters for participation in the Program on its website.

2. Organizations having legal entity status and wishing to participate in the Program’s activities shall make and send bid dossiers (as indicated in bidding letters) through email or by fax and concurrently by post or directly to the Domestic Market Department (the Ministry of Industry and Trade) within 10 (ten) working days after the expiration of the time limit for submission of bid dossiers (based on the postmark of the locality where the bid dossier is sent).

Bidders shall ensure the consistency of their bid dossiers sent through email or by fax and those sent directly or by post.

3. After having their schemes approved by the Minister of Industry and Trade, organizations shall implement these schemes according to their contents and progress and send reports on implementation results (made according to a form provided in the Appendix to this Circular (not translated herein) to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance within 15 (fifteen) days after the end of a calendar year and the date of termination of activities.

Article 7.

Fund allocation and finalization procedures

After the schemes are approved by the Minister of Industry and Trade, based on the cost estimates and implementation schedules of these schemes, the Ministry of Finance shall advance funds for the successful bidders to implement the schemes, and specify procedures for advance and finalization of the funds.

Units that are allocated state budget funds to implement the Program’s activities shall use these funds for proper purposes under regulations and are subject to inspection and control by competent agencies. Upon the end of a calendar year and the termination of activities, they shall finalize the used funds under current regulation.

Chapter IV

ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 8.

Effect

This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of its signing.

Article 9.

Assignment of responsibilities

1. The Ministry of Industry and Trade assigns the Domestic Market Department to act as the focal point to plan and organize the implementation of the Program, and sum up and report implementation results.

2. The Evaluation Council, the Secretariat, heads of concerned units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, concerned ministries and branches, and organizations assigned to implement the Program’s activities shall strictly implement this Circular and other relevant laws.

Any problems arising in the course of implementation should be reported to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for timely handling.

FOR THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE

DEPUTY MINISTER

(Signed and sealed)

NGUYEN CAM TU

(This translation is for reference only)