Decision No. 100/2004/QD-TTg dated June 02, 2004 of the Prime Minister approving the scheme on establishment and strengthening of Vietnam's foreign-based trade offices in the 2004-2005 period

DECISION

APPROVING THE SCHEME ON ESTABLISHMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF VIETNAM'S FOREIGN-BASED TRADE OFFICES IN THE 2004-2005 PERIOD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the December 2, 1993 Ordinance on Representation Offices of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in foreign countries;

At the proposal of the Trade Minister,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the Scheme on Establishment and Strengthening of Vietnam's Foreign-Based Trade Offices in the 2004-2005 period with the following principal contents:

1. The Scheme's objectives:

To establish and strengthen Vietnam's trade offices overseas in the 2004-2005 period in order to step by step perfect the system of Vietnamese trade offices overseas, to boost trade-economic relations, expand markets, satisfy the requirements of Vietnam's economic integration and development in the region and the world, aiming to achieve the export turnover growth targets set in the scheme on development of goods export market in the 2004-2005 period, already approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 266/2003/QD-TTg of December 17, 2003 and the Strategy on goods and service export- import development in the 2001-2010 period.

2. The Scheme's principal contents:

a) To reorganize and strengthen the existing trade offices.

b) To establish Vietnam's new trade offices in the following foreign countries and territory: Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belarus, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Pakistan, Morocco, Nigeria, Lebanon, Hong Kong (China), New Zealand.

Each newly-established trade office shall be staffed with 2 members.

c) The Trade Ministry shall consult and reach agreement with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Finance Ministry on the adjustment of the staff of trade offices in Japan, Belgium, China, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

d) Annually, the Trade Ministry shall estimate the funding to be allocated to trade offices and submit it to competent bodies for approval, basing itself on the number of staff members, assigned tasks, operation areas, information search and gathering demands and working plan of each trade office.

e) To ensure the working offices for the system of trade offices, the Trade Ministry shall work with the Finance Ministry and the Foreign Ministry in elaborating budget estimates and submit them to competent bodies for consideration and decisions.

f) Basing itself on the working demands of each geographical area, the Trade Ministry shall select and propose the Foreign Ministry to confer diplomatic titles on officials working at the trade offices under the provisions of the Ordinance on Diplomatic Titles and Ranks and the Government's Decree No. 13/CP of March 16, 1996 guiding the implementation of this Ordinance.

Article 2.- The funding for realization of this Scheme shall be included in the annual budget estimate of the Trade Ministry and approved by competent bodies.

Article 3.- Organization of implementation

1. The Trade Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Foreign Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs in, deploying the establishment of new trade offices according to the following roadmap:

- In 2004, to establish Vietnamese trade offices in the following countries and territory: Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Morocco, New Zealand, Belarus, Chile and Hong Kong (China).

- In 2005, to establish Vietnamese trade offices in the following countries: Nigeria, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan and Lebanon.

2. The Trade Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs in, arranging payroll, organizing recruitment examinations and appointing officials fully satisfying the criteria and qualifications for working at Vietnam's trade offices overseas.

3. The Finance Ministry shall coordinate with the Trade Ministry in elaborating the budget estimate of the Trade Ministry for submission to competent bodies for approval, meeting the requirements on materialization of the contents of this Scheme.

Article 4.- This Decision takes implementation effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 5.- The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies and the heads of the Government-attached agencies shall have to implement this Decision.