Decision No. 52/2016/QD-TTg dated December 14, 2016 of the Prime Minister on promulgating the Regulation on grassroots information activities

DECISION

Promulgating the Regulation on grassroots information activities[1]

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the April 5, 2016 Press Law;

Pursuant to the November 20, 2012 Law on Publication;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 123/2016/ND-CP of September 1, 2016, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structures of ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 132/2013/ND-CP of October 16, 2013, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

At the proposal of the Minister of Information and Communications;

The Prime Minister promulgates the Decision on Regulation on grassroots information activities.

Article 1.To promulgate together with this Decision the Regulation on grassroots information activities.

Article 2.This Decision takes effect on February 1, 2017.

Article 3.Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees and related organizations, units and individuals shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
VU DUC DAM

REGULATION

On grassroots information activities

(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision
No. 52/2016/QD-TTg of December 6, 2016)

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. This Regulation prescribes contents of grassroots information activities, responsibilities for the state management of grassroots information activities; rights and obligations of agencies, organizations and individuals involved in the management and implementation of grassroots information activities.

2. This Regulation applies to agencies, organizations and individuals involved in the management and implementation of grassroots information activities.

Article 2.Interpretation of terms

In this Regulation, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. Grassroots information activities include activities providing essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation to commune, ward and township inhabitants through radio broadcasting activities of commune-level radio stations; grassroots information bulletins; non-commercial documents used for grassroots information activities; direct provision of information by grassroots disseminators and propagators, public notice boards and other forms of grassroots information activities.

2. Grassroots information bulletin means a journalistic information product published on a periodical basis, which uses news stories to provide essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation to commune, ward and township inhabitants through print publications or the Internet.

3. Non-commercial document used for grassroots information activities means a not-for-sale publication providing essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation to commune, ward and township inhabitants.

4. Grassroots disseminator or propagator means a person verbally providing essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation to commune, ward and township inhabitants.

5. Public notice boards include electronic notice screens and boards made of other materials which are placed at a fixed location and used to convey essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation in text and image to commune, ward and township inhabitants.

Article 3.Contents of grassroots information activities

1. To provide information on policies and laws of the State, international and domestic events directly relating to people in localities and at grassroots level.

2. To provide information and knowledge essential to local people’s daily life in conformity with target groups and socio-economic conditions of each region or area, including:

a/ Information on local economic, cultural and social development projects and programs;

b/ Information on local politics, economy, culture and society and scientific and technical knowledge;

c/ Information relating to local social order and safety, security and defense;

d/ Information on incidents and emergencies occurring in localities or influencing localities;

dd/ Information on typical communities and people in different fields;

e/ Information on products, goods and services serving production and life of local people.

3. To serve the direction and administration by local administrations, agencies and units.

Article 4.Principles of grassroots information activities

1. To comply with the Party’s line and policies and State’s laws and conformwith local healthy traditions and practices.

2. To promptly and accurately provide essential and relevant information to inhabitants in rural, mountainous, deep-lying, remote and border areas, on islands and in areas with difficult or extremely difficult socio-economic conditions.

3. Funds for grassroots information activities shall be allocated from the state budget and mobilized from organizations and individuals and other lawful sources.

Article 5.State management responsibilities for grassroots information

1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall take responsibility before the Government for performing the state management of grassroots information, covering:

a/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related agencies in, formulating, and guiding the implementation of, development strategies, master plans, plans and policies and legal documents on grassroots information activities;

b/ Providing information to and managing information contents of the grassroots information systems nationwide;

c/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related agencies in, disseminating and educating on the law on grassroots information;

d/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related agencies in, directing scientific and technological research and application in grassroots information activities;

dd/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related ministries, sectors and provincial-level People’s Committees in, training and retraining human resources for grassroots information activities;

e/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related agencies in, implementing international cooperation on grassroots information activities;

g/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related ministries, sectors and provincial-level People’s Committees in, implementing regulations on information, reporting and statistics applicable to the grassroots information system; making reports on grassroots information activities and submitting them to the Prime Minister;

h/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related ministries, sectors and provincial-level People’s Committees in, implementing emulation and commendation work in grassroots information activities;

i/ Inspecting, examining, settling complaints and denunciations and handling violations in grassroots information activities according to its competence.

2. Ministries and ministerial-level agencies shall coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications in performing the state management of grassroots, covering:

a/ Formulating master plans on grassroots information systems under their management;

b/ Providing information to and managing information contents of specialized grassroots information activities;

c/ Coordinating with provincial-level People’s Committees in promptly providing specialized information to localities;

d/ Implementing regulations on information, reporting and statistics applicable to grassroots information systems under their management according to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ guidance; periodically or extraordinarily provide information, reports and statistics to the Ministry of Information and Communications for state management work.

3. Provincial-level People’s Committees shall perform the state management of grassroots information in their localities, covering:

a/ Formulating and implementing local master plans, plans and policies on the development of grassroots information according to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ guidance and to the provisions of law;

b/ Formulating, and organizing, guiding and inspecting the implementation of, legal documents, policies and regulations on grassroots information; disseminating and educating on the law on grassroots information in localities;

c/ Providing information to and managing information contents of local grassroots information systems;

d/ Coordinating with the Ministry of Information and Communications and related agencies in scientific and technological research and application in grassroots information activities in localities;

dd/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with the Ministry of Information and Communications and related agencies in, training and retraining human resources for grassroots information activities in localities;

e/ Implementing regulations on information, reporting and statistics applicable to local grassroots information systems under the Ministry of Information and Communications’ guidance; periodically or extraordinarily provide information, reports and statistics to the Ministry of Information and Communications for state management work;

g/ Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with the Ministry of Information and Communications and related agencies in, implementing emulation and commendation work in grassroots information activities in localities;

h/ Inspecting, examining, settling complaints and denunciations and handling violations in grassroots information activities according to their competence.

4. District-level People’s Committees shall perform the state management of grassroots information in their localities, covering:

a/ Organizing the implementation of master plans, plans, policies on development of grassroots information in their localities under the Ministry of Information and Communications’ and provincial-level People’s Committees’ guidance;

b/ Organizing and examining the implementation of legal documents and policies on grassroots information; disseminating and educating on the law on grassroots information in their localities;

c/ Providing information to and managing information contents of local grassroots information systems;

d/ Implementing regulations on information, reporting and statistics applicable to local grassroots information systems under the guidance of provincial-level People’s Committees; periodically or extraordinarily providing information, reports and statistics to provincial-level People’s Committees for state management work;

dd/ Inspecting, examining, settling complaints and denunciations and handling violations in grassroots information activities according to their competence.

5. Commune-level People’s Committees shall:

a/ Organize the implementation of master plans, plans, policies on development of grassroots information in their localities under the guidance of provincial- and district-level People’s Committees;

b/ Organize and examine the implementation of legal documents and policies on grassroots information; disseminate and educate on the law on grassroots information in their localities;

c/ Provide information to and manage information contents of local grassroots information systems;

d/ Implement regulations on communication, reporting and statistics applicable to local grassroots information systems under the guidance of district-level People’s Committees; periodically or extraordinarily provide information, reports and statistics to district-level People’s Committees for state management work.

Chapter II

GRASSROOTS INFORMATION ACTIVITIES

Section 1

RADIO BROADCASTING ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNE-LEVEL RADIO STATIONS

Article 6.Radio activities of commune-level radio stations

1. To produce radio programs in Vietnamese and/or ethnic languages and broadcast them on transmission and broadcasting systems of commune-level radio stations.

2. To coordinate with district-level radio-television stations or radio stations in producing radio programs and broadcast them on the latter’s transmission and broadcasting systems.

3. Radio programs of commune-level radio stations must focus on information on direction and administration activities of commune-level administrations; essential information and knowledge for people’s daily life in conformity with local socio-economic conditions; information on the State’s policies and laws directly pertaining to local people, regulations of commune-level administrations, and political, economic and social activities in localities and at grassroots level.

4. The production and broadcasting of radio programs of commune-level radio stations must comply with the law on information contents and not violate the law on radio transmission and broadcasting.

Article 7.Radio broadcasting activities of commune-level radio stations

1. Based on real conditions, commune-level radio stations shall receive and broadcast news programs and other radio programs of the Voice of Vietnam, provincial-level radio or radio-television stations or district-level radio-television or radio stations on their transmission and broadcasting systems to provide essential information to local people.

2. To broadcast radio programs serving essential political, information and propaganda tasks of the nation and localities on their transmission and broadcasting systems at the request of competent state management agencies.

3. To manage and operate specialized technical equipment systems to serve the reception and broadcasting of radio programs of  the Voice of Vietnam, provincial-level radio or radio-television stations or district-level radio-television or radio stations in conformity with the up-to-2020 master plan on radio and television transmission and broadcasting.

Article 8.Provisions on operation of commune-level radio stations

Commune-level People’s Committees shall specify program contents, time, places, length of time and volume of radio broadcasting suitable to characteristics of each locality or unit, serving essential political, information and propaganda tasks of the grassroots information system and satisfying information needs of local people in accordance with this Regulation and relevant laws.

Section 2

GRASSROOTS INFORMATION BULLETINS

Article 9.Publication of grassroots information bulletins

The publication of grassroots information bulletins to provide essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation must comply with the Law on Press and its guiding legal documents.

Article 10.Publication of electronic grassroots information bulletins (websites)

The publication of electronic grassroots information bulletins (websites) to provide essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation must comply with the Press Law and current regulations on management, provision and use of internet services and online information, provision of online information and public services on websites or web portals of state agencies.

Section 3

NON-COMMERCIAL DOCUMENTS USED FOR GRASSROOTS INFORMATION ACTIVITIES

Article 11.Publication of non-commercial documents used for grassroots information activities

The publication of non-commercial documents used for grassroots information activities to provide essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation must comply with Article 25 of the Law on Publication and its guiding legal documents.

Section 4

DIRECT PROVISION OF INFORMATION THROUGH GRASSROOTS DISSEMINATORS AND PROPAGATORS

Article 12.Standards of grassroots disseminators and propagators

Standards of grassroots disseminators and propagators shall be specified by agencies competent to issue decisions on recognition of grassroots disseminators and propagators as suitable to these agencies’ information tasks, and must ensure the following criteria:

1. Possessing good moral qualities, a steady political stance and a professional prestige; not having been disciplined in the form of reprimand or a heavier form in accordance with the law on civil servants and public employees and labor law.

2. Having a communications ability; fluently speaking in Vietnamese or an ethnic minority language used in the locality.

3. Thoroughly understanding specialized fields to be disseminated.

4. Having worked in the above specialized fields for at least 3 consecutive years.

Article 13.Contents and forms of direct provision of information through grassroots disseminators and propagators

1. Information provided by grassroots disseminators and propagators must be information on the State’s policies and laws, international and domestic events directly related to people in localities and at grassroots level and on regulations of local administrations, and political, economic and social activities in localities and at grassroots level; guidance on the direction and administration by local administrations and leaders of agencies and units; essential knowledge for people’s daily life in localities; information received from people to serve direction and administration work of local Party committees and administrations, and leaders of agencies and units in conformity with the functions and tasks of agencies and units managing grassroots disseminators and propagators.

2. Provision of information by grassroots disseminators and propagators and information contents must not violate laws.

3. Forms and scope of, and time and places for verbal propaganda must ensure efficient provision of information and compliance with law.

Article 14.Rights and obligations of grassroots disseminators and propagators

1. Grassroots disseminators and propagators have the following rights:

a/ To be provided with legal documents, information and materials for the performance of their verbal information and propaganda tasks according to the functions and tasks of their agencies and units;

b/ To be trained or retrained in knowledge about the performance of their verbal information and propaganda tasks according to the functions and tasks of their agencies and units;

c/ To be provided with appropriate technical equipment to perform their verbal information and propaganda tasks;

d/ To be entitled to remunerations and other benefits as prescribed by law.

2. Grassroots disseminators and propagators have the following obligations:

a/ To perform verbal information and propaganda tasks as assigned by competent agencies or units; to fully, accurately and promptly provide essential information contents to right target groups;

b/ Neither to disclose state secrets nor to commit other prohibited acts as prescribed by law;

c/ To comply with relevant provisions of this Regulation;

d/ To periodically and extraordinarily report on their verbal information and propaganda activities and feedback received from people to competent agencies and units.

Article 15.Responsibilities of agencies and units managing grassroots disseminators and propagators

Agencies and units managing grassroots disseminators and propagators shall ensure physical facilities and equipment necessary for verbal propaganda in accordance with law.

Section 5

PUBLIC NOTICE BOARDS

Article 16. Subjects eligible to install public notice boards and conditions for such installation

1. Subjects eligible to install public notice boards are state agencies, armed force units, residential groups, residential quarters, schools and hospitals.

2. The installation of public notice boards must comply with the construction law and regulations on protection of historical or cultural monuments, transport safety corridors, dikes, and the national power grid; not hide traffic lights and public sign boards; not be hung across roads, affecting traffic safety; not affect architecture and landscape; and must conform with local master plans and regulations of competent agencies.

3. Sound may not be used for conveying information on electronic public notice screens.

Article 17.Information contents and designs of public notice boards

1. Public notice boards must provide information on the State’s policies and laws, international and domestic events directly concerning people in localities and at grassroots level; regulations of local administrations and at grassroots level, and political, economic and social activities in localities and at grassroots level; direction and administration activities of local administrations, and leaders of agencies and units; and information essential for people’s daily life according to the functions and tasks of agencies or units installing the public notice boards.

2. Information contents and designs of public notice boards must not violate laws.

3. The head of an agency or a unit installing a public notice board must be responsible for information shown on such board.

4. Subjects eligible to install public notice boards may coordinate with enterprises in installing and operating public notice boards and reserve appropriate space as prescribed by law on these boards for advertising. Advertising on public notice boards must comply with the advertising law.

Article 18.Management of public notice boards

Commune-level People’s Committees of the places where public notice boards are installed shall manage the installation of public notice boards and information contents shown on these boards in accordance with law.

Section 6

OTHER FORMS OF GRASSROOTS INFORMATION

Article 19.Other forms of grassroots information

1. Based on real conditions, the State may use other forms of grassroots information to provide essential information specified in Article 3 of this Regulation to commune, ward and township inhabitants.

2. The State may mobilize property and facilities of agencies, organizations and enterprises for carrying out grassroots information activities based on agreement, ensuring harmony of interests of the State, people, agencies, organizations and enterprises.

3. Agencies, organizations and enterprises shall coordinate with and support the State in providing essential information to people at grassroots level.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 20.Organization of implementation

1. The Minister of Information and Communications, other ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of People’s Committees at all levels shall direct and organize the implementation of this Regulation according to their functions, tasks and competence.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, provincial-, district- and commune-level People’s Committees and organizations implementing grassroots information activities shall ensure state budget funds according to the current decentralization and other lawful sources for building physical facilities for and maintaining grassroots information activities.

Article 21.Implementation guidance and reporting

The Minister of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with other ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and chairpersons of People’s Committees at all levels in, guiding, pressing for, inspecting and monitoring, assessing, summarizing and reporting on the results of implementation of this Regulation to the Prime Minister.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
VU DUC DAM