Decree No. 157/2004/ND-CP dated August 18, 2004 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Ordinance on Post and Telecommunications

DECREE

DETAILING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NUMBER OF ARTICLES OF THE ORDINANCE ON POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

THE GOVERNMENT

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

Pursuant to the May 25, 2002 Ordinance on Post and Telecommunications;

At the proposal of the Minister of Post and Telematics,

DECREES:

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.- This Decree details the implementation of a number of articles of the Ordinance on Post and Telecommunications (hereinafter called the Ordinance) applicable to Vietnamese organizations and individuals; and foreign organizations and individuals involved in post activities in Vietnam.

Article 2.- Post safety and information security

1. To protect post safety and information security is the responsibility of all organizations and individuals. .

2. Vietnam Post and enterprises providing mail delivery services shall have to apply measures to ensure post safety, including the safety for mails, postal matters and parcels, and for post officers; the safety for the public post network and delivery networks.

Service users shall have to abide by law provisions as well as regulations of Vietnam Post and enterprises providing mail delivery services on post safety and information security.

3. Vietnam Post and enterprises providing mail delivery services shall have to coordinate with, support and create conditions for, competent State agencies to take professional measures to monitor the assurance of information security. When performing the above-mentioned tasks, competent State agencies should create conditions for enterprises to ensure service quality.

Article 3.- Guaranty of confidentiality of private information

1. Confidentiality of private information related to mails, postal matters and parcels shall be guaranteed.

2. Mails, postal matters and parcels shall be opened and checked only in the following cases:

a/ Postal matters (except mails) and parcels shall be opened for handling or re-wrapping when they are damaged or their covers are torn;

b/ Unclaimed mails, postal matters and parcels shall be handled according to regulations;

c/ International postal matters (except mails) and parcels shall be opened by enterprises for presentation to competent State agencies when enterprises, on behalf of service users, fill in the import-export procedures as prescribed in Article 4 of this Decree.

3. The examination and seizure of mails, postal matters and parcels shall be effected only under decisions of competent State agencies as prescribed by law.

Article 4.- Filling in import-export procedures for mails, postal matters and parcels

1. Mails, postal matters and parcels, when being exported or imported, must go through customs, culture, quarantine and/or other procedures, depending on their contents, and must be liable to the payment of all prescribed taxes, charges and/or fees according to law provisions.

2. Vietnam Post and enterprises providing mail delivery services may, on behalf of service users, fill in the procedures mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article, and collect from service users a charge therefor.

3. Service users are obliged to reimburse tax, charge and fee amounts which have been paid on their behalf by Vietnam Post or mail delivery service enterprises to customs agencies or competent agencies.

Chapter II

POST NETWORKS AND SERVICES

Section 1. PUBLIC POST NETWORK

Article 5.- Building and development of the public post network

1. The public post network consists of focal centers, post offices, service points and public mailboxes, which are linked together by delivery and distribution routes.

2. The public post network shall be built and developed according to the post development strategy and planning as well as plans already approved by the competent State agency.

3. Focal centers, post offices, service points and public mailboxes shall be given priority to be located at railway and car stations, seaports, airports, border gates, population quarters and other public places in service of users' demands.

4. When elaborating and approving general plannings and designs of localities, urban areas, population quarters, industrial parks, export­processing zones, new economic zones and other public works, agencies and organizations shall have to spare grounds for construction of works belonging to the public post network being in line with the post development planning, convenient for the provision and use of universal post services.

Investors of construction projects shall have to coordinate with Vietnam Post in designing and building projects in order to ensure synchronism in construction investment.

Article 6.- Operations of the public post network

1. The public post network must be maintained to operate in all working days. Collection and delivery activities must be conducted at least once a working day, except for the areas with particular geographical conditions. Post offices at the centers of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall open for service at least 8 hours/working day, and at the service points, 4 hours/working day.

2. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall decide to close or open post offices for the exchange of post bags, postal matters and parcels with foreign countries (external post offices, border-gate post offices). Vietnam Post shall decide to close or open other post offices and service points within the public post network.

3. Post offices and service points must have signboards and post up their opening hours. The charge rates, quality norms and information related to post services must be provided publicly at post offices and service points.

4. Postmarks of post offices and service points shall be used to determine the time and places of service provision by Vietnam Post. It is strictly prohibited to use postmarks at variance with the time and places of service provision.

5. The color of public mailboxes and logo of Vietnam Post thereon must be uniform throughout the public post network. Mailboxes must bear information on the collection hours and number of collection times in a day.

6. Vietnam Post's specialized transport means must have uniform colors and logos and be given priority when crossing ferries or pontoons, and given priority to run, arrive or park in urban areas under law provisions.

7. Post bags, postal matters and parcels on the way of delivery must not be opened for checking. In case of decisions by competent State agencies, the opening and checking of post bags, postal matters and parcels shall be effected at the nearest post offices. The procedures for opening and checking of post bags, postal matters and parcels must comply with law provisions.

Section 2. SPECIAL-USE POST NETWORKS

Article 7.- Special-use post networks

1. Special-use post networks are organized to serve exclusive communication demands of the Party and State agencies.

The organization, operation and subjects of service of the above-mentioned special-use post networks shall be prescribed by the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

2. Armed forces may organize special-use post networks to serve their own communication demands.

The organization and operation of special­use post networks of armed forces shall be prescribed by a competent State agency.

3. The operation of special-use post networks must ensure the following principles:

a/ Special-use post networks must not be used for business purposes;

b/ The connection of special-use post networks with one another and with the public post network shall be effected on the basis of contracts or agreements. Vietnam Post shall have to give priority to the exploitation and delivery of, and apply measures to ensure absolute safety for, post bags and parcels of special-use post networks.

Section 3. POST SERVICES

Article 8.- Conditions for acceptance of postal matters and parcels for delivery

Postal matters and parcels shall be accepted for delivery only when they contain no prohibited objects as prescribed. They must meet all requirements on sizes, wrapping, and other conditions (for conditional delivery); be inscribed with full names and addresses of senders and receivers, and the charges therefor have been fully paid under regulations, except otherwise agreed upon by Vietnam Post and service users.

Article 9.- Distribution of postal matters and parcels

1. Mails of up to 500 grams belonging to universal post services shall be distributed to recipient addresses. For postal matters and parcels of other kinds, depending on its servicing capability, Vietnam Post may organize the distribution thereof to recipient addresses or to receivers at post offices or service points.

2. All organizations and individuals shall have to create conditions for Vietnam Post to distribute postal matters and parcels to recipient addresses. Recipient addresses include receivers' addresses inscribed on postal matters or parcels, receivers' mailboxes or receivers' subscribed mailboxes (placed at post offices or service points). To encourage the installation of mailboxes at places convenient for mail distribution.

3. Investors of construction projects or units managing highrises, including apartment buildings, condominiums, trade or office buildings (having 5 separate recipient addresses) must install all mailboxes at convenient and safe places so as to create conditions for Vietnam Post's service. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall coordinate with the Ministry of Construction in providing for the installation of mailboxes mentioned in this Clause.

Article 10.- Unclaimed postal matters and parcels

1 . Postal matters and parcels shall be considered unclaimed if falling in one of the following cases:

a/ Receivers refuse to receive them while senders refuse to get them back;

b/ They can neither be distributed to receivers nor returned to senders after 12 months from the date of sending.

The above-mentioned 12-month time-limit shall not apply to cases where goods in postal matters or parcels are easy to decay, cause unhygiene and/or environmental pollution, or cases defined at Point a of this Clause.

2. Unclaimed postal matters and parcels must be handled by a council. The composition of such council as well as the order and procedures for handling of unclaimed postal matters and parcels shall be provided for by the Ministry of Post and Telematics and the Finance Ministry.

Chapter III

PROVISION OF PUBLIC-UTILITY POST SERVICES

Article 11.- Public-utility post services

1.  Public-utility post services include universal post services and compulsory post services, which are essential to society and the provision thereof are guaranteed by the State, with their standards, quality and charge rates being prescribed by competent State management agencies.

2. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall submit to the Prime Minister for specific decision assorted public-utility post services. Basing themselves on the Prime Minister's decision, the Ministry of Post and Telematics shall coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies in specifying mechanisms and measures for, and organizing the provision of, public-utility post services, through the placement of goods orders with Vietnam Post in each period.

Article 12.- Performance of the obligation to provide public-utility post services

1. Vietnam Post is the enterprise responsible for performance of the obligation to provide public-utility post services. In case of necessity, the Ministry of Post and Telematics shall propose the Prime Minister to decide on requesting mail delivery service enterprises to perform the public-utility task, and on financial mechanisms for performance of this task.

2. The State shall support Vietnam Post in performing the obligation to provide public-utility post services through:

a/ Exclusive post services: Vietnam Post may provide mail-acceptance, delivery and distribution services with the volumes and charge rates decided by the Ministry of Post and Telematics;

b/ Preferential credits for development, tax preferences and other preferences as prescribed by law.

3. In cases where the above-mentioned support mechanisms fail to maintain the provision of public-utility post services, Vietnam Post shall have to draw up plans for submission to the Ministry of Post and Telematics. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant agencies in, appraising and submitting to the Prime Ministerfor consideration subsidies and price subsidies for Vietnam Post to perform the obligation to provide public-utility post services under law provisions.

4. Vietnam Post shall have to separately cost­account public-utility post services for the implementation of the mechanism of offsetting with support sources.

Chapter IV

POSTAGE STAMPS

Article 13.- Issuance of postage stamps

1. The Ministry of Post and Telematics is the only agency to issue postage stamps with the inscription "Vietnam".

2. Postage stamps are issued on the basis of the annual theme programs and the issuance shall comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

3. Postage stamps are subject to Vietnam standards on postage stamps.

Article 14.- Printing of postage stamps

1. The printing of postage stamps must ensure confidentiality under the State's regulations.

2. The printing of images of postage stamps on publications must involve the use of specimen stamps (postage stamps printed with "specimen" word), postage stamps with a cancellation mark, postage stamps with a cancellation slash in a corner or postage stamps with their preprinted price already crossed out.

3. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall specify the printing of postage stamps.

Article 15.- Prices printed on postage stamps and sale prices of postage stamps

1. The prices printed on postage stamps shall be decided by the Ministry of Post and Telematics

2. Vietnam Post must comply with the regulations on postage stamps' sale prices provided for in Clause 3, Article 21 of the Ordinance, except for those stamps with a cancellation mark.

Article 16.- Suspension, termination and circulation prohibition

1. Postage stamps may be subject to suspension while being printed or to termination while being issued, in case of serious mistakes. The suspension or termination of postage stamps shall be decided by the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

2. All organizations and individuals must not deal in, store or collect postage stamps that have been suspended from printing or terminated from circulation, and postage stamps with unhealthy contents, inciting or sowing hatred among nationalities, running counter to the fine national traditions and customs.

3. The withdrawal and inventory of postage stamps already suspended from printing, terminated or prohibited from circulation must comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

Article 17.- Handling of postage stamps upon expiry of distribution time-limit

1. Upon expiry of an issuance period, the volume of postage stamps still left in the public post network shall be withdrawn, inventoried and cancelled according to regulations of the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

2. Past the distribution time-limit, postage stamps shall still be valid for payment of post service charges and for use for philately purpose.

Chapter V

PARTIES INVOLVING IN THE PROVISION AND USE OF POST SERVICES, CONDITIONS FOR POST ACTIVITIES

Section 1. VIETNAM POST

Article 18.- Organization and operation of Vietnam Post

1. Vietnam Post is the only State-run post enterprise that performs the business functions under law provisions and the public-utility tasks under the State's post development strategy, planning and plans, and other public-utility tasks at the extraordinary requests of competent State agencies.

2. Vietnam Post has the international transaction name as VIETNAM POST and is the only enterprise entitled to use the phrase "Vietnam Post".

Article 19.- Establishment of the public post network and provision of services

1. Vietnam Post has the obligation to set up a nationwide public post network under the approved planning in order to provide public­utility post services and other services.

2. Vietnam Post has the responsibility to report to the Ministry of Post and Telematics on the use of the public post network for dealing in financial, savings, money transfer or press distribution services and other services mentioned at Point g, Clause 2, Article 23 of the Ordinance.

3. Vietnam Post has the obligation to create conditions for mail delivery service enterprises to connect themselves with the public post network on the basis of contracts.

Article 20.- Provision of international post services

Vietnam Post is the enterprise participating in the provision of international post services and other services under international agreements of the Universal Post Union and other international agreements in the field of post, which Vietnam has signed or acceded to. Vietnam Post shall have to comply with relevant regulations at the requests of the Universal Post Union and the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

Section 2. MAIL-DELIVERY SERVICE ENTERPRISES

Article 21.- Conditions for dealing in mail­delivery services

1. Enterprises of all economic sectors that fully meet the conditions mentioned at Clauses 2 and 3 of this Article may deal in the mail­delivery services after they are licensed by competent State agencies. Enterprises may provide mail-delivery services beyond the scope of exclusive post services mentioned at Point a, Clause 2, Article 12 of this Decree.

Mail implies information exchanged in form of document, which is put in package, sealed up, weighs no more than two kilograms (2 kg) per mail, and is inscribed with a recipient address. The general instructions on recipient places may also be considered recipient addresses.

2. Conditions for being granted licenses for providing domestic mail-delivery services:

a/ Being enterprises set up and operating under Vietnamese laws, excluding foreign­invested enterprises;

b/ Having feasible business plans that may achieve economic efficiency and bring about benefits for the society;

c/ Having at least 5-year experiences in the field of post or mail delivery;

d/ Having necessary measures or conditions to ensure information safety and security;

e/ Achieving good business results for cases of experimental service provision at the request of the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

3. Conditions for being granted licenses for providing international mail delivery services:

Apart from meeting the conditions mentioned at Points b, d and e, Clause 2 of this Article, organizations and individuals dealing in international mail delivery services shall also have to meet the following conditions:

a/ Being enterprises set up and operating under Vietnamese laws, excluding enterprises with 100% foreign capital. The Prime Minister shall decide on the foreign parties' contributed capital portions in joint-venture enterprises that provide mail delivery services, at the proposals of the Ministry of Post and Telematics and the Ministry of Planning and Investment;

b/ Having agreements with foreign parties for mail delivery overseas and reception of ails from overseas for distribution in Vietnam;

c/ Having at least 5-year experiences in the field of international post and mail delivery.

4. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall decide on cases subject to experimental service provision before licensing the mail delivery service business.

Article 22.- Competence and principles for licensing mail-delivery service business

1. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall issue, amend, supplement, extend and withdraw assorted post licenses prescribed in Clause 1, Article 28 of the Ordinance.

2. The licensing must comply with the following principles:

a/ It conforms to the post development strategy, planning and plans already approved by competent State agencies;

b/ Applications for the provision of services in deep-lying and remote areas shall be prioritized.

Article 23.- Licensing dossiers and procedures

1. A dossier of application for a license shall include:

a/ The enterprise's application for a license;

b/ The notarized copy of the business registration certificate;

c/ The enterprise's organization and operation charter;

d/ The service-provision plan;

e/ The service quality standards; table of service charge rates; model contract on the provision and use of services or vouchers or bills of lading; compensation principles and levels;

f/ The report on the results of experimentation (for cases where the experimentation is required).

2. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall grant or refuse to grant licenses within 60 days after receiving complete and valid dossiers. In case of refusal, the Ministry of Post and Telematics must give written replies, clearly stating the reasons therefor.

Article 24.- Amendment, supplementation and renewal of licenses

1. Enterprises providing mail delivery services must apply for amendment and/or supplementation of their licenses in case of changes in the contents of the existing ones.

A dossier of application for license amendment and/or supplementation includes:

a/ The application for license amendment and/or supplementation.

b/ The report describing in detail the license's amended and/or supplemented contents;

c/ Other relevant documents.

2. Six months before the expiry of their licenses, if enterprises still wish to continue providing mail delivery services, they must fill in the procedures for renewal of their licenses. A dossier of application for license renewal includes:

a/ The application for renewal of the license;

b/ The report on the business results;

c/ The service-provision plan for the subsequent period;

d/ The other relevant documents.

3. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall permit or reject he amendment, supplemen­tation or renewal of licenses within 30 days after receiving valid dossiers.

Article 25.- Withdrawal of licenses

1. Granted licenses shall be withdrawn in the following cases:

a/ At the requests of the licensed enterprises;

b/ One (1) year after getting licenses, enterprises still fail to materialize the licenses' contents or they stop providing services for one (1) year without plausible reasons;

c/ Other cases of withdrawal as prescribed by law.

2. Enterprises that have their licenses withdrawn in the cases prescribed at Points b and c, Clause 1 of this Article must not apply for new licenses within two (2) years after the issuance of withdrawal decisions by the Ministry of Post and Telematics. Past this two-year time­limit, if enterprises still want to provide services, they must fill in the procedures to apply for new licenses.

Section 3. POST SERVICE AGENTS AND MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE AGENTS

Article 26.- Conditions for acting as post service agents or mail delivery service agents

1. Organizations and individuals of all economic sectors that wish to act as agents for Vietnam Post or for mail delivery service enterprises must sign with the latter agency contracts.

2. Post service or mail delivery service agency contracts must be made in writing with the following principal contents:

a/ The parties' names and addresses;

b/ The agency form;

c/ The agency services, service quality and charge rates;

d/ The agency commissions;

e/ The rights and obligations of the parties;

f/ The validity duration of the contracts.

Article 27.- Conditions for acting as mail delivery service agents for foreign delivery organizations

1. Vietnam Post and enterprises licensed to deal in international mail delivery services may act as mail delivery agents for foreign delivery organizations within the permitted scope, and must register such with the Ministry of Post and Telematics. The mail delivery agency for foreign delivery organizations must be effected on the basis of contracts. Agency contracts must be made in writing.

2. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall prescribe the agency for foreign delivery organizations.

Section 4. SERVICE PROVISION AND USE CONTRACTS

Article 28.- Service provision and use contracts

1. The provision and use of services shall be effected on the basis of contracts.

2. Post service provision and use contracts shall be made in writing or through particular acts. Mail delivery service- provision and -use contracts of mail delivery service enterprises must be made in writing.

3. Valid postage stamps, forwarding tickets, vouchers or bills of lading shall be evidences of the conclusion of contracts between enterprises and service users and serve as basis for determination of the obligations and rights of the contractual parties.

4. Forwarding tickets, vouchers, bills of lading and model contracts must be made in Vietnamese.

Article 29.- Rights and obligations of service­ providing enterprises

1. Service-providing enterprises shall have the following rights:

a/ To request senders to let them check the contents of postal matters or parcels if such postal matters or parcels contain objects and/or goods;

b/ To refuse to provide services when service users violate law provisions on post.

2. Service-providing enterprises shall have the obligations:

a/ To fully supply information on services provided to service users;

b/ To ensure safety for mails, postal matters and parcels from the time of acceptance for delivery till the time of valid distribution;

c/ To fill, on behalf of service users, in the procedures for import/export of international mails, postal matters and parcels according to the provisions of Article 4, this Decree;

d/ To forward postal matters or parcels to receivers when the latter have changed their addresses, except otherwise requested by senders;

e/ To return postal matters or parcels to senders when failing to deliver them to receivers, except otherwise requested by senders;

f/ To receive and settle complaints of service users about services;

g/ To pay damages to service users under law provisions.

Article 30.- Rights and obligations of service users

1. Service users include senders and receivers.

Senders mean organizations and individuals that are named in the sender addresses on mails, postal matters or parcels.

Receivers mean organizations and individuals that are named in the receiver addresses on mails, postal matters or parcels.

2. Service users shall have the following rights:

a/ To request the full supply of information on services;

b/ To have their private information kept secret and to be assured of safety of their mails, postal matters or parcels;

c/ To correct the family names and/or given names and addresses of senders and/or receivers or ask for return of postal matters or parcels that have not yet been validly distributed to receivers;

d/ To request the settlement of complaints about, and disputes over, the used services;

e/ To enjoy damage compensations under law provisions.

3. Service users shall have the following obligations:

a/ To take responsibility before law for the contents of mails, postal matters or parcels;

b/ To fully pay charges for the used services;

c/ To abide by the regulations on delivery prohibition, conditional delivery and other conditions on acceptance for delivery of mails, postal matters and parcels;

d/ To pay damages to the parties that suffer from damage incurred due to senders' faults.

Section 5. SERVICE STANDARDS AND QUALITY

Article 31.- Standards and quality of post services and mail-delivery services

1. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall promulgate the quality standards for universal post services, including compulsory standards applicable according to criteria on service-using capability, total delivery duration, safety degree, responsibility and time-limit for complaint settlement, compensation and other appropriate requirements.

Vietnam Post shall have to apply exclusive post service standards prescribed by the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

2. Service-providing enterprises shall have to publicize quality standards of post services and mail delivery services according to law provisions, except for universal post services mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article. These quality standards are subject to the minimum criteria on safety degree, total delivery duration, complaint-settlement and compensation­payment responsibility as well as time-limit.

Section 6. SERVICE CHARGE RATES

Article 32.- Post service and mail delivery service charge rates

1. The Prime Minister shall decide on charge rates for mail services being basic domestic post services (regular mails) with the mail weight of up to 20 grams.

2. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall decide on public-utility service charge rates after acquiring written opinions of the Finance Ministry, the exclusive post service charge rates and charge rate bracket for the mail delivery services.

3. Vietnam Post and mail-delivery service enterprises shall decide on charge rates for post services and mail-delivery services, except for services mentioned in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article.

4. The Ministry of Post and Telematics shall specify cases not subject to the payment of post and mail-delivery service charges.

Section 7. REPORTING

Article 33.- Reporting by service-providing enterprises

Service-providing enterprises shall have to regularly and irregularly report to the Ministry of Post and Telematics on their business and cooperation activities according to regulations of the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

Chapter VI

SETTLEMENT OF COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES, AND COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE IN SERVICE PROVISION AND USE

Section 1. SETTLEMENT OF COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES

Article 34.- Complaint and settlement of complaints between service-providing enterprises and service users

1. Service users shall have the right to complain about errors made by enterprises in the provision of post services and/or mail­delivery services.

2. The complainants may complain directly with service-providing enterprises or send written complaints to the latter. In cases where enterprises receive written complaints, they must notify the complainants of the reception of complaints within two (2) working days as from the date of receiving such complaints.

3. Complainants must supply relevant papers and evidences and be answerable for the contents of their complaints.

4. The statute of limitations for complaint about international' and domestic mails, postal matters and parcels shall be six (06) months as from the date following the date of delivering.

5. Time-limit for settlement of complaints between service users and service-providing enterprises:

a/ For domestic mails, postal matters and parcels, it shall be two (2) months as from the date of receiving complaints;

b/ For international mails, postal matters and parcels, it shall be three (3) months as from the date of receiving complaints.

6. Upon the expiry of the complaint-settlement time-limits mentioned at Points a and b, Clause 5 of this Article, service-providing enterprises must pay compensations to service users according to the provisions on compensation in Section 2, Chapter VI of this Decree.

Article 35.- Settlement of disputes

Disputes arising from the provision and use of post services and/or mail-delivery service must be settled, first of all, through negotiations between involved parties. In cases where no agreement is reached, the party suffering damage/losses may request the competent agency or organization protecting the consumers' interests to settle the case or initiate a lawsuit under law provisions.

Section 2, COMPENSATION

Article 36:- Compensation-payment liability of enterprises

1. In case of any damage caused to mails, postal matters or parcels, service-providing enterprises shall have to pay damages to service users, except for cases of compensation­payment liability exemption defined in Clause 2 of this Article.

2. Service-providing enterprises shall not have to pay compensation for damage caused to mails, postal matters or parcels in the following cases:

a/ They have been distributed strictly according to regulations or agreements in contracts;

b/ They are damaged or lost at the senders' fault or due to their natural properties;

c/ They are confiscated or destroyed by competent State agencies since their contents violate the regulations on delivery prohibition;

d/ They are confiscated according to laws of the receiving countries and already notified by these countries in writing;

e/ Their packings or wrappings are not strong enough for their protection in the course of transportation;

f/ Force majeure cases;

g/ The senders have no receipts certifying the acceptance for delivery of mails, postal matters and parcels.

Article 37.-Senders' compensation-payment liability

1. Senders shall have to pay compensation for damage caused by themselves to other party(ies) when sending prohibited objects in mails, postal matters or parcels.

2. Senders' compensation-payment liability in the cases mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article shall not exceed the limit of compensation liability of service-providing enterprises in similar cases.

Article 38.- Compensation principles

1. The payment of compensation by service­providing enterprises shall be based on the actual damage, the damage extent calculated according to the market prices of objects and/or goods of the same kind at the places where and at the time when the postal matters or parcels are accepted, but shall not exceed the limit of compensation-payment liability prescribed for each type of service, except otherwise agreed upon by the involved parties.

2. Vietnam Post and mail delivery service enterprises may themselves determine the limits of compensation-payment liability, which, however, must not exceed that defined by the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

3. Compensation money shall be paid in Vietnamese currency.

4. Compensation money shall be paid to senders. In cases where mails, postal matters or parcels are damaged or lost partly and receivers agree to receive them, the compensation money shall be paid to receivers.

5. Vietnam Post and mail-delivery service enterprises shall not have to pay compensation for indirect damage or for profits unreceivable due to the provision of substandard services.

6. The payment of compensation for damage caused to international postal matters or parcels shall comply with the provisions of international agreements which Vietnam has acceded to.

Chapter VII

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 39.- Implementation effect of the Decree

This Decree takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. All previous regulations contrary to this Decree are hereby annulled.

Article 40.- Transitional clause

Within one (1) year as from the effective date of this Decree:

1. Enterprises that are providing post services under the Government's Decree No.109/1997/ ND-CP of November 12, 1997 on Post and Telecommunications shall have to complete procedures proposing the Ministry of Post and Telematics to grant licenses for providing mail delivery services according to the provisions of the Ordinance and this Decree.

2. Enterprises set up and operating under Vietnamese law provisions and providing voucher, document or written information forwarding services, that may be considered mails as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 21 of this Decree shall have to complete procedures, proposing the Ministry of Post and Telematics to grant licenses for mail delivery service business or proposing the Ministry of Planning and Investment to amend and/or supplement their investment licenses under law provisions.

3. Enterprises acting as mail delivery agents for foreign delivery organizations shall have to register their agency operations with the Ministry of Post and Telematics.

Article 41.- Responsibility for implementation of the Decree

The ministers, the heads of the ministerial­level agencies, the heads of the Government­attached agencies and the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decree.