Official Notice No. 02/CD-NHNN 2020 on prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic

Official Notice

On promoting the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic
in the new situation

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The State Bank of Vietnam

- Units of the State Bank;

- Enterprises under the management of the State Bank;

- Credit institutions and foreign bank branches;

- Associations in the banking industry.

Facing the new, complicated and unpredictable development of the Covid-19 epidemic in the world and in Vietnam, especially from March 06, 2020, to implement the directions of the Secretariat Committee, the Government, the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Governor of the State Bank requests Heads of units in the whole banking industry to thoroughly grasp all officials and organizations to immediately deploy a number of urgent contents and solutions to prevent and control the epidemic in the banking system as follows:

I. General tasks:

1.To focus on thoroughly, actively and efficiently implementing measures of prevention and control of the epidemic according to the directions of the Party, the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, branches, localities and the Governor of the State Bank in the new situation. To timely catch and update the official information on the development of the epidemic to actively enhance the application of effective measures of prevention and control of the epidemic.

2.To continue to effectively implement solutions to support enterprises and the people affected by the Covid-19 epidemic in accordance with the directive documents of the Government and the Prime Minister, especially the Directive No. 11/CT-TTg dated March 04, 2020 and the directions of the Governor of the State Bank[1]and relevant ministries, branches and localities. To closely follow the new directions of the relevant levels and branches to update, supplement and organize the implementation.

3.To continue to drastically implement the tasks assigned in the Resolutions No. 01/NQ-CP, 02/NQ-CP dated January 01, 2020 of the Government and the Directive No. 01/CT-NHNN dated January 03, 2020 of the Governor of the State Bank, strive to best fulfill the tasks assigned in 2020, as well as the whole period of 2016-2020, especially the task of stabilizing the monetary market, controlling inflation, supporting growth and restructuring associated with dealing with bad debts of credit institutions.

II. Some specific urgent solutions:

1.To minimize crowded activities, increase online meetings during the period of prevention and control of the epidemic. Within that, the Directors of the State Bank branches of provinces and cities shall review the development of the epidemic at their localities and consult with the local authorities to organize the meeting with credit institutions, industry associations and enterprises affected by the epidemic in the area according to the directions of the State Bank in the Document No. 1425/NHNN-TD dated March 06, 2020 to consider and decide the appropriate time and form of organization and report the State Bank (via the Department of Credit for Economic Sectors).

2.Credit institutions shall actively coordinate with the State Bank branches in areas and consult with the provincial Party Committees, the provincial People’s Committees and the competent authorities in localities about the organization of the general meeting of shareholders/general meeting of members for an appropriate form of organization or to postpone the time of organization, strictly control the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic in the complicated developments in accordance with the guidance and instructions of the local authorities, and competent agencies and branches.

3.Heads of units shall direct their units to regularly and fully implement measures to prevent and control the epidemic, focusing on the following measures:

3.1.To regularly disinfect at the offices, workplaces, especially the meeting rooms, places where there are many people working in common, places with risk of infection, working equipment and tools for daily use, etc.

3.2.To request all officials to uphold their responsibilities for the community and to strictly and fully comply with the regulations on medical declaration, actively isolate and immediately report the health facilities and working units when there is any sign of infection for timely examination and treatment, without affecting the community and collective working units.

3.3.To organize to check temperatures for officials, employees and visitors coming to transaction and work before entering agencies and units by methods appropriate to the actual conditions; request cases showing signs of infection, cough and fever to immediately come to health facilities for examination and treatment; early detect suspected cases and immediately report to the authorities in areas for timely settlement.

3.4.To review, consider and suspend plans of abroad business trips, especially plans to the affected countries and territories; do not send the officials and employees on overseas duty tours at this time; recommend the officials and employees to not go to abroad (including personal work or travel) when there are many complicated outbreaks in the world.

4.Regarding the treasury issuance, the State Bank branches of provinces and cities and credit institutions and foreign bank branches shall carry out some measures to prevent and control the epidemic in the cash transaction as follows:

4.1. Regarding the State Bank branches of provinces and cities:

- To equip disinfectant hand sanitizer, medical masks, gloves and labor protection, etc. for officials in direct contact with cash.

- To regularly perform disinfection and sterilization in cash transaction areas and vaults. Old cash returned by the credit institutions and State treasury must be sprayed with disinfectants (bundles and bags) and be kept for a certain period of time before paying out depending on the balance capability of each branch of the State Bank. Based on the cash status in area, the new cash stored in vaults (newly printed cash, especially small denominations) could be used to provide for credit institutions. In case the new cash is not enough, the old cash that is disinfected in vaults shall be used. To report the State Bank (via the Treasury Issuance Department) about arising difficulties and problems for timely guidance.

4.2. Regarding credit institutions and foreign bank branches:

- To regularly perform disinfection, sterilization and cleaning at cash transaction areas, vaults and automatic teller machines (ATMs). To have measures of disinfection of collected cash (bundles and bags) before storing at the end of the day or before remitting to the State Bank. In case there is a large amount of cash in vaults, after cash disinfection, branches of credit institutions may store them in vaults for a certain period of time before delivering money to customers.

- To equip medical masks, gloves, disinfectant hand sanitizer and labor protection, etc. for staff who are in direct contact with cash at transaction points of the credit institutions.

- Continue to enhance the propaganda, promotion and development of online banking products and services to encourage people to use non-cash payment services, minimize cash payments, and limit risks of disease spread.

5.Credit institutions and foreign bank branches shall increase online activities in processes, procedures of cash transaction and credit, cut down unnecessary procedures to restrict the cases of traveling and the customers must go directly to the bank to transact.

To actively develop plans to ensure the continuity of activities in the context of complicated disease outbreaks. Especially, for the systems of information technology and network administration, all units in the banking industry must actively build the plans to prevent and respond, including the plan of staff replacement when he/she is isolated, ensure the personnel to operate the system smoothly, security and safety in all cases.

To require Heads of units in the whole banking industry to thoroughly and strictly implement the above-mentioned contents, contribute to prevent and repel the Covid-19 epidemic. This Official Notice is disseminated to all units and officials throughout the banking industry for information, implementation and supervision./.