New regulations coming into force from the end of July, 2017

1. Guidance on pay rise for employees of the Ministry of National Defence

This guidance is provided in the Circular No. 145/2017/TT-BQP on application of the statutory pay rate to employees receiving salaries or military rank-based allowances from state budget in agencies or units affiliated to the Ministry of National Defence.

According to this Circular, salaries or military rank-based allowances of employees of the Ministry of National Defence are calculated by adopting the following formula:

Salary applied as from July 01, 2017 = The statutory pay rate (VND 1,300,000/month) x existing salary coefficient

By adopting this formula, there is a considerable increase of salaries of employees of the Ministry of National Defence. To be specific:

- Salary of top–ranking general shall be VND 13,520,000/month (increased by VND 936,000);

- Salary of senior lieutenant-general shall be VND 12,740,000/month (increased by VND 882,000);

- Salary of lieutenant-general shall be VND 11,960,000/month (increased by VND 828,000);

- Salary of major-general shall be VND 11,180,000/month (increased by VND 774,000);

Detailed salaries of holders of other military ranks are provided in the Appendix enclosed with the Circular No. 145/2017/TT-BQP (which comes into force as from July 31, 2017 and supersedes the Circular No. 77/2016/TT-BQP ).

2. Financial support for enterprises or employers having ethnic minority workers

The Circular No. 58/2017/TT-BTC providing guidance on certain financial support policies applicable to organizations or entities using ethnic minority workers (hereinafter referred to as employers) in mountainous regions or severely disadvantaged regions is promulgated on June 13, 2017.

According to this Circular, the Government shall pay insurance premiums on behalf of the employers within a maximum duration of 05 years for each ethnic minority worker who has:

+ Indefinite-term labour contract; or

+ Fixed-term labour contract; or

+ Seasonal labour contract or labour contract for a given work with a term of from 03 months to below 12 months.

Additionally, each ethnic minority worker is entitled to get financial support for short-term vocational training course. To be specific:

+ Worker from the poor ethnic minority household: maximum amount is VND 04 million/ person/ course. 

+ Ethnic minority worker: maximum amount is VND 03 million/ person/ course.

The Circular No. 58/2017/TT-BTC is coming into force as from July 28, 2017 and supersedes the Circular No. 52/2013/TT-BTC. />
3. Change in application for License to trade gold bullion

On June 06, 2017, the State Bank of Vietnam promulgates a Circular No. 03/2017/TT-NHNN on amendments to the Circular No. 16/2012/TT-NHNN providing guidance on certain articles of the Government’s Decree No. 24/2012/ND-CP on management of gold business activities. 

According to this Circular, there is change in required documents included in the application for License to trade gold bullion.

- Required documents included in the application do not include audited financial statements of 02 previous years;

- An enterprise may either send a notification of its business locations to the business registration agency or carry out procedures for registration of its business locations.

In addition to the said regulations, the Circular No. 03/2017/TT-NHNN also repeals regulations on Certificate of eligibility to manufacture gold jewelry and goldsmiths’ wares in the application for License to import gold material submitted by enterprises manufacturing gold jewelry or goldsmiths’ wares.

The Circular No. 03/2017/TT-NHNN comes into force as of July 22, 2017.

4. As of July 01, 2017, the standard rate for calculating preferential allowances or benefits for people with meritorious services to the Revolution is increased from VND 1,318,000 to VND 1,417,000 in accordance with regulations in the Government’s Decree No. 70/2017/ND-CP dated June 06, 2017.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE