DECISION No. 19/1998/QD-TTg OF JANUARY 24, 1998 ON THE MANAGEMENT AND FULFILMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES AND TASKS OF THE FORMER NATIONAL PROGRAMS

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 85/CP-m of July 11, 1997 of the Government;

Pursuant to Decision No. 531/TTg of August 8, 1996 of the Prime Minister on the management of national programs;

At the proposal of the Minister of Planning and Investment

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To assign the relevant ministries, agencies and localities to continue implementing and gradually incorporate the objectives and tasks of the former national programs into their annual regular tasks from 1998 as follows:

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall continue organizing the implementation of on-going projects under Program 327 and Program 773, study and gradually incorporate these tasks into its annual plans.

2. The Ministry of Aquatic Resources shall continue organizing the implementation of on-going aquaculture projects under Program 773, study and gradually incorporate these tasks into its annual plans.

3. The Vietnam Television Station shall coordinate with the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government in continuing to organize the performance of the tasks set forth in the television coverage program, study and gradually incorporate them into the annual plans of the Station and the localities.

4. The Voice of Vietnam Radio Station shall coordinate with the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government in continuing to organize the performance of the tasks set forth in the radio coverage program, study and gradually incorporate them into the annual plans of the station and the localities

5. The Ministry of Education and Training shall continue to organize the performance of the tasks set forth in the education and training program, arrange and gradually incorporate its objectives and tasks into the annual plans of the Ministry and localities.

6. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall continue implementing the cultural program, arrange and gradually put it into the annual plans of the Ministry and localities, study and propose mechanisms and policies to concentrate efforts on implementing plans on the consolidation and development of cinematography; survey, collect, study and bring into full play the heritage of national culture;

7. To assign the responsibility for continuing to organize the implementation of the Child Protection and Care Program as follows:

a/ To transfer the child malnutrition control objective of the Child Protection and Care Program to the Ministry of Health for management.

b/ To transfer the objective of taking care of children in specially difficult circumstances to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior for management (the former shall be in charge of children in difficult circumstances and the latter in charge of under-age law offenders).

c/ The Ministry of Culture and Information shall draw up and coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in implementing the plan on the development of play-centers for children in urban and rural areas.

The Committee for Child Protection and Care shall concentrate on performing, in coordination with other branches, the task of State management over the plans, resource demand and measures to fulfill the objectives of child protection and care; inspect and supervise the performance of the task of child protection and care at various levels and branches; direct the experimental implementation of some models.

8. To assign the responsibilities for continuing to fulfill the objectives and tasks of the prostitution prevention and combat program (05) and carry out the activities under the drug prevention and combat program (06) as well as the overall plan on drug prevention, combat and control (according to Decision No. 743-TTg of November 14, 1995 of the Prime Minister) as follows:

a/ The provincial People's Committees shall organize the fulfillment of the objective to eradicate poppy crops: to carry out the socio-economic development projects in areas where the poppy crops have been eradicated in close connection with the socio-economic development plans in their respective localities. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall have to allocate annual funds for the attainment of this objective.

The Commission for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in directing, guiding and inspecting the fulfillment of the objective to eradicate poppy crops in the provinces, propose to the Prime Minister concrete mechanisms and policies to assist the ethnic minority people in mountainous areas in restructuring production activities in the areas where the poppy crops have been eradicated.

b/ Under the direction of the National Committee for Drug Prevention and Fight, the Ministry of the Interior shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the border guard, the customs forces and the local administration of various levels in supervising and mopping up gangs engaged in the illicit production, trading, transportation, storage and use of opium and other kinds of narcotics. The Ministry of the Interior shall organize the clean-up of prostitutes' dens.

c/ The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned ministries and branches in organizing the performance of the tasks of preventing and fighting prostitution, directing the organization of drug renunciation suited to each category of objects and to the reality of each locality; organize medical treatment, education and job training for drug addicts and prostitutes to reintegrate them into their communities.

9. The Ministry of Construction shall coordinate with the concerned ministries and the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government in continuing to achieve the objectives of urban drinking water supply and environmental sanitation.

10. The Ministry of Health shall continue to fulfill the objectives of upgrading medical facilities, building and upgrading commune health centers, study and gradually incorporate these objectives into the annual plans of the Ministries and localities.

Article 2.- The change of management mechanism of the ministries, branches and localities by making the former national programs into their regular tasks shall be effected step by step so that no sudden organizational and/or personnel changes are caused, ensuring the steadiness and continue in the execution of these programs.

The mechanism for planning and fund allocations in 1998 shall continue to comply with Decision No. 531-TTg of August 8, 1996 of the Prime Minister. From 1998 onwards the annual plans shall be drawn up in accordance with the general stipulations of the Government.

For projects that are halfway implemented according to the production cycle, they shall still comply the mechanism on authorized expenditures under Decision No. 531-TTg of August 8, 1996 of the Prime Minister until they are completed and no new project shall be added to the program. New projects of any ministry or branch shall be put into its regular tasks for implementation in the annual plans.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing.

The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to implement this Decision.

The Prime Minister

PHAN VAN KHAI