THE PRIME MINISTER

Article 1.- To approve the Scheme on non-cash payment in Vietnam in the 2006-2010 period and orientations to 2020 enclosed with this Decision.

Article 2.- To assign the State Bank of Vietnam and concerned ministries, branches and localities to coordinate with one another in organizing the formulation and implementation of the following component schemes:

1. Scheme on perfection of the legal framework on payment activities of the economy (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in, implementing this scheme from 2006 to 2010);

2. Group of schemes on non-cash payment in the public sector, consisting of the following component schemes:

a/ Management of government spendings by non-cash payment instruments (the Ministry of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam and Ministry of Planning and Investment in, formulating and implementing this component scheme from 2007 to 2010);

b/ Payment of salaries via accounts (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance in, formulating and submitting to the Prime Minister for promulgation in 2007 a directive on payment of salaries via accounts to cadres and public employees for implementation from 2007 to 2010);

c/ Payment of social preferential treatment allowances and social allowances via accounts (the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam in, implementing this component scheme from 2007 to 2010).

3. Scheme on non-cash payment scheme in the enterprise sector (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Trade in, implementing this scheme from 2007 to 2010);

4. Group of schemes on non-cash payment in the population, consisting of the following component schemes (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned units in, formulating and implementing these component schemes from 2007 to 2010):

a/ Development of non-cash payment instruments and services to meet the population's needs and accord with the integration process;

b/ Development of networks that accept non-cash payment instruments.

5. Group of schemes on development of payment systems, consisting of the following component schemes (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in, formulating and implementing these component schemes from 2007 to 2010):

a/ Perfecting and developing the interbank payment system;

b/ Building an automated clearing house to serve retail transactions;

c/ Building a unified card circuit switching center;

d/ Connecting the securities clearing and settlement system with the national interbank payment system.

6. Scheme on support for non-cash payment, consisting of the following component schemes:

a/ Information, propaganda and dissemination of knowledge about non-cash payment (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the mass media in, formulating and implementing this activity from 2007 to 2010):

b/ Acceleration of non-cash payment through tax and charge policies applicable to payment activities; and land and surface rent rates applicable to payment service-providing organizations (the Ministry of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam in, formulating and implementing this activity from 2007 to 2009);

c/ Encouragement of non-cash payment through value added tax policy (the Ministry of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam in, formulating and implementing this activity from 2007 to 2009);

d/ Formulation of a mechanism for calculating reasonable payment service charges (the State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for formulating and implementing this activity from 2007 to 2008).

Article 3.- The State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, concerned ministries, branches and localities and payment service-providing organizations in, implementing the component schemes to materialize the objectives, orientations and solutions of developing non-cash payment in Vietnam set out in the Scheme; guiding, inspecting, supervising and reviewing the annual implementation of the Scheme, and reporting it to the Prime Minister; and organizing a preliminary review of the implementation of the Scheme by the end of 2008 and a final review by the end of 2010.

Article 4.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

Article 5.- The Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and presidents of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities shall implement this Decision.