THE PRIME MINISTER

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the national industrial extension program up to 2012 with the following principal contents:

I. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

1. To mobilize domestic and foreign resources for investment in industrial production and industrial extension services in rural areas, contributing to promotion of economic-labor restructuring towards industrialization, hunger elimination, poverty reduction and development of socio-cultural life in rural areas.

2. To develop rural industries at a growth rate not lower than the national average growth rate. By 2010, the share of rural industries in the total industrial production value will reach 28-30%; the export turnover of cottage-industry products will reach around USD 1 billion; and the ratio of agricultural, forestry and fishery product processing industries will incrementally increase.

II. SCOPE AND SUBJECTS OF THE PROGRAM

1. Scope

The program covers industrial extension activities specified in Article 3 of the Government's Decree No. 134/2004/ND-CP of June 9, 2004, which are managed and organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities (below referred to as provinces) in support of rural industrial development in lines and trades specified in Article 6 of the Government's Decree No. 134/2004/ND-CP of June 9, 2004.

2. Subjects

a/ Organizations and individuals directly investing in industrial production in rural districts, towns, townships and communes (referred to as rural industrial establishments), including small- and medium-sized enterprises set up and operating under the Enterprise Law, cooperatives set up and operating under the Cooperative Law, and individual business households under the Government's Decree No. 88/2006/ND-CP of August 29, 2006, on business registration;

b/ Industrial extension service organizations, including industrial extension centers, scientific and technological training and research institutions and enterprises engaged in consultancy, training, technology transfer, information supply, trade promotion and other activities related to rural industrial production.

III. CONTENTS OF THE PROGRAM

1. The program on trade training, handing down and development

a/ Compiling curricula, textbooks and documents and organizing on-spot trade-training and handing-down courses of under one year in association with rural industrial establishments so as to create jobs and improve skills for rural laborers;

b/ Training skilled craftsmen and artisans to form a contingent of trainers for the program on training, handing down and developing rural trades.

2. The program on raising managerial capacity

a/ Compiling curricula, textbooks, and documents on start-up and administration of rural industrial enterprises with contents suitable to practical needs and trainees;

b/ Training cadres of industrial extension service organizations to be capable of participating in the program's consultancy and training activities (training trainers);

c/ Organizing training courses on start-up and administration of rural enterprises;

d/ Organizing workshops to introduce managerial, production and business experience, sciences and new technologies, and other themes related to industrial production for rural industrial establishments;

e/ Organizing and supporting rural industrial establishments to participate in training courses and workshops, local and overseas study tours and field surveys to learn production and business experience;

f/ Providing consultancy and support for the formulation of production and business projects and plans for setting up enterprises, and for newly set up enterprises.

3. The program in support of building of technical demonstration models and transfer of technologies and scientific and technical advances

a/ Investigating, surveying, and making a list of demonstration models of new techniques, technologies and products which need to be popularized and widely applied, and a list of technologies and scientific and technical advances requiring transfer support;

b/ Supporting the building of demonstration models of cottage-industry production for encouraging the modernization of traditional technologies;

c/ Supporting the building of demonstration models of repair and manufacture of mechanical machines and farming tools in service of agriculture, forestry, fishery, consumer engineering; and processing of agricultural, forestry and fishery products;

d/ Supporting the building of raw-material processing models, especially small-scale ones, in scattered raw-material zones to supply raw materials for processing and cottage-industry establishments;

e/ Supporting the transfer and application of modern machinery and equipment and advanced technologies to the stages of industrial and cottage-industry production and environmental pollution treatment.

4. The program on development of typical rural industrial products

a/ Formulating a set of quality standards of rural industrial products imbued with traditional cultural identity, meeting the taste of local and foreign consumers;

b/ Elaborating and promulgating systems of regulations on selection of typical rural industrial products which are conformable with corresponding standards at five levels: communal, district, provincial, regional and national;

c/ Annually organizing the selection of, and grant of certificates for, typical rural industrial products at communal, district, provincial, regional and national levels;

d/ Supporting rural industrial establishments with typical products to expand production and markets and renovate technologies, designs and packings in order to create higher-grade products;

e/ Organizing fairs and exhibitions of typical rural industrial products; developing and registering trade marks and carrying out trade promotion activities.

5. The program on development of consultancy and information supply activities

a/ Supporting industrial extension consultancy activities in the formulation of investment projects; marketing; management of production, finance, accountancy and human resources; designing of packages; land; and application of new technologies and equipment related to rural industrial production;

b/ Forming and developing industrial extension consultancy activities, including providing consultancy at fixed places, providing consultancy directly to rural industrial establishments, and providing consultancy via the Internet and on the mass media;

c/ Building centers of electronic data on rural industries and networks of industrial extension consultants collaborators from the central to local level;

d/ Designing television and broadcasting programs and publications; and establishing websites and other forms of public information on industrial extension.

6. The program in support of joint venture, association, economic cooperation, and development of industrial complexes and points

a/ Supporting rural industrial establishments in setting up trade associations and societies; aligning satellite producers of subsidiary goods items; building models of association between traditional handicraft and fine-art production establishments and tourist enterprises;

b/ Supporting the formation of clusters of associated textile and garment, footwear, mechanical engineering and cottage industry enterprises;

c/ Supporting the planning and investment in the construction of infrastructures in industrial complexes and points in line with local industrial development plans in difficulty-stricken areas with underdeveloped industries.

7. The program on raising managerial and organizational capacity

a/ Studying and submitting to competent agencies proposals for amendment, supplementation or promulgation of relevant documents in order to improve the legal framework, mechanisms and policies on industrial extension;

b/ Enhancing the inspection, supervision and guidance of industrial extension activities to raise their effectiveness from the central to local level;

c/ Strengthening the apparatus and raising the capacity of state management of industrial extension activities at the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

d/ Arranging personnel and material and technical foundations for industrial extension centers to operate in a professional manner and associate with agencies, institutes, schools and enterprises in order to conduct technical training and consultancy activities at the centers;

e/ Formulating curricula, textbooks and documents and organizing training courses for industrial extension cadres to raise their capacity to manage and organize industrial extension activities;

f/ Increasing international cooperation and calling for aid of foreign countries and international organizations for industrial extension activities.

Article 2.- Funds for implementation of the Program

1. The central budget's economic non-business funds reserved for industrial extension activities are estimated at VND 400 billion to be managed and allocated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

2. Annually, based on the Program, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (for national industrial extension funds) or provincial-level People's Committees (for local industrial extension funds) shall formulate plans and make cost estimates for inclusion in state budget estimates according to the State Budget Law and current regulations.

Article 3.- Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, branches and provincial/municipal People's Committees in, disseminating, guiding, inspecting and supervising the implementation of the Program;

b/ Promulgate, or coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and localities in promulgating, documents guiding the implementation of the Program;

c/ Formulate, and organize the implementation of, annual industrial extension plans and schemes based on the Program's contents specified in Article 1 of this Decision with regard to national or regional production activities and products in conformity with regional, branch and territorial industrial development strategies and plannings;

d/ Set up region-based centers for implementation of national industrial extension schemes as decided by the Minister of Industry and Trade according to his/her competence;

e/ Annually report to the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Program.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall:

a/ Allocate state budget funds for industrial extension activities and guide the setting up, management and use of national and local industrial extension funds in an effective and practical manner;

b/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in guiding, inspecting and supervising the implementation of the Program.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies shall, within the ambit of their tasks and powers, coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in integrating projects under national target programs and other socio-economic development programs into industrial extension schemes under this Program for implementation.

4. Provincial/municipal People's Committees shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in, disseminating, guiding, directing, inspecting and supervising local branches and levels in the implementation of the Program;

b/ Formulate, and organize the implementation of, annual industrial extension plans and schemes based on the Program's contents specified in Article 1 of this Decision;

c/ Allocate local budget funds and consolidate state management apparatuses for industrial extension work; arrange material foundations and personnel for local industrial extension centers;

d/ Mobilize resources and integrate projects under national target programs and other socio-economic development programs into industrial extension schemes under this Program for implementation;

e/ Quarterly report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the implementation of the Program in localities.

Article 4.- Implementation provisions

1. This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and presidents of provincial/municipal People's Committees shall implement this Decision.