Management of public machinery and equipment based on specialized characteristics

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Standards, norms of machinery and medical equipment will be issued by the Ministry of Health. Photo: Duong Ngan.

At the end of 2015, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 58 / QD-TTg regulating criteria, norms and regimes of management, use of machinery and equipment of State agencies, organizations and units. With this decision, the machinery, equipment and office have been fitted as standard and prescribed norms, ensuring efficiency, and meet the basic requirements, working conditions of cadres, civil servants, officials, agencies and units.

This is also the legal basis to enhance the role and responsibility of officials and public servants in the fight against corruption, prevent negative phenomena in State offices.

However, a number of shortcomings and limitations have arisen such as the inconsistent promulgation of standards and norms for the use of specialized machinery and equipment; the equipment for a working room, regardless of the size and number of staff; regulation of machinery and equipment for general operation did not cover all categories.

In order to implement the new Law on Management and Use of Public Assets approved by the National Assembly, the Ministry of Finance has finalized the Prime Minister’s draft Decree regulating standards and norms of use of machines and equipment for public comments.

In terms of scope, basic content in the draft inherited the current regulations, but, to be more clear and consistent with the provisions of the new Law, the Ministry of Finance submitted to the Prime Minister to govern group of assets, specific types of equipment for professional tasks of agencies, branches and domains.

Specifically, office machinery and equipment are designed like popular office machines and equipment but have large capacity or higher configuration; specialized machinery and equipment used for the operation of branches and domains which are equipped and managed in a specialized manner and more specific to other specialized machines and equipment; and other specialized machinery and equipment.

Some provisions on titles, standards and norms of equipment and machinery which are commonly used at central and local government agencies are also revised by the Ministry of Finance.

In particular, some positions which do not regularly work in offices such as inspection, examination, audit and depend on the nature of work will be equipped computers or laptops to suit working conditions.

Solving problems in the standards and norms of machinery and equipment to equip the office staff and civil servants, the Ministry of Finance has proposed additional provisions to the printer and file cabinets according to the size and number of payroll for each working room. Accordingly, working rooms of less than 10 persons shall be equipped with the current equipment prescribed in Decision No. 58; between 10 and less than 20 people shall be equipped with a printer and a document cabinet; over 20 people shall be equipped with 2 printers and 2 document cabinets.

Regarding specific criteria and norms, the Ministry of Finance plans to promulgate only standards and norms of specialized machinery and equipment eligible for fixed assets. In the case where a number of ministries, branches, units or organizations have special types of specialized machinery and equipment (failing to satisfy the conditions for fixed assets), the Minister or Heads of such agencies, organizations shall decide within the scope of management.

For specialized machinery and equipment in service of non-business activities (health and education) with the application of many ministries, branches and localities throughout the country, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Training will issue the list and regulations guiding the standards and norms for using under their respective management.

For other specialized machines and equipment, the ministers, and the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the Heads of the agencies attached to the Government and other central agencies shall decide on the purchase of the agencies according to their competence under central management.

In the locality, the President of the provincial-level People's Committee shall decide on the purchase of special-use machinery and equipment for locally managed agencies, organizations and units to be economical, efficient and suitable with the nature of work and take responsibility under the Law for their decisions.

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The purchase of specialized machinery and equipment of agencies, organizations or units shall be effected only after the ministries, branches and localities have promulgated standards, norms and categories.