DECISION

ON APPROVAL OF THE SCHEME TO IMPROVE NATIONAL CREDIT RATING

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on Public Debt Management dated June 17, 2009;

Pursuant to the Decree No. 118/2008/ND-CP of November 27, 2008 of the Government defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

At the proposal of the Minister of Finance,

DECIDES:

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I. OBJECTIVE AND REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFIC TARGETS

1. Objective

a) To strive toward 2020 gradually to raise national credit rating obtained a minimum credit rate equal to the investment starting rate (Baa3 for the credit rating of Moody's or BBB-for the credit rating of S&P or Fitch).

b) To give the cooperation relation between Vietnam and other credit rating companies to develop more and more substantive, reliable and sustainable.

c) Through the contact with the credit rating organizations to promote, propagate and introduce more intensive on social and economic situation of Vietnam to the international investors.

2. Requirements

a) To ensure the regular, constant, systematical implementation of the national credit rating to enhance national prestige in the international arena and meet better the requirements of socio-economic development of the country...

b) To ensure the principles of equality, voluntariness, effectiveness in accordance with the capabilities, resources, Vietnamese law and international practices when coordinating with the credit rating organizations.

d) To enhance the sense of initiative, activeness, synchronous coordination and accountability of the ministries, agencies and localities, and the concerned organizations in the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating.

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e) To actively research and learn international experience, especially the countries in the region and countries with the conditions similar to Vietnam in the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating.

3. The specific targets

Continue to improve the internal strength of the economy, strengthen the initiative and professionalism in the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating; at same time ensure the implementation of a number of key macro-economic indicators mainly as follows:

- To strive for growth of gross domestic product (GDP) on average 7-8%/year in the period of 2011-2020; to 2020 GDP at comparative price is about 2.2 times compared to 2010; GDP per capita at actual price reached about $ 3,000.

- To continue to handle well the relationship between accumulation and consumption, between saving and investment; to make policy of incentives to increase accumulation for investment and development. Investment proportion for entire society is maintained in the range of 33-35% of GDP, at the same time to improve the efficiency of public investment, strive to bring ICOR indicator to the average rate compared to other countries with the same level of national credit rating.

- The growth rate of export of goods on average obtained 11-12%/year in the period of 2011-2020, including the period of 2011 to 2015 the average growth of 12%/year; period 2016 to 2020 the average growth of 11 %/year. To reduce gradually trade deficit, control trade deficit at the rate of less than 10% of export quota in 2015 and obtained trade balance in 2020.

- The consumption price index increased by about 5% -7% in 2015 and is continued to maintain at a reasonable level in the period of 2016-2020.

- To strive to reduce the current balance deficit, stabilize the balance of international payment and surplus; increase the state foreign exchange reserves reached at least 12 weeks of import, in accordance with international standards and reached an average level compared with other countries with similar national credit rating.

- State budget overspending ratio fell below 4.5% of GDP in 2015 and about 4% of GDP in the period of 2016-2020.

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II. MAJOR SOLUTIONS

1. Continuity to maintain institutional, social and political stability

a) To enhance political stability, improve discipline and maintain the operation of the country within the framework of the Constitution and the law.

b) To continue to improve the legal framework, enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement and enhance administrative reform.

c) Never stop the effective implementation of social welfare policies in order to reduce the gap between the rich and poor, inequality between subjects, regions, areas and geographic regions.

d) To continue to implement effectively the prevention and fight against corruption; to ensure openness and transparency in the targets, policy decision.

e) To formulate appropriate foreign policy, especially with the neighboring countries; to maintain and consolidate peace, and avoid regional conflicts

2. Assurance of macroeconomic stability and the major balances of the economy

a) Implementation of flexible and prudent, tight monetary policy

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- To implement measures to encourage and support the credit institutions prioritizing credit capital for the agricultural sectors and rural areas, production of export goods, support industry, small and medium enterprises and enterprises using many laborers and the projects effectively, and control the proportion of outstanding loans in the fields not encouraged at a reasonable extent and limit bad debts.

- To administer the exchange rate, foreign exchange market flexibly, in accordance with market changes and foreign currency supply and demand situation, to encourage export and reduce the trade deficit, improve the international balance of payment and increase foreign exchange reserves.

- To continue to improve the legal framework, strengthen the management, examination, inspection and supervision of the activities of the credit institutions; to make good the forecast, openness, transparency of information on money market, credit, foreign currency, gold.

b) Implementation of effective and tight fiscal policy

- To restructure the state budget expenditure to ensure the implementation of tasks of socio-economic development, focus on "green" economic development to ensure national defense and security, to fulfill the commitment on debt paying obligation; to renovate structure of spending the state budget in the direction of increasing investment in people, associated with the improvement of the efficiency of using the state budget capital.

- To review and restructure portfolio, determine to overcome the spread investment, focus capital to the urgent projects for early completion, prioritize to invest in the areas, projects of high dissemination, to create premise for economic restructuring.

- To focus resources to accelerate the process of industrialization, modernization and economic restructuring transfer in agriculture and rural areas; direct state financial resources and attract other sources of capital for investment in science, technology and environment, priorities for investment in the facilities of education, training, health care in accordance with the conditions of socio-economic development in each period.

- To improve the efficiency of the management of public debts and foreign debts of the country in the direction of continuity to improve the legal system, debt management tools, efficiency of mobilization and allocation of, using loans; to improve the sense of initiative in supervision, risk management, to ensure safety for the national debt and financial security.

c) Consistent implementation of the market price mechanism with regulation of the state for a number of essential goods and services.

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- To respect the right to set prices, deal prices, and compete on prices of the trading, producing organizations and individuals in accordance with law. Make publicity, transparency of prices of goods and services, together with reasonable support solutions for production meeting problems and implement social security policies in each period.

- To develop and implement synchronous measures to boost export, reduce the deficit import through increase of trade promotion to diversify export market, technological innovation, save energy, materials, reduce input costs and improve the competitiveness of the exports.

3. Consistent and full implementation of overall restructuring of the economy

a) To implement fully and effectively the economic restructuring schemes, public investment, the state-owned enterprises, the system of credit institutions, restructuring of the stock market and other financial institutions to contribute to sustainable growth and development.

b) To restructure the economy in the direction of focusing on improvement of the institutions of market economy; continue to improve the quality of planning, combined with strategy with planning, plan, synchronous program and careers of development priority; focus on developing human resources, improve, enhance management efficiency of state for the economy and the development of science and technology.

c) To renovate public investment in the direction of improving the efficiency of the allocation and use of financial resources; gradually adjust the investment structure in the direction of reducing the proportion of public investment, including expenditure for investment from State budget and prioritizing to focus on development of essential technical-economic infrastructure; clearly define the content and scope of investment between the central and local level to create mechanism for the localities to attract resources for development in accordance with planning, capacity and financial resources of each locality.

d) Urgently to implement deep and comprehensive reform of state enterprise system; to focus on developing state-owned enterprises in the important sectors, fields of key significance of the national economy, to ensure intensive balance, macro-economic stability; to accelerate equitization of state-owned enterprises, with emphasis on the State-owned Groups, the State-owned Corporations in the direction of reducing the number, diversify ownership, attract the foreign and domestic strong strategic investors to invest in state-owned enterprises, to encourage employees to buy shares in the enterprises; to arrange, innovate organizational model and activities of the State-owned Groups, the State-owned Corporations; to improve capacity, effectiveness of management and implement openness, transparency and fair competition in the market.

đ) To continue to improve the structure of the stock market, to ensure effective and synchronous development of the stock market, bond market, the derivatives market; to encourage the enterprises of the economic sectors to list their shares, bonds and raise capital through the stock market; to diversify the types of products on the financial market to increase the supply of goods for the stock market; to perfect institution, enhance openness, transparency, to ensure disclosure of public companies’ information in accordance with international standards.

4. Enhancement of efficiency of collection and provision of information

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b) To identify clearly the functions and tasks of the ministries and agencies in the process of collecting and providing data; to strengthen the sense of initiative of the authorities in the improvement of the nation's credit rating.

c) To actively build the annual national socio-economic reports, the specific assessment report on the problems of sectors, fields associated with the content of credit rating, especially the field of finance, monetary, including foreign exchange reserve.

d) To enhance the promotion, meeting with the investors on a regular basis to improve information on Vietnam for the investors, to create favorable conditions for the process of raising capital in the market, especially issuance of bonds to the international capital market.

đ) To develop and maintain website (in Vietnamese and English) to convey information related to credit rating, improve the quality, quantity and frequency of disclosure of information on the Website, especially for the particular statistical information toward the national credit rating.

e) To continue to promote the information and communication on the guideline, policy of management and administration of the Government's macro-economy, especially the measures to control inflation, stabilize the macro economy, ensure social security and contribute to create consensus both domestically and internationally.

g) To focus on strengthening to make use of the prestigious foreign media, press with a large number of audiences, especially the economic news to broadcast about Vietnam in general and socio-economic situation of Vietnam, the policy of management and administration of the Government's macro-economy.

5. Enhancement of coordination among the ministries and agencies involved in the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating

a) To build up the regulations providing specific information on a number of areas such as: socio-political situation; administrative reform; guideline, policy, strategy of socio-economic development of Vietnam in each period; the policies of fiscal year, monetary, trade, investment, public debt and foreign debt of the nation and the information required to cater for the national credit rating.

b) The ministries and concerned agencies to take the initiative in assignment of officials to be contact point for exchanging; agreeing data with the Ministry of Finance as the lead agency working with the credit rating organization, to ensure that information provided for the credit rating organization is consistent with the specific contents proposed by the credit rating organization.

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d) The relevant ministries and agencies shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in the feedback to the issues set out by the credit rating organizations, in order to help the credit rating organizations review, valuate more objective on Vietnam.

6. Continuity to make use of international consulting support, sharing experiences and maintaining regular contact with the credit rating organizations

a) To maintain and strengthen the exchange of information, documents, research results, evaluation of the national credit rating and enterprises.

b) Regularly to exchange visits between Vietnam and the credit rating organizations to increase knowledge, share experiences on methodology, measures, analyzes to assess the credit rating.

c) Actively to participate in conferences and seminars organized by the reputed credit rating organizations in the concerned field in accordance with the ability of resources of Vietnam.

d) To coordinate with the credit rating organizations, international organizations in the organization of international conferences and seminars in Vietnam on the practical contents for the requirement of enhancing the national credit rating.

đ) To implement effectively the cooperation agreements with a number of foreign partners having experience in consultancy and support Vietnam on national credit rating.

e) To select an intermediary financial institution reputed in the international market, to support Vietnam in meeting with the investors to promote the socio-economic information, environment and the potential investment in Vietnam.

7. Improvement of the quality of human resources and technology to create favorable conditions for the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating

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b) To improve the skills of the contact point units to perform the tasks of the national credit rating assessment, the working group of national credit rating and the concerned ministries and agencies in the credit rating process in the professional direction and step by step in accordance with international practice.

c) To strengthen the competence, role and responsibilities of the agencies tasked to perform the works related to the national credit rating assessment, to ensure consistency, focus on contact point, synthesis and implementation on the basis of coordination among the agencies.

8. Assurance of funding for the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating

Funding for implementation of the scheme to improve the national credit rating is ensured by state budget, including:

a) To pay the annual fee to the credit rating organizations in accordance with the agreement of the Ministry of Finance with the credit rating organizations.

b) Funding for the operations of gathering information, data, analysis and annual evaluation of socio-economic situation to work with the credit rating organizations.

c) Funding for research to make legal documents and build database system for the assessment activities of national credit rating; to build up, disseminate, train and guide the deployment of the contents of the Scheme.

d) Funding for the making of overview report on Vietnam; funding to build and maintain the website; for propaganda, promotion, contact with the credit rating organizations and the international investors.

đ) Funding for the activities of the working group of national credit rating and other related funding.

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1. The Ministry of Finance shall preside over and coordinate with the relevant ministries and agencies:

a) To organize the implementation of the Scheme; propose, submit to the Prime Minister for making decision on adjusting the objectives and content of the Scheme in case of necessity.

b) To synthesize data and information to prepare for the national credit rating assessment batch at request, proposals of the credit rating organizations, organize the meetings with the credit rating organizations, explain the problems with the credit rating organizations; and give opinions, comments and recommendations for the assessment reports announced by the credit rating organizations.

c) To take initiative the exploitation of information, public data of the relevant ministries and agencies for the work of credit rating and the organization receiving the information provided by the relevant agencies to build up the reports on Vietnam.

d) To use, supply, disclose and archive information, report in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law and the agreement on assessment of the national credit rating with the international credit rating organization.

đ) To make cost estimates for implementation of the scheme in the annual budget estimates of the Ministry of Finance, to submit to the competent authority for decision as prescribed; to make guidance, management and use of funds in accordance with provisions of the State Budget Law and the relevant legal documents.

e) To report to the Prime Minister the results of an annual national credit rating and to propose the measures to handle problems arising in the process of working with the credit rating organizations; inform the ministries and relevant agencies information on the national credit rating.

2. The State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, the National Financial Supervisory Commission shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to perform tasks related to the national credit rating, specifically:

a) To provide data and information in accordance with the functions, duties for the national credit rating.

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c) To answer and explain the information to the credit rating organizations for the questions arising after the meetings with the credit rating organizations or upon request from the credit rating organizations.

3. The ministries, ministerial-level agencies, the governmental agencies and People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government and other relevant agencies take initiative to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in the implementation of the works related to the national credit rating; are responsible for provision, explanation for the matters within their functions and tasks assigned.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect from the date of signing.

Article 4. The Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the governmental agencies, Presidents of the People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall implement this Decision.

THE PRIME MINISTER




Nguyen Tan Dung