Overseas Vietnamese to enjoy single price regime
Ha Noi, Aug. 2 (VNA) -- Overseas Vietnamese shall enjoy the same rate of service charges and fees as those applicable to Vietnamese citizens in the country, according to Decision 114/2001/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on July 31, 2001. Under the decision, Vietnamese citizens residing abroad and holding Vietnamese passports and overseas Vietnamese holding foreign passports and their certified family members are entitled to a single price regime, covering service charges and travel fares. The decision also stipulates that overseas Vietnamese bearing foreign passports, who are certified to have rendered services to the national liberation and construction, are to be exempted from visa fees when entering or leaving Viet Nam. In order to facilitate and encourage Vietnamese nationals residing abroad to have closer links to the homeland and enable them to make active contributions to the national construction cause, the Prime Minister asks:
- The Ministry of Construction to coordinate with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to submit a housing policy applicable to overseas Vietnamese to the Government for approval.
- The Ministry of Culture and Information to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organise traditional cultural activities in foreign countries, particularly in those countries having a large Vietnamese community.
- The Ministry of Education and Training is to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to open Vietnamese language training courses for overseas Vietnamese ommunities in conformity with the laws of the countries concerned.
The decision also contains regulations on promoting Vietnamese broadcasts and disseminating information about Viet Nam through the World Wide Web and other publications, and provides subsidies to promote Viet Nam's traditional culture among the Vietnamese community abroad. The decision, effective in 15 days from the signing date, is in furtherance of the Party and State's line, which considers the Vietnamese community abroad an integral part of the nation.--VNA
