Circular 11/2016/TT-BKH on EPC Bidding Documents

Application of EPC bidding document form.

According to Circular 11/2016, EPC is applicable to complicated projects that have technical requirements, high technology and strictly comply with the synchronism, consistency from the design stage to the equipment supply stage, construction, training, technology transfer, warranty and long-term maintenance.

EPC is not applicable in the cases that the bidding package are separated into separate bidding packages in order to create conditions for domestic businesses to participate in the bidding and execution of bidding package.

The bidding document form includes 3 parts: bidding procedure, requirement on the biding package and contract conditions. In the process of formulation, appraisal and approval of EPC bidding document in the form of public bidding, limited international bidding, Circular 11/2016 regulates that it is required to apply EPC bidding document form.

When applying the EPC bidding document form, the investor and the procuring entity need to amend and supplement the content of the chapter of the bidding document form in order to fit the nature and size of each bidding package and the time to organize the bidding.

For EPC bidding package that apply the form of public bidding and limited domestic bidding, the appointment of contractors should be based on the size and nature of the bidding package to edit the accordingly bidding document form.

The mixed bidding package includes design and supply of goods, design and installing, supply of goods and installing, project planning, design, supply of goods and installing (turnkey), based on the size and nature of the bidding package to edit accordingly.

For mixed bidding package that apply the two phases method, the investor can edit accordingly.

Contract

Circular 11/2016 stipulates that the bidding document must include contract agreement form, article and clause as a basis for the contractors to bid, and for the parties to negotiate, complete, sign and implement the agreement.

The contract signed between the investor and the contractor must comply with the contract agreement form, the contractual terms in the bidding documents, adjustments, supplements proposed by the contractor and approved by the investor but not contrary to the law on procurement and related legislation.

In addition, the contractor’s bid price must include all the necessary costs to implement the bidding package, which includes all taxes, charges and fees (if any).

Circular 11/2016/TT-BKH entered into force on October 1st 2016.

ANT Lawyers is Vietnam exclusive member of Prae Legal, an international law firm network, providing full ranges of legal services in Vietnam

For Vietnam legal matters or services, the clients could reach ANT Lawyers, the exclusive Vietnam law firm members via email at ant@antlawyers.vn or call the telephone at +848 35202779.

Read More

Circular 140/2016/TT-BTC on Working License Fee on Holiday to Australia and New Zealand Citizens

On September 19th 2016, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular 140/2016/TT-BTC prescribing the rate, regime of collection and payment of license fee to work on holiday for New Zealand and Australia citizens.

Accordingly, the license fee rate to work on holiday for New Zealand and Australia citizens is 600,000 VND/time/person, applicable for new issuance and 600,000 VND/time/person for reissue.

The license fee shall be collected in Vietnam dong; the collection of fee must be submitted 100% to the state budget.

This Circular replaces Circular 97/2012/TT-BTC on June 18th 2012 and takes effect from January 1st 2017.

ANT Lawyers is Vietnam exclusive member of Prae Legal, an international law firm network, providing full ranges of legal services in Vietnam

For Vietnam legal matters or services, the clients could reach ANT Lawyers, the exclusive Vietnam law firm members via email at ant@antlawyers.vn or call the telephone at +848 35202779.

Read More

Cases Are Rejected When Get Married with Foreign Element

The law of Vietnam prescribed quite detail about the marriage with foreign elements.

The registration of marriage with foreign elements will be rejected in the following cases:

– One or both parties are not old enough to get married under the laws of Vietnam

– The foreign applicant is not old enough to get married under the laws of the country of which he/she is a citizen or permanent resident (for stateless persons)

– The marriage between men and women is not due to a voluntary decision

– There is deception, coercion in the marriage

– One or both parties had husband or wife

– One or both parties had lost their capacity for civil acts

– The parties have the same direct blood line or relative within three generations

– The parties are or have been the adoptive parents and adopted children, father in law and daughter in law, mother in law and son in law, stepfather and his wife’s stepchild, stepmother and her husband’s stepchild

– The parties of the same sex (men marrying men, women marrying women)

– The marriage registration will also be rejected if the results of the interview, and verification showed that the marriage through illegal brokerage; sham marriage that is not intended to build prosperous, equal, progressive, happy and sustainable family; marriage is inconsistent with the fine traditions of the nation; taking advantage of marriage to trafficking of women, sexual abuse against women or for other self-seeking purposes.

Please contact ANT Lawyers via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call our Hotline +84 8 3520 2779 for advices.

Read More

Joint Circular 02/2016/TTLT BNG-BTP on Civil Status Registration in Vietnam Consular Office Abroad

Joint Circular 02/2016/TTLT BNG-BTP of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice regulates the registration and management of civil status at the diplomatic mission agency, consular representative offices of Vietnam in foreign country. The Joint Circular is issued on June 30th 2016.

Under the provisions of this Circular, representative offices in the consular area where the parent of the child resides or where the child was born have to perform birth registration for the children that were born abroad, not yet performed birth registration in foreign competent authority and fall into one of the following cases, such as: Having parents who are nationals of Vietnam; Having mother who is Vietnam citizen, the father is a stateless or unidentified person; Having father or mother who is citizen of Vietnam, the remaining person is foreigner, the parents have written agreement on choosing Vietnam nationality for the child when implementing birth registration.

Birth registration dossier includes: Birth registration declaration; Birth certification or other documents issued by the competent authority certifying that the child is born abroad and the relations between mother and child; The written agreement of the parents on choosing Vietnam nationality for the child if the child has father or mother who is foreigner.

This Joint Circular takes effect from August 15th 2016.

ANT Lawyers is a Vietnam law firm with English speaking lawyers whom understand the laws of Vietnam within the business and the local culture context.

The firm has been advising and representing foreign companies and individual clients interested in either doing business, or needing representation or legal services in Vietnam who are seeking reasonable and competitive solutions without compromising on service quality.

For advice or service request, please contact us via email ant@antlawyers.vn, or call +84 8 3520 2779.  To learn more about us, visit www.antlawyers.vn.

Read More

Circular 24/2016/TT-BXD on Management of Construction Investment Projects

Compared with Circular 17/2016, Circular 24/2016 amended some contents as follow:

Amend the regulations on the practicing certificate that have been granted before the time the Circular 17 takes effect as follows:

+ With the certificate stating the validity period, it is entitled to continue to use until expiration. For one that does not state the validity period, it can be used until June 30th 2016.

+ Circular 24/2016/BXD prescribes that from the date that Circular 17 took effect, individuals that have the above-mentioned certificates, if there is demand for conversion then it could be implemented in accordance with Circular 17/2016. If there is no demand for conversion, then the level of the practicing certificate is defined as follows: Based on the conditions on the issuance of practicing certificate in Decree 59/CP to implement the declaration and self-identified the level of practicing certificate.

+ Individuals that have the construction supervision/construction design certificates are allowed to practice construction inspection till December 31st 2016.

+ Individuals have the practicing certificate expired from the date March 1st 2016 are allowed to continue to practice till end of December 31st 2016.

In addition, Circular 24 also amend and supplement some issues as follows:

+ The appendix on the declaration of professional work experience and determine the construction practicing certificate level.

+ The appendix on the symbol of the issue place of the construction practicing/construction capability certificates.

Regulations on examination, certification of the practicing certificate will be implemented from December 1st 2016.

Compared with Circular 18/2016/TT-BXD, Circular 24 abolishes Paragraph 3 of Article 13 on the evaluation, design and cost estimation of construction project.

Circular 24/2016/TT-BXD takes effect from September 1st 2016.

Vietnam solicitor | Tax law firm in Vietnam | Contract law firm in Vietnam

Read More

Criminal Record Granting for Foreigner

In order to be granted the work permit for foreigner, completing the immigration or reside procedures in a country, foreigners who are or have been residing in Vietnam must apply for a criminal record for the time that they residing in Vietnam.

Foreigners who are or have been temporarily residing in Vietnam have the right to request the Department of Justice of the province or city where they are residing or the National Centre for Criminal Record to issue the criminal record, in order to confirm that people have or do not have criminal records while residing in Vietnam. The person requesting for criminal record card can authorize another person on their behalf to complete procedures to obtain the criminal record.

ANT Lawyers can assist clients to apply for: Criminal record card no 1 and Criminal record card no 2

Individual when requesting for criminal record issuance have to provide the following documents:

• For Vietnamese:

– A written declaration requesting for the issuance of criminal record;

– Certified copy of identity card, passport, family record book, temporary residence book, temporary residence card, permanent resident card in Vietnam (should present the original for comparison);

– Confirmation of permanent residence in Vietnam before leaving the country (applies to Vietnamese who are living in foreign countries).

• For Foreigner:

– A written declaration requesting for the issuance of criminal record;

– Copy of the passport and visa that are still valid;

– Confirmation of temporary residence in Vietnam.

Implementation time: 3-7 working days.

Read More

Cases that Foreigners Do Not Have to Apply for Work Permit

Pursuant to Decree No. 11/2016/ND-CP of the Government that will take effect April 1st 2016, the below cases of foreigner will not have to apply for work permit in Vietnam:

• As capital contributing members or the owner of limited liability company.
• As member of the Managing Board of the joint stock company.
• As Head of the representative office, project of international organizations, non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.
• Entry into Vietnam for less than 03 months to carry out the service offering.
• Entry into Vietnam for less than 03 months to handle the incidents, technical situations and complicated technology arising that influence or threaten to production and business that Vietnam expert and foreign experts that currently in Vietnam cannot handle.
• As foreign lawyers that are licensed to practice law in Vietnam under the provisions of the Law on Lawyers.
• Under the provisions of the international treaties in which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.
• As pupils and students studying in Vietnam and working in Vietnam but the employer must notify 07 days with state authorities on the provincial labor.
• Moving within the enterprises in the range of 11 service sectors in the service commitments of Vietnam to the World Trade Organization, including: business, communication, construction, distribution, education, environment, finance, health, tourism, culture and transport;
• Entry into Vietnam to provide advisory services and technical expertise or perform other tasks to serve the research, construction, appraisal, monitoring, evaluation, management and implementation of programs and projects funded with official development assistance (ODA) as prescribed or agreed in international treaties on ODA signed between the competent authorities of Vietnam and foreign countries;
• Granted the work permit on information and press in Vietnam by the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with law;
• Sent to Vietnam by agencies and foreign organizations to teach and research in the international school under the jurisdiction of the foreign diplomatic representative agencies or international organizations in Vietnam or the Ministry of Education and Training certificated for teaching and researching in the educational and training institutions in Vietnam;
• Volunteers certified by the foreign diplomatic representative agencies or international organizations in Vietnam
• Entry into Vietnam working in the positions of professional, manager, executive or technical employees with working duration of less than 30 days and no more than 90 cumulative days in 01 years;
• Entry into Vietnam to implement international agreements that agencies and organizations at the central and province have signed as in accordance with law;
• Pupils and students studying in abroad schools and training institutions that have internship agreements in the agencies, organizations and enterprises in Vietnam;
• Relatives of members of foreign representatives in Vietnam working after licensed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, except the case where international treaties that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member that have other regulations;
• Have official passport to work for state agencies, political organizations and political – social organizations;
• Other cases decided by the Prime Minister on the proposal of the Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs.

Vietnam solicitor | Tax law firm in Vietnam | Contract law firm in Vietnam

Read More