VietNamNet Bridge – The Government has issued the new Regulation on making of statements and information supply to press, applicable to ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Governmental bodies, and local People’s Committees.

 

Under the Regulation, names, positions, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of inferior levels’ spokespersons must be available on websites of State administrative agencies.

The Minister-Chairman of the Office of Government is responsible for providing information regarding the activities of the Government and the Prime Minister through monthly press briefings.

The Viet Nam Government Portal, a unit of the Office of Government, will have to promptly and accurately update official information according to current regulations for press agencies.

Meanwhile, other ministries, agencies and localities will periodically provide information relevant to their assigned scope of operations and update the disseminated information on their websites.

Press briefings must be organized by them once every three months, according to the Regulation.

Spokespersons can make statements on behalf of State administrative agencies or present those agencies in making statements or supplying information.

Spokespersons may refuse to make statements and supply information to the press if the questioned issues pertain to State secrets.

They can also refuse to answers questions regarding criminal cases under investigation or not yet tried; policies and schemes which are being elaborated and have not yet permitted by competent authorities to be published.

The new Regulation will take effect since July 1, 2013 and replace the current Regulation promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision 77/2007/QD-TTg dated on May 28, 2007.

Source: VGP