THE MINISTRY OF
FINANCE
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THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Independence - Freedom - Happiness
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No. 233/2016/TT-BTC

Hanoi, November 11, 2016

CIRCULAR
ON AMENDMENTS TO CIRCULAR NO. 56/2014/TT-BTC OF APRIL 28, 2014 OF THE
MINISTRY OF FINANCE ON GUIDELINES FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S DECREE NO.
177/2013/ND-CP DATED NOVEMBER 14, 2013 ON GUIDELINES FOR THE LAW ON
PRICES
Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP of November 14, 2013 on guidelines
for the Law on Prices;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP of November 11, 2016 on amendments
to the Government's Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP dated November 14, 2013 on guidelines for the
Law on Prices;
Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 215/2013/ND-CP of December 23, 2013, defining the
functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;
At the proposal of the Director of Department of Price management;
The Minister of Finance promulgates a Circular on amendments to Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC
of April 28, 2014 of the Ministry of Finance on guidelines for the Government's Decree No.
177/2013/ND-CP dated November 14, 2013 on guidelines for the Law on Prices.
Article 1. Amendments to Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC of April 28, 2014 of the Ministry of
Finance on guidelines for the Government's Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP dated November 14,
2013 on guidelines for the Law on Prices

1. Article 1 shall be amended as follows:
“Article 1. Scope
This Circular provides guidelines for the Government’s Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP of November
14, 2013 on guidelines for Law on Prices (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP)
and the Government's Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP dated November 11, 2016 on amendments to
Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP regarding
price stabilization; valuation by the State; price negotiation; inspection of price-forming factors; and
price declaration.”
2. Clause 2, Clause 3 Article 4 shall be amended as follows:
“2. Services of Finance, line departments and People’s Committees of districts which are assigned
by the People’s Committee of province shall receive price registration forms for the goods and
services within their competence of receipt and review of price registration forms prescribed in
Clause 4 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP, of organizations and individuals (including
agents entitled to decide or adjust prices) that are headquartered in the province and neither named


on the list of organizations and individuals required to register prices with the central government
nor mentioned in separate price registration guidelines issued by line ministries according to their
competence.
Branches and agents not entitled to decide or adjust prices (those signing distribution contracts with
suppliers and selling or purchasing goods and services at the prices set by such suppliers) are not
required to make price registration but shall notify in writing that they are not entitled to decide or
adjust prices to Services of Finance, line departments of the localities where they are headquartered,
and shall, after receiving suppliers’ price adjustment decisions or notices, provide information on
these prices to Services of Finance, line departments, People’s Committees of districts which are
assigned by the People’s Committee of province, and take responsibility for the accuracy of
provided information.
Services of Finance shall take charge and cooperate with line departments, the People's Committees
of districts which are assigned by the People’s Committee of province in receiving price registration
prescribed in Clause 4 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP and assist the People’s Committee

of province in announcing the list of organizations and individuals required to make price
registration in their localities.
Every July 1 or at the request of the People’s Committee of province, line departments and People’s
Committees of districts assigned by the People's Committee of province shall assume the prime
responsibility for, and coordinate with the Service of Planning and Investment, Department of
Taxation and specialized agencies in, reviewing and adjusting the lists of organizations and
individuals required to register prices in their localities and send them to Service of Finance for
consolidation. Service of Finance shall consolidate documents, assist the People’s Committees in
adjusting the lists of organizations and individuals required to register prices in their localities.”
“3. Receiving authorities and entities required to register prices of milk products for children under
6 years of age shall be consistent with guidelines of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; receiving
authorities and entities required to register prices of preventive and curative medicines for human
use on the list of essential curative medicines and agencies receiving price registration forms shall
be consistent with the guidance of the Ministry of Health.”
3. Point e Clause 2 Article 7 shall be amended as follows:
“e) Comply with law-prescribed sanctions against price registration in accordance with law on
penalties for administrative violations against regulations on management of prices, fees, charges,
and invoices.”
4. Name of Article 8, Clause 1 and Clause 2 Article 8 shall be amended as follows:
“Article 8. Powers and responsibilities of advisory agencies affiliated to ministries,
ministerial-level agencies and People’s Committees of provinces in valuation by the State
prescribed in Clause 7 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP
1. The Department of Price Management shall give advice to the Ministry of Finance on valuation
as follows:
a) Assist the Minister of Finance in appraising price plans proposed by ministries and sectors for
goods and services within valuation competence of the Government or the Prime Minister;


b) Assist the Minister of Finance in stipulating specific prices of vehicle inspection services
(including inspection services in relation to vehicles, transport equipment, and projects of extraction

and transportation of oil and gas) upon a written appraisal issued by the Ministry of Transport;
c) Assist the Minister of Finance in establishing price brackets for residential clean water after
obtaining written opinions of related agencies;
d) Assist the Minister of Finance in establishing price brackets of drug testing services for animal
and/or plant use; services in relation to vaccination, disinfection and sterilization for animals,
veterinary diagnostics upon a written appraisal issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development;
dd) Assist the Minister of Finance in establishing maximum prices of irrigation public services or
products upon a written appraisal issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;
services in relation to quarantine, preventive healthcare at public health facilities upon a written
appraisal issued by the Ministry of Health;
e) Appraise plans on maximum purchase prices and minimum sale prices of national reserves goods
developed by the General Department of State Reserves for submission to the Minister of Finance
for consideration and decision;
g/ Appraise and assist the Minister of Finance in establishing, maximum purchase prices and
minimum sale prices of national reserves goods (except national reserves goods in the fields of
national defense and security), which are managed by other ministries or sectors but subject to price
determination by the Ministry of Finance, on the basis of price plans made and submitted by
national reserves management units to ministries or sectors in charge of such national reserves
goods for approval and reporting to the Ministry of Finance (the Department of Price Management)
for appraisal and submission to the Minister of Finance for consideration and decision;
h) Appraise and make written notices of, expenses for preservation and receipt and delivery at
warehouse gate of national reserves goods for which expense norms are not yet available and
maximum expenses for delivery of national reserve goods outside warehouse gate on the basis of
the plans made and submitted by the General Department of State Reserves to the Ministry of
Finance (the Department of Price Management) for appraisal, or made and submitted by national
reserves management units to ministries or sectors in charge of such national reserves goods
(including also national reserves goods for national defense or security) for approval and reporting
to the Ministry of Finance (the Department of Price Management) for appraisal;
i) Assist the Minister of Finance in setting maximum prices of public-utility products and services

and public administration services specified in the lists issued by competent authorities and funded
by central budget (except products and services subject to valuation competence of other ministries
or sectors or People’s Committees of provinces) on orders placed or under plans assigned by
competent authorities; maximum prices of goods and services produced or provided using central
budget funds on orders placed or plans assigned by the Prime Minister on the basis of price plans
made and submitted by goods producers or service providers to line ministries for appraisal and
reporting to the Ministry of Finance for consideration and decision. When it is necessary to clarify
some contents of the price plans made by goods producers or service providers, the Ministry of
Finance (the Department of Price Management) shall consult line ministries or request goods
producers or service providers to report and give specific explanations;


k) Assist the Minister of Finance in setting maximum or minimum rents of state assets being
infrastructure facilities serving national or public interests after obtaining written appraisal opinions
of line ministries;
l) Advise the Minister of Finance in setting minimum prices of home-made cigarettes after
obtaining written appraisal opinions of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;
m) Appraise and request the Minister of Finance to establish price brackets, maximum prices or
specific prices in terms of securities-related services in accordance with law on securities,
including: Services in connection with listing, transactions, providing information, securities
auctions, securities bidding; services in connection with registration, deposit, clearing and payment
of securities; services in connection with securities trading, supervision of assets, representative of
bondholders, clearing of securities transactions appraised and proposed by State Securities
Commission according to price plans of providers of securities-related services submitted to State
Securities Commission;
n) Coordinate with related agencies in, inspecting the implementation of price-related decisions
issued by the Government, the Prime Minister or the Minister of Finance; the compliance with law
on prices in Ministries, agencies and localities;
o) Assist the Minister of Finance in giving consultation about decisions on prices of goods and
services within valuation competence of Ministries prescribed in Clause 8 Article 1 of Decree No.

149/2016/ND-CP and monitoring decisions on prices of goods and services within valuation
competence of Ministries and agencies;
p) Assist the Minister of Finance in reaching an agreement with the Minister of National Defense
and the Ministry of Public Security on the principles on valuation of national reserves goods for
defense or security.
2. Advisory agencies under ministries and ministerial-level agencies shall perform tasks assigned by
their ministries or ministerial-level agencies and prescribed by specialized laws.
Ministries, sectors and units shall set specific prices of goods and services based on the price
brackets, maximum prices and minimum prices (including also maximum sale prices and minimum
purchase prices of national reserves goods), maximum expenses (for preservation, receipt and
delivery) of national reserves goods, for which Ministry of Finance-prescribed norms are not yet
available, and report such to the Ministry of Finance (the Department of Price Management).”
5. Article 14 shall be amended as follows:
“Article 14. Receiving authorities and entities required to declare prices
1. The Ministry of Finance (the Department of Price Management) shall receive price declaration
documents of the goods and services prescribed at Points c, d, dd, e, g, i and k, Clause 1 Article 3 of
Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP during the time when the State does not require price registration for
the purpose of price stabilization, and the goods and services of which price declaration documents
within competence to receive of the Ministry of Finance prescribed in Clause 10 Article 1 of Decree
No. 149/2016/ND-CP, of organizations and individuals required to register prices with the Ministry
of Finance.


The Department of Price Management shall select and propose the Minister of Finance to consider
and promulgate a list of organizations and individuals required to declare prices with the Ministry
of Finance with regard to:
- Economic groups, corporations, joint-stock companies and limited-liability companies each
having a production and business network covering 2 or more provinces or central-affiliated cities.
- Monopolistic enterprises and business people; enterprises and groups of enterprises holding
dominant market shares as prescribed in the Law on Competition.

Every July 1 or at the request of the Minister of Finance, the Department of Price Management shall
review the list of organizations and individuals required to register prices with the Ministry of
Finance (the Department of Price Management) and, if necessary, propose the Minister of Finance
to consider adjusting such list.
2. Services of Finance, line departments and People’s Committees of districts which are assigned by
the People’s Committee of province, shall receive price declaration documents of the goods and
services prescribed in Clause 1, Article 3 of Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP during the time when the
State does not require price registration for the purpose of price stabilization; and of the goods and
services of which price declaration documents within competence to receive of Services of Finance
line departments, and People’s Committees of districts prescribed in Clause 10 Article 1 of Decree
No. 149/2016/ND-CP; specialized goods and services subject to price declaration in localities under
Clause 3, Article 5 of Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP, of organizations and individuals (including
also agents entitled to decide on or adjust prices) which are headquartered in their localities and
neither named on the list of those required to register prices with the central government nor
mentioned in the separate price declaration guidelines issued by a line ministry according to its
competence.
Branches and agents (including shops) not entitled to decide or adjust prices (those signing
distribution contracts with suppliers and selling or purchasing goods and services at the prices set
by such suppliers) are not required to make price registration but shall notify in writing that they are
not entitled to decide or adjust prices to Services of Finance, line departments of the localities
where they are headquartered, and shall, after receiving suppliers’ price adjustment decisions or
notices, provide information on these prices to Services of Finance, line departments, People’s
Committees of districts which are assigned by the People’s Committee of province, and take
responsibility for the accuracy of provided information.
Services of Finance shall take charge and cooperate with line departments, the People's Committees
of districts which are assigned by the People’s Committee of province in receiving price declaration
documents prescribed in Clause 10 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP and assist the
People’s Committee of province in announcing the list of organizations and individuals required to
make price declaration in their localities.
Every July 1 or at the request of the People’s Committee of province, line departments and People’s

Committees of districts assigned by the People's Committee of province shall assume the prime
responsibility for, and coordinate with the Service of Planning and Investment, Department of
Taxation and specialized agencies in, reviewing and adjusting the lists of organizations and
individuals required to declare prices in their localities and send them to Service of Finance for
consolidation. Service of Finance shall consolidate documents, assist the People’s Committees in
adjusting the lists of organizations and individuals required to declare prices in their localities.


3. The method of declaring prices of medical examination and treatment services for humans at
private health facilities; on-demand medical examination and treatment services at state health
facilities; and preventive and curative medicines for human use on the list of essential curative
medicines must comply with the Ministry of Health’s guidance.
4. Lists of organizations and individuals required to make price declaration; email addresses,
telephone numbers and fax numbers of agencies assigned to receive price declaration documents
defined in Clauses 1, 2 and 3 of this Article shall be posted on the websites of such agencies.
5. For goods and services subject to price declaration under specialized laws, such specialized laws
shall apply.”
6. Article 15 shall be amended as follows:
“Article 15. Methods of making and receiving price declaration
1. An organization or individual shall make price declaration under Articles 15 and 16 of Decree
No. 177/2013/ND-CP and Clause 9, Clause 10 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP by making
a price registration document (below referred to as document) and sending it to a state agency
competent to receive documents (below referred to as receiving authority) by any of the following
methods:
a) Directly submitting 2 copies of the document at the office of the receiving authority;
b) Sending through the official correspondence channel 2 copies of the document to the receiving
authority;
c) E-mailing the document enclosed with a scanned copy of the document bearing the signature and
seal to the address notified by the receiving authority or sending the document by fax and making a
phone call to notify the receiving authority thereof. Concurrently, sending through the official

correspondence channel 2 copies of the document to the receiving authority.
2. The receiving authority shall follow the procedures below upon receiving the document:
a) The officer who receives the document (hereinafter referred to as receiving officer) shall verify
the composition and number of copies of the document. In case the document is complete and
submitted with sufficient copies as prescribed, he/she shall affix an incoming-mail stamp indicating
the date of receipt to the document and send back 1 copy to the organization or individual who
directly submits the document or send back by post 1 copy to the organization or individual who
submit through the official correspondence channel, fax, or email; and forward the other to the
receiving authority’s leader and professional sections or departments.
b) The receiving officer shall verify the composition and number of copies of the document. In case
the document is incomplete or submitted with insufficient copies as prescribed, the receiving officer
shall promptly return the document to the organization or individual submitting directly enclosed
with reason for return and contents need to be supplemented; or within 2 working days after
receiving the document, the receiving authority shall send a notice through the official
correspondence channel or by fax or email, requesting the organization or individual to supplement
the document or submit more copies. The organization or individual making the price declaration
shall complete the composition and number of copies of the document as prescribed and re-submit
the receiving authority within 5 working days from the date of notice through the official
correspondence channel or by fax or email requiring supplement. The date when the organization or


individual completes the document or submits more copies shall be regarded as the date of receipt
of the document, the receiving officer shall affix an incoming-mail stamp indicating the date of
receipt to the document.
c) In case of discount declaration, the organization or individual engaging business shall offer the
discounts immediately, and concurrently send a document to the receiving authority. The receiving
authority shall verify composition and number of copies of the document as prescribed in Point a,
Point b Clause 2 of this Article and request such organization or individual to complete the
composition and number as prescribed for the purposes of archives of price declaration documents
serving state management within entitlements and responsibilities prescribed in Article 17 of this

Circular.
3. Price declaration documents shall be made according to the guidance in Appendix 4 to this
Circular. In case organizations and individuals offer promotion policies, price reduction or
discounts for certain customers or groups of customers, they shall clearly state name of customers
or groups of customers and the levels of promotion, price reduction or discounts in price declaration
documents.
4. The method of declaring prices of medical examination and treatment services for humans at
private health facilities; on-demand medical examination and treatment services at state health
facilities; and preventive and curative medicines for human use on the list of essential curative
medicines must comply with the Ministry of Health’s guidance. The method of making price
declaration in relation to scheduled passenger transport charges on roads, passenger transport
charges by taxis shall be consistent with guidance of the Ministry of Transport.”
7. Article 17 shall be amended as follows:
“Article 17. Rights and responsibilities of organizations and individuals in price declaration
1. Receiving authority:
a) Has a right to use declared prices for the purpose of analyzing, summarizing and forecasting
developments of market prices and build a database of prices ; to examine price-forming factors and
publicize them in the mass media to serve the purpose of price stabilization, and inspect and
examine the performance of financial obligations prescribed by law when necessary;
b) Has a right to review contents of price declaration documents of an organization or individual,
including date of applying declared prices, price declaration schedule, explanation for price
adjustments; requests sent to the organization or individual in terms of reports on declared prices in
conformity with fluctuation of price-forming factors in exceptional circumstances for the purposes
of price stabilization, state management of prices, and inspection as prescribed by law;
c) Has responsibility to comply with the processes of receiving and examining price declaration
documents prescribed in Article 15 of this Circular;
d) Has responsibility to keep confidential declared prices until such prices are applied.
2. Organization and individual required to make price declaration:
a) Has a right to purchase and sell goods and services at the declared prices from the date of making
price declaration in the case where sufficient document is received as prescribed and the document

is affixed an incoming-mail stamp with date of receipt by the receiving officer.


b) Has a right to send a notice of prices using form in Appendix enclosed herewith instead of a price
declaration document in case of increasing or decreasing goods or service prices up to 5%
compared to the most recently declared prices when there are any changes to price-forming factors,
for the goods and services prescribed at Points d, dd, e, g, i and k, Clause 1, Article 3 of Decree No.
177/2013/ND- CP, during the time when the State does not require price registration for the purpose
of price stabilization, and the goods and services prescribed at Points b, c, and d, Clause 9, Article 1
of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP; in necessary cases, competent authorities shall supplement goods
or services subject to notice of prices prescribed in Clause 1 Article 3 of No. 177/2013/ND-CP and
Clause 9 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP. In a case where accumulated sum of continuous
increasing or decreasing adjustments exceeds 5% compared to the most recently declared prices, the
organization or individual shall must price declaration as prescribed in Clause 3 Article 15 of this
Circular;
c) Has responsibility to make price declaration and notice of prices in accordance with law and this
Circular; take legal responsibility of accuracy and truthfulness of declared prices in conformity with
fluctuation of price-forming factors; compliance with reports on declared prices at request of
receiving authorities to serve the price stabilization, state management of prices, inspection;
compliance with inspection (including inspection of price-forming factors) of competent authorities
(if any);
d) Not to apply declared prices in the purchase and sale of goods and services before the date of
making declaration as prescribed. In case of discount declaration, the organization or individual
engaging business shall offer the discounts immediately in conformity with decline in price-forming
factors, and concurrently send a document or notice of discounts to the receiving authority;
dd) To publicize information on declared prices; to notify in writing the document- receiving
agency of any change in the time of application of the declared prices; to publicize and post up
declared prices within their distribution systems (if any); to comply with declared prices; to abide
by price valorization measures applied by competent state agencies in accordance with law;
e) Comply with law-prescribed sanctions against price registration in accordance with law on

penalties for administrative violations against regulations on management of prices, fees, charges,
and invoices.”
8. Clause 1 Article 19 shall be amended as follows:
“1. The Minister of Finance shall authorize the Director of the Department of Price Management
affiliated to the Ministry of Finance to issue notices of the expenses prescribed at Point h, Clause 1,
Article 8 of this Circular.”
9. Forms of price declaration specified in Appendix 4 issued together with Circular No.
56/2014/TT-BTC dated April 28, 2014 of the Ministry of Finance on guidelines for the
Government's Decree no. 177/2013/ND-CP dated November 14, 2013 on guidelines for the Law on
Prices and (hereinafter referred to Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC) shall be amended and issued
herewith.
Article 2.
1. Article 16 of Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC.


2. The phrase “và khoản 5, khoản 6 Điều 1 Nghị định số 149/2016/NĐ-CP” (“and Clause 5, Clause
6 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP” shall be added at the end of the name of Article 3 of
Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC.
3. The phrase “Point h” at Clause 1 Article 4 of Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC shall be deleted.
4. The phrase “khoản 2 Điều 5 Nghị định số 177/2013/NĐ-CP” ("Clause 2 Article 5 of Decree No.
177/2013/ND-CP”) shall be replaced with “khoản 3 Điều 1 Nghị định số 149/2016/NĐ-CP”
(“Clause 3 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP") at Point d Clause 1 Article 3 of Circular No.
56/2014/TT-BTC.
5. The phrase “khoản 2 Điều 5 Nghị định số 177/2013/NĐ-CP” ("Clause 2 Article 5 of Decree No.
177/2013/ND-CP”) shall be replaced with “khoản 3 Điều 1 Nghị định số 149/2016/NĐ-CP”
(“Clause 3 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP") at Point d Clause 1 Article 3 of Circular No.
56/2014/TT-BTC.
6. The phrase “Điều 8” ("Article 8") shall be deleted and the phrase “khoản 7, khoản 8 Điều 1 Nghị
định số 149/2016/NĐ-CP” ("Clauses 7, 8 Article 1 of Decree No. 149/2016/ND-CP”) shall be
added at the end of the phrase “Điều 9, Điều 10 Nghị định số 177/2013/NĐ-CP” (“Article 9, Article

10 of Decree No. 177/2013/ND-CP") at Clause 1 Article 9 of Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC.
7. The legal basis including name, reference number, issuing authority, date of issue of this Circular
shall be added to the form of Official Dispatch sent to receiving authority of price registration forms
in Appendix 01 and form of Official Dispatch sent to authority competent to appraise price plans
and decision in Appendix 2a issued together with Circular No. 56/2014/TT-BTC.
Article 3. Implementation
1. Ministries shall, based on the local practical situation and price management law, promulgate
regulations on price management in their sectors and localities according to their competence.
2. People’s Committees of provinces shall, based on the local practical situation and price
management law, promulgate regulations on price management in their localities according to their
competence.
3. Difficulties that arise during the implementation of this Circular should be reported to
Department of price management affiliated to the Ministry of Finance for consideration.
Article 4. Entry into force
This Circular comes into force from January 1, 2017./.

P.P MINISTER OF FINANCE
DEPUTY MINISTER

Tran Van Hieu


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