The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has just reported to the Standing Committee of the City People's Council and the City People's Committee on proposals to remove difficulties in developing plans to use public assets for leasing and association at public service units in the education and training sector.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, organizing services such as canteens and parking lots is an urgent need for students to ensure food hygiene and safety and ensure security and order at the school gate. However, up to now, many schools no longer maintain canteens and parking lots for students, causing difficulties for schools and society.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said that it is necessary to have a solution for schools in approving projects to use public assets to ensure that educational activities take place stably and smoothly. Moreover, approving projects to use public assets also helps to avoid wasting public assets in public schools, helping schools have more revenue to reinvest in education, have more welfare sources for staff and increase taxes for the state budget.

To overcome the difficulties, according to the leader of the Department of Education and Training, the Department has made proposals and recommendations to relevant departments, branches and the City. Specifically, for the Department of Finance, according to the guidance of the Ministry of Finance, there are currently no specific regulations and instructions on how and how to organize and implement auxiliary activities (canteens, parking lots, etc.), so some units have proactively organized the implementation but have not yet brought about feasible results. The Department of Education and Training requested the Department of Finance to clarify the above content and provide specific instructions so that units have a basis for organizing the implementation.

In case the units organize canteens and parking lots but the units do not have enough human resources, expertise and experience to organize these activities, it is recommended that the educational institution hire an organization to operate them according to the provisions of the law on auctions. However, hiring an organization to operate public assets requires specific guidance from the Department of Finance so that the units have a basis for implementation.

The Department of Finance has a document guiding the decentralization of management and use of public assets for leasing activities such as canteens, parking lots, sports activities, etc. For example, decentralization to heads of units responsible for organizing the selection of service providers to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Law on Bidding and related legal provisions (not having to prepare a project to use public assets for business purposes, leasing, joint ventures, and associations).

For the City People's Committee, the City Department of Education and Training proposed to approve the policy for public service units under the education and training sector (including preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, high schools and other public educational institutions in the city) to continue to maintain parking lots, canteens, swimming pools, gymnasiums, sports fields, classrooms to serve the learning and training needs of teachers and students during and after school hours from the 2024-2025 school year to avoid wasting existing facilities, while having funds for regular maintenance and upkeep of school facilities. However, educational institutions need to conduct public and transparent auctions, ensure fire prevention and fighting safety, food safety and hygiene and properly fulfill financial obligations according to current regulations.

Canteens, parking lots, gymnasiums, etc. are essential auxiliary activities that directly serve the school's activities and the needs of students. Therefore, the Department proposes that the City People's Committee study and direct relevant departments and branches to advise on exemption of land rent for the use of public assets for leasing and association purposes at public educational institutions.

The Department also proposed to soon implement the project "Piloting the authorization to approve the project of using public assets for business purposes and leasing at public service units" implemented by the People's Committee of Go Vap District.