General introduction

I. HISTORY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT

On June 23, 2006, the Department of Post and Telecommunications of Lang Son province was assigned functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure in Decision No. 823/QD-UBND by the Chairman of the provincial People's Committee. Accordingly, the Department of Post and Telecommunications has the function of advising and assisting the provincial People's Committee in implementing state management of postal services, telecommunications, information technology, electronics, the Internet, broadcasting, radio frequencies, and information infrastructure, as well as managing public services related to postal services, telecommunications, and information technology within the province.

The establishment of the Department of Post and Telecommunications demonstrates the attention of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee to postal services, telecommunications, and information technology activities, considering them as the infrastructure for economic and social development, ensuring the province's defense and security.

In accordance with Decision No. 473/QD-UBND dated March 17, 2008 of the provincial People's Committee on the rearrangement and organization of specialized agencies under the provincial People's Committee according to Decree No. 13/2008/ND-CP dated February 4, 2008 of the Government, the Department of Information and Communications was established on the basis of the Department of Post and Telecommunications and took over the function and management of state affairs related to the press and publishing from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Its functions include advising and assisting the provincial People's Committee in implementing state management of the press, publishing, postal services, telecommunications, the Internet, broadcasting, radio frequencies, information technology, electronics, radio and television broadcasting, information and communication infrastructure, advertising in newspapers, online media, and publishing products, foreign information, and basic information, as well as performing some tasks delegated and authorized by the provincial People's Committee and in accordance with the law.

In addition to regularly consolidating and improving the organizational apparatus to meet the requirements of tasks, the Department of Information and Communications has focused on innovating consultancy, leadership, direction, management, identifying key tasks and priorities for each period to effectively serve the development of the economy, society, defense, and security of the province, gradually asserting the position and strength of the industry and contributing to the province's development.

Immediately after its establishment, the Department advised the provincial People's Committee to issue a system of legal documents, plans, and strategies to serve the management and development of the industry, considering it an important task.

To effectively implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's legal policies, the orientation of the Ministry of Information and Communications on building e-government, digital transformation, smart cities, and digital infrastructure, based on the actual conditions of the province, and with the role of advising and assisting the provincial People's Committee in implementing comprehensive digital transformation across all sectors, the Department of Information and Communications has proposed changing the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the department in accordance with the digital transformation direction, and adding functions and tasks related to digital transformation, digital infrastructure, information security, and smart cities.

Specifically, the Department of Information Technology will be renamed to the Department of Digital Transformation, the Postal and Telecommunications Office will be renamed to the Digital Infrastructure Office, and the Center for Information Technology and Communications will be renamed to the Digital Technology Center. The name changes correspond to the functions and tasks of each specialized department and center.

Based on Circular No. 11/2022/TT-BTTTT dated July 29, 2022, issued by the Minister of Information and Communications, which guides the functions, tasks, and powers of the Department of Information and Communications under the provincial People's Committee and the Department of Culture and Information under the district People's Committee; and according to the proposal of the Director of the Department of Information and Communications in Document No. 2648/TTr-STTTT dated December 6, 2022, the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 01/2023/QD-UBND on January 6, 2023, to regulate the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Department of Information and Communications in Lang Son province.

II. FUNCTIONS, TASKS, AND POWERS ACCORDING TO DECISION NO. 01/2023/QD-UBND

Position and Functions

1. The Department of Information and Communications is a specialized agency under the People's Committee of the province, with the function of advising and assisting the People's Committee of the province in managing state affairs related to the press; publishing, printing, issuing; broadcasting, television; electronic information; foreign information; basic information; postal services; telecommunications; radio frequencies; information technology industry; information technology applications; network security; electronic transactions, digital transformation in the province (hereinafter referred to as information and communications).

2. The Department of Information and Communications has a legal entity, its own seal and account; is subject to the direction and management of the organization, staffing, and work of the People's Committee of the province, and is also subject to the direction, inspection, and guidance on professional and technical matters of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Tasks and powers:

1. Submit to the provincial People's Committee:

a) Draft decisions related to the field of information and communication and other documents assigned by the provincial People's Committee;

b) Draft development plans, programs, and measures to organize the implementation of tasks in the field of information and communication on the province's territory within the scope of management of the Department;

c) Draft decisions on decentralizing and authorizing the state management tasks on information and communication to the Department of Information and Communication and district-level People's Committees;

d) Draft specific regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Department of Information and Communication.

e) Draft decision on implementing the socialization of public service supply activities in the field of information and communication under the jurisdiction of the Provincial People's Committee and according to the delegation of authority of the higher-level state agencies.

2. Submit to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee draft documents under the authority of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee as delegated.

3. Organize the implementation of legal documents, strategies, plans, programs, projects, technical standards, national standards, economic and technical norms in the field of information and communication that have been approved; provide information, propaganda, guidance, education, monitoring and law enforcement in areas under the management scope of the Department.

4. Regarding the press (including print media, electronic media, broadcasting, and television):

a) Manage the circulation of the press according to regulations and organize inspections of the circulation of the press in the locality;

b) Submit to or exercise the authority to issue, amend the contents of, and revoke publishing permits for news releases for local agencies and organizations according to the provisions of the law and the delegation of the Provincial People's Committee;

c) Submit to or respond to notification of press conferences at the local level for local agencies, organizations, citizens, foreign representative agencies, and foreign organizations in Vietnam according to the provisions of the law and the delegation of the Provincial People's Committee;

d) Assist the Provincial People's Committee in inspecting the operating conditions of representative offices; in cases where the conditions are not met, assist the Provincial People's Committee in issuing documents requesting the press agencies to terminate the operation of the representative offices and handling them according to the provisions of the law.

đ) The organization will implement the approved plan for the development of the local radio and television broadcasting industry;

e) Management of broadcasting and television services; management and registration of foreign television signal reception directly from satellites within the province in accordance with legal regulations.

5. Regarding publishing, printing, and distribution:

a) Granting and revoking licenses for non-business publication materials; granting and revoking licenses for importing non-business publications for local organizations, agencies, and individuals; granting and revoking licenses for printing and outsourcing the printing of publications for foreign countries for local printing facilities in accordance with legal regulations;

b) Granting and revoking licenses for printing operations; confirming the registration of printing establishments; registering the use of color photocopy machines and printers with photocopying functions in the locality in accordance with legal regulations;

c) Granting and revoking licenses for exhibitions and trade fairs for publications; temporarily suspending the organization of exhibitions and trade fairs for publications for organizations, agencies, and individuals licensed by the locality; confirming and reconfirming the registration of publication release activities for enterprises and public service units in the locality in accordance with regulations;

d) Managing the circulation of publications and organizing the reading of circulating publications licensed by the locality; inspecting and handling within the scope of authority when discovering printed products that show signs of violating the law;

đ) Temporarily suspending or suspending printing operations if content that violates the Publishing Law is found and reporting to the Minister of Information and Communications and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; imposing a temporary ban, revocation, confiscation, or destruction of publications that violate the Publishing Law in the locality when a decision is made by the authorized agency or organization in accordance with regulations.

e) Temporarily suspend publication for a period of time, withdraw, confiscate, ban circulation, and destroy publications that violate the Publishing Law in the locality when there is a decision of the competent authority in accordance with regulations.