The Ministry of Finance has released Circular 161/2026/TT-BTC to outline reporting requirements for the government’s on-lending of official development assistance (ODA) loans and foreign concessional loans. The guidance stems from Public Debt Management Law No. 20/2017/QH14, as revised and expanded by Law No. 141/2025/QH15, effective December 10, 2025.
Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 97/2018/ND-CP of June 30, 2018, on the on-lending of ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of the Government, this circular aims to guide forms of reports on the situation of the on-lending of ODA loans and foreign concessional loans. The reporting frequency and periods, conversion exchange rates, and forms of reporting are also specified in the circular.
Scope of Regulation
The circular guides forms of reports on the situation of the on-lending of ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of the Government, as specified in Clause 4, Article 32 of the Government’s Decree No. 97/2018/ND-CP. The forms of reports include the report on the situation of borrowing on-lent ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of provincial-level People’s Committees, and the report serving the collation of the on-lending of ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of the Government for provincial-level People’s Committees.
The report on the on-lending by authorised on-lending agencies using the method of bearing no credit risks or bearing partial credit risks, and the report on the on-lending by authorised on-lending agencies using the method of bearing all credit risks are also included. These reports are to be sent to the Ministry of Finance, made according to the forms provided in the appendices to the circular.
Subjects of Application
The subjects of application of this circular include People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-governed cities borrowing on-lent ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, and agencies authorised by the Ministry of Finance to be on-lending agencies. Organisations and individuals involved in the reporting regime on the situation of on-lending of ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of the Government are also subject to this circular.
The reports shall include information on the amounts withdrawn, amounts paid, and outstanding loan amounts.
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The provincial-level Departments of Finance shall fully specify the details of payment on the Domestic Debt Repayment Order in VND, and the State Treasury where the transaction takes place shall execute the payment and record payment details in line with the contents of the payment document prepared by the provincial-level Department of Finance. The reporting frequency and periods are specified, with borrowers being provincial-level People’s Committees required to send reports to the Ministry of Finance twice a year.
Authorised on-lending agencies shall, before the last day of the first month of each quarter, send reports to the Ministry of Finance on fund withdrawal, debt repayment, and the outstanding amount of on-lent loans of the previous quarter. The conversion exchange rates for reporting are also specified, with data on outstanding loans to be prepared in the original currency of the loan and converted into VND applying the accounting exchange rates and foreign currency revenue-expenditure reporting rates announced by the Ministry of Finance.
The circular takes effect on October 29, 2026, and the reporting specified in the circular shall apply from the reporting period of the fourth quarter of 2026. The Ministry of Finance’s Circular No. 80/2018/TT-BTC of August 28, 2018, providing guidance on forms of reports on the on-lending of ODA loans and foreign concessional loans of the Government, ceases to be effective on the effective date of this Circular. The formulation of reports on the situation of on-lending and on-lent loans of borrowers under on-lending contracts and on-lending authorisation contracts signed before the effective date of this Circular shall comply with this Circular.
Reporting Procedures and Deadlines
Article 4 outlines the reporting frequency and periods for different entities. The first report, covering January 1 to June 30, is due by July 31 of the implementation year. The second report, covering the full year, is due by February 15 of the following year.
Exchange Rates and Reporting Forms
Article 5 details the exchange rates and forms for reporting. The opening balance of outstanding loans must match the closing balance of the previous period.
The circular emphasizes compliance with state secret protection laws for information on lists of state secrets.
