Not yet unified on the management of donation money
According to the investigation of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, Dau Temple is located in Trung Son ward and Quan Chao Temple is located in Tam Diep ward (Ninh Binh province), currently both of these relics have not established management boards. The management of collecting and spending donation money and incense oil money here is managed and guarded by a group of people in Ly Nhan Residential Group (belonging to Yen Thang ward, Ninh Binh province) for many years.
Observations by Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, in a not-so-large worship space, there are quite a few "incense oil safes" and plates used to hold oil drop money on the altars.
Mr. Tong Duc Thuan - Chairman of Trung Son Ward People's Committee - said that previously, the old Tam Diep City People's Committee had established the Management Board of Dau Temple and Quan Chao Temple, at these temples there are 2 units managing the collection and spending of donation money and incense oil money. For "donation boxes", they are managed by the Management Board of Tam Diep City, for "incense oil safes", they are managed by a group of people in Ly Nhan Residential Group.
After implementing the 2-level local government model, the Management Board of Tam Diep city also dissolved and the " donation boxes" in the above 2 temples were also taken out, in the temple there were only "oil and incense boxes".
Currently, the management of collecting and spending incense oil money at Dau Temple is managed by a group of people in Ly Nhan Residential Group. They do not report to the ward on how the collection and spending are done. In the near future, based on the guidance of the Provincial Department of Culture and Sports, we will meet again with the people in the temple's on-duty group in Ly Nhan street to unify the management plan for collecting and spending donation money and incense oil money at Dau Temple in accordance with regulations, ensuring publicity and transparency" - Mr. Thuan said.
According to Mr. Duong Duc Quan - Chairman of Tam Diep Ward People's Committee, currently the revenue from donations and incense oil at Quan Chao Temple has not been fully statistically recorded, and the temple duty team does not report to the Ward People's Committee. This revenue is mainly used to pay salaries to members of the temple duty team of Ly Nhan residential group.
Currently, the management of collection and spending of merit money at Quan Chao Temple has not been ensured in accordance with regulations, and is not public and transparent. We are waiting for guidance from the Provincial Department of Culture and Sports to unify the plan" - Mr. Quan informed.
Need for publicity and transparency in the management of donation money
According to a representative of the leadership of the Department of Cultural Heritage (under the Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Culture and Sports), in 2009, both temples were ranked as provincial-level historical and cultural relics. However, many people in Ly Nhan residential group, belonging to the old Yen Binh ward, now Yen Thang ward, believe that these two temples belong to and are managed by the former Ly Nhan commune and now Ly Nhan residential group. Therefore, when the old Tam Diep City People's Committee established a Management Board for the above 2 relics according to regulations, a dispute occurred with the temple management team (people of Ly Nhan residential group - PV) in the management of donation money and incense money.
Since 2014, inspection teams of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (formerly), now the Department of Culture and Sports, have conducted inspections and examinations of activities at the above 2 relics, and at the same time provided guidance for localities to establish Relic Management Boards in accordance with regulations.However, the old Nam Son Ward People's Committee (where Dau Temple is located) and the old Tay Son Ward People's Committee (where Quan Chao Temple is located) could not establish Management Boards for these 2 relics.The management and administration of these 2 relics is still managed by a group of people from Ly Nhan residential group," said a representative of the Department of Cultural Heritage.
In 2023, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular 04 guiding the management, collection and spending of finance for festival organization and donations, sponsorship for relics and festival activities.
The Circular clearly stipulates: In addition to opening a deposit account at the treasury or bank; or assigning people to take notes to receive donations and sponsorships, for amounts placed in the wrong places, they must be collected for counting or put into donation boxes for general counting. The regulation also clearly states how the management and collection and spending of donations and sponsorships are carried out to ensure publicity and transparency.
