Vietnamese currency is the property of the State. The State Bank issues the currency and promulgates regulations to protect the Vietnamese currency.
Is it against the law to burn the money you've earned?
Article 3 of Decision 130/2003/QD-TTg stipulates the protection of Vietnamese currency as follows:
- Counterfeiting money, transporting, storing, circulating, buying, and selling counterfeit money.
- Destroying Vietnamese currency in any way.
- Reproducing Vietnamese currency for any purpose without prior written approval from the State Bank of Vietnam.
- Refusing to accept or circulate currency issued by the State Bank of Vietnam within the territory of Vietnam.
Burning money is a violation of the law. (Illustrative image)
Therefore, according to the above regulations, burning one's own earned money is also a violation of the law.
What are the penalties for burning money?
According to Article 31 of Decree 96/2014/ND-CP, violations of regulations on the protection of Vietnamese currency will be handled as follows:
1. A warning penalty will be issued for any of the following violations:
- Failure to promptly notify the competent authorities when discovering new types of counterfeit money;
- Failure to promptly notify the competent authorities when discovering signs of possessing, circulating, or transporting counterfeit money;
- Assigning personnel to handle the seizure of counterfeit money or the temporary seizure of suspected counterfeit money who have not received training in identifying genuine and counterfeit money, or who have not received professional training in money authentication;
- Failure to surrender counterfeit money as required by law.
2. A fine of VND 5,000,000 to VND 10,000,000 shall be imposed for any of the following violations:
- Counterfeit money was discovered but not confiscated;
- Counterfeit money was discovered but not seized;
- Failure to record or seize counterfeit money, and failure to stamp or punch holes as required by the State Bank of Vietnam's regulations on handling counterfeit or suspected counterfeit money when seizing or temporarily detaining counterfeit money.
3. A fine of VND 10,000,000 to VND 15,000,000 shall be imposed for the act of illegally destroying or damaging Vietnamese currency.
4. A fine of VND 40,000,000 to VND 50,000,000 shall be imposed for the act of copying, printing, or using the layout, part or all of the images, details, or patterns of Vietnamese currency in violation of the law.
5. Additional penalties: Confiscation of all evidence and means used to commit the violations specified in Clauses 2, 3, and 4 of this Article, and handover to the competent authority for processing.
6. Remedial measures:
- Forcing the stamping and punching of counterfeit money in accordance with the State Bank of Vietnam's regulations on handling counterfeit and suspected counterfeit money for violations specified in point c, clause 2 of this Article;
- Order the destruction of all evidence and means used to commit the violations stipulated in Clause 4 of this Article;
- The offender shall be required to pay into the state budget any illegal profits obtained from committing acts violating the provisions of Clause 4 of this Article.
Therefore, the act of burning one's own earned money will be punishable by a fine of 10-15 million VND and the confiscation of all evidence and means used to commit the violation.
Lagerstroemia (compilation)
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