The cost of independent audit, the cost of verifying and approving the final settlement is an expense included in other expenses in the total approved investment amount of the project; Other expenses and provision expenses are two different costs in the total investment.

As reflected by Mr. B.Q.H (HCMC), currently calculating the costs of a construction investment project in the following order: Construction cost; project management costs; construction investment consulting costs; Other expenses include: Expenses for verification and approval of the final settlement, expenses for independent audit; redundancy costs.

According to Article 46 of Decree No. 99/2021/ND-CP, the cost of independent audit and the cost of verifying and approving the final settlement is calculated as the maximum cost, determined on the basis of the value to hire auditor of projects, component projects, sub-projects, constructions, and work items multiplied by the coefficient.

Mr. H asked, for the construction of an investment project, the cost for independent verification and audit is the cost of the total construction investment project, minus or not the provision for fees? For the work that prepares the economic - technical report, the step of making an estimate for investment preparation will be done, the cost calculation for verification and independent audit will be done like that of the project?

The Ministry of Finance responded to this issue as follows:

In Clauses 1 and 2, Article 5 of the Government's Decree No. 10/2021/ND-CP dated February 9, 2021 on management of construction investment costs, stipulates:

"Article 5. Contents of total investment amount

1. Total investment is the total of construction investment costs of the project determined in accordance with the basic design and other contents of the construction investment feasibility study report.

2. Contents of total construction investment include: Cost of compensation and resettlement support (if any); construction costs; equipment costs; project management costs; construction investment consulting costs; Other costs; redundancy costs".

In addition, in Article 46 of Decree No. 99/2021/ND-CP dated 11/11/2021 of the Government on management, payment and settlement of projects using public investment capital:

"Article 46. Expenses for independent audit and expenses for verification and approval of finalization

The cost of independent audit, the cost of verifying and approving the final settlement is an expense included in other expenses in the total approved (or adjusted) investment of the project, the final settlement value of the public investment capital of the project. completed project".

Thus, according to the above provisions, the cost of independent audit, the cost of verification and approval of the final settlement is the cost of other expenses in the total approved investment of the project; Other expenses and provision expenses are two different costs in the total investment.

Therefore, the determination of independent audit costs is not related to provision costs; In case there are problems with the contents of contingency costs and for the preparation of economic - technical reports, please contact the Ministry of Construction for guidance on implementation.