National Assembly passes draft laws

NA deputies (Photo: VNA)

They include the Law on Access to Information, the amended Pharmacy Law, the Law on amendments and supplements to some articles of the Law on Value Added Tax, the Law on Special Consumption Tax, and the Law on Tax Management; and the revised Law on Export-Import Tariffs.

The Law on Access to Information, which was passed with 88.46 percent of votes, comprises five chapters and 37 articles. It will come into force on July 1, 2018.
The law stipulates citizens’ right to access of information, principles and procedures of information access, as well as responsibilities and obligations of State agencies in ensuring citizens’ right to information access.

All citizens are equal in information access. Restrictions are only imposed in line with the law regarding national defence and security, social order and safety, and public health.

The actualisation of citizens’ rights to information should not violate national interests or the legitimate rights and interests of other people, the law stated.
Earlier, the NA Standing Committee delivered a report on the acquisition of NA deputies’ opinions on the draft law, which said the right to information access of foreigners is different from that of Vietnamese citizens.

They explained that foreigner access to information should be met to based on their purposes and the capacity of local State agencies.

Vietnamese people abroad should have the same right to information access as the local citizens, they said.

Comprising 14 chapters and 116 articles, the amended Pharmacy Law was approved by the NA with an 88.06 percent approval rate.

The law prescribes the State’s policy on pharmacy and the development of the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical business, medicine management at health care centres and the management of medicine quality, among others.

Domestic agencies, organisations and individuals at home and abroad related to pharmaceutical activities in Vietnam are subject to the law.

Before voting on the draft law, the NA Standing Committee presented its report on the acquisition of NA deputies’ opinions on the document. The report said many suggested supplementing the State’s policies on human resources development, the establishment of drugstore chains, and scientific research and transfer in this field.

62.67 percent of NA deputies agreed that practice certificates need to technological be issued only for each pharmacist.

Others proposed supplementing regulations prohibiting the trade of medicines that are not preserved in line with regulations, and the import of extracted pharmaceutical products.

The law will take effect on January 1, 2017.

Meanwhile, 86.64 percent of NA deputies adapted the Law on amendments and supplements to some articles of the Law on Value Added Tax, the Law on Special Consumption Tax, and the Law on Tax Management will be put in place on July 1, 2016, excluding Clauses 2 and 4 of Article 3 which will come into force on September 1, 2016.

With five chapters and 22 articles, the revised Law on Export-Import Tariffs was approved with 91.3 percent of votes.

The law will take effect on September 1, 2016, replacing the Law on Export-Import Tariffs No. 45/2005/QH11.-VNA