Criteria on APEC 2027 projects should be made public: lawmakers

Lawmakers called on the drafting body to clearly lay out the scope, eligible parties, and implementation guidelines, and to share the list or criteria for determining which projects and works qualify for the special policies.

A plenary discussion of the first extraordinary session of the 16th National Assembly (Photo: VNA)
A plenary discussion of the first extraordinary session of the 16th National Assembly (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputies to the 16th National Assembly (NA) on August 7 discussed a draft resolution providing special mechanisms and policies to address difficulties facing projects serving the 2027 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Phu Quoc special zone of An Giang province.

They agreed on the need to issue the resolution, stressing that it is a special legislative measure designed to address exceptional circumstances arising from a particularly important national political and diplomatic task.

Concluding the discussion, NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Hong Dien said most deputies supported the issuance of the resolution and praised the drafting and verification bodies for proactively preparing, updating, and supplementing documents and conducting the appraisal in accordance with the law.

The deputies, he noted, pointed to the need for revisions to ensure the draft is legally sound, consistent, and feasible.

They stressed the necessity to clarify the political, legal, and practical basis for each proposed mechanism and policy, ensuring that the measures address difficulties while maintaining legal discipline and accountability. The resolution must not legitimise violations for personal gain or exempt organisations or individuals from responsibility for such violations, if any.

They also called on the drafting body to clearly lay out the scope, eligible parties, and implementation guidelines, and to share the list or criteria for determining which projects and works qualify for the special policies. These measures should only cover projects related to APEC 2027 that have already received in-principle approval from relevant authorities, and should not be broadened in scope or set a precedent for similar situations.

Lawmakers demanded the clarification of the resolution’s effective and expiry dates and the introduction of transitional provisions for procedures still underway when it expires. They also requested a clear legal basis for allowing projects to continue until completion, ensuring consistency with the resolution’s objectives.

Dien tasked the NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office, in coordination with the permanent members of the NA Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs, with compiling comments from deputies for the Government and relevant agencies to study and fine-tune the draft.

The Government was asked to direct the drafting body to closely coordinate with relevant agencies to thoroughly consider and respond to deputies’ recommendations and the appraisal report of the Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs, and finalise the draft for submission to the NA Standing Committee before seeking the parliament's approval at the end of the ongoing first extraordinary sitting./.

VNA

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