A view of Van Don in northern province of Quang Ninh which will be developed into a special administrative economic zone in the future. (Photo baodautu.vn) Hanoi (VNA) -Experts at the National Assembly (NA) Law Committee’s recent forum called foran early decision on administrative management models for specialadministrative economic zones.
NA Deputy Chairman Uong Chu Luu said at the forum several options werediscussed to decide which administrative management model should be applied towhich economic zone.
The first option proposed there would be no people’s councils and people’scommittees but a head of the zone appointed by the Prime Minister, with acentralised power and a compact administrative management system.
The second option was to continue with people’s councils and people’scommittees in the special zones like other localities.
Luu said another option proposed the setting up of people’s councils andcommittees but with a chairman who would be empowered like the head of thezone.
“Whichever option is chosen, it must comply with the Constitution and ensure acompact and efficient administrative management system to drive growth,” he said.
The draft Law on Special Administrative Economic Unit is expected to bediscussed at the fifth meeting of the 14th National Assembly in May.
Nguyen Si Dung, former deputy head of the NA Office, emphasised the urgency tomake a quick decision. He believed the first option was a good administrativemanagement model as it would create conditions for a breakthrough developmentof the special zones.
There were concerns, however, about the mechanism to prevent the abuse of powerby zone heads, he said.
“Don’t expect everything to be perfect from the beginning. The mechanism andpolicies will be improved during the operation,” former Deputy Minister ofJustice Hoang The Lien was quoted by Dau Tu (Investment) onlinenewspaper. Lien said he favoured the first option.
Echoing Lien, former deputy head of the NA Economic Committee Nguyen Van Phucvoted for the first option, agreeing this model would create breakthroughs.
Phan Trung Ly, former head of the NA Law Committee, however, voted for thesecond option, saying both options were compliant with the Constitution.
According Dang Hung Vo, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources andEnvironment, the proposal to provide a 99-year land lease term for severalprioritised sectors in the draft law was necessary to encourage huge, long-terminvestments.
On January 4, a delegation from the board of the project tasked withestablishing special administrative economic zones, headed by Minister of HomeAffairs Le Vinh Tan, worked with the central coast province of Khanh Hoa todevelop Bac Van Phong special administrative economic zone.
One day earlier, the delegation worked with the southern province of Kien Giangto develop Phu Quoc special zone.
It will also work with the northern province of Quang Ninh on the developmentof Van Don special zone.
Tan said the projects for developing special administrative economic zones ofthe three provinces would be evaluated and completed to be proposed to theGovernment in February.
Tran Duy Dong, Director of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s EconomicZone Management Department, said 12 criteria were developed to evaluate theprojects of developing Van Don, Bac Van Phong and Phu Quoc specialadministrative economic units.-VNA
VNA
