Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung was grilled aboutfinance and budget-related issues within his remit during the 14th NationalAssembly’s 10th sitting on November 9.
In reply to deputy Le Cong Nhuong’s query onhow budget collections and spending together with reductions in public debt andoverspending can be ensured when GDP growth is under 6 percent, Dung said theGovernment will closely follow the estimates assigned by the legislature.
The ministry will work with other ministries,sectors, and localities to resolve difficulties in the business environment andboost GDP growth, he said.
Vietnam could post growth of 2-3 percent in2020; far lower than the 6.8 percent set at the beginning of the year.
In 2021, therefore, the Government will speedup the disbursement of public investment and stimulate domestic demand, whilethe Finance Ministry will strengthen taxation management and intensify checksand inspections to prevent transfer pricing and tax evasion and also increase thecollection of tax debts.
If major fluctuations were to occur, theministry would follow the principles and regulations in the Law on State Budgetto report to the legislature, he added.
Responding to deputy Mai Sy Dien’s question onenvironmental protection costs, the minister acknowledged that not all spendingon environmental protection is made.
In 2016-2020, for example, such spending was 2.4trillion VND (103.5 million USD) less than the estimate, he said.
According to regulations, every October, whenthe Government reports to the NA on State budget estimates, ministries, sectorsand localities must approve tasks on environmental protection as a foundationfor estimate allocation. This work, however, is often quite slow.
Dung stressed the need for ministries, sectors,and localities to speed up such approval./.
VNA
