Hanoi (VNA) – The 16th National Assembly (NA) convened in plenary session on November 9 as part of its second sitting, voting to adopt resolutions on the State budget estimates and the allocation of the central budget for 2027.
During the day, legislators discussed draft laws amending and supplementing provisions of the Law on Social Insurance, the Labour Code, the Law on Archives, the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Red Cross Activities and the Law on Employment.
They also considered amendments to laws on occupational safety and hygiene, children, persons with disabilities, medical examination and treatment, pharmacy, the elderly, health insurance, and tobacco harm prevention and control.
The draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Social Insurance comprises three articles aimed at refining regulations in line with the restructuring of the political system and the two-tier local administration model, while improving social insurance fund investment efficiency and policies.
To ensure an appropriate and feasible roadmap for expanding social insurance coverage among workers without labour contracts and those working on digital platforms, the draft proposes that the NA Standing Committee decide on compulsory participation for workers with stable and regular employment and income, based on Government proposals and socio-economic conditions in each period.
The Government's Party Committee is studying a new resolution on salary and social insurance policies for submission to competent authorities. Once adopted by the Party Central Committee, the Government will direct relevant agencies to institutionalise its provisions.
Meanwhile, the draft law amending and supplementing provisions of the Labour Code, the Law on Archives, the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Red Cross Activities and the Law on Employment comprises seven articles.
Under the proposed amendments to the Labour Code, the authority to regulate the functions, tasks and organisational structure of the National Wage Council would be transferred from the Government to the Prime Minister. The task of announcing the annual schedule of public and Lunar New Year holidays would be assigned to the Minister of Home Affairs. The draft also proposes designating November 24 each year as Vietnam Culture Day and a paid public holiday for workers, institutionalising Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW.
Regarding the Law on Archives, the draft specifies the authority to destroy expired and valueless archival documents at agencies that have been dissolved, declared bankrupt or restructured. It will also abolish archive practice certificates and related fees, replacing them with professional qualification requirements for personnel providing archival services.
Under proposed amendments to the Law on Gender Equality, responsibility for publishing national information on gender equality will be transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, while the Ministry of Finance will implement gender classification criteria in State statistics. The authority to promulgate national strategies and targets on gender equality will also be transferred from the Government to the Prime Minister.
The draft amendments to the Law on Red Cross Activities will transfer State management responsibility for Red Cross activities from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile, the proposed amendments to the Law on Employment will abolish licences for employment service providers. Enterprises would only be required to notify the specialised agency under the provincial-level People's Committee where their headquarters are located before commencing operations./.
