Hanoi (VNA) - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man has stressed that the legislature's role is not merely to pass laws but to enact legislation that removes institutional bottlenecks, unlocks resources and creates new drivers for national development.
The top legislator chaired a meeting in Hanoi on August 2 with heads of NA delegations and Party group leaders ahead of the first extraordinary session of the 16th legislature.
Reform without compromising quality
NA Chairman Man noted that the recent third Party Central Committee meeting adopted a series of strategic decisions for the country's future, with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam calling for tangible outcomes from those policies.
For the NA, he said, success should not be measured simply by completing the legislative agenda, but by improving the quality of every law and resolution so that each legal instrument effectively addresses institutional obstacles and generates momentum for growth.
The upcoming session will consider 33 items, including the adoption of 15 draft laws and four normative resolutions, first readings of seven draft laws, personnel matters within the legislature's authority, and six major socio-economic and investment issues.
With all documents already distributed to deputies, the NA leader urged NA delegation heads to guide discussions under the principle of acting swiftly without being hasty, making timely decisions without oversimplifying issues, and pursuing bold reform without sacrificing legislative quality.
He noted that the session will address an extensive workload, much of it fundamental to institutional reform, socio-economic development and state organisational restructuring.
Most major policy orientations have already been endorsed by the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat, he said, making it the responsibility of the NA and the Government to translate them promptly and comprehensively into high-quality legislation.
Debates, he stressed, should focus on major policy issues, institutional bottlenecks and provisions that remain contentious, with every contribution aimed at improving policy quality while ensuring constitutionality, legality, consistency and practicality, rather than dwelling on technical details or repeating existing documents.
He also called for more proactive and thorough legislative preparation, urging deputies to provide well-founded recommendations to help drafting agencies and the
NA Standing Committee refine bills in line with the renewed approach to lawmaking.
Ensuring laws take effect immediately
NA Chairman Man affirmed that the NA does not make laws merely to complete its legislative programme, but to open the way for development.
"What the NA needs most is not a large number of opinions, but well-founded and constructive proposals that improve public policy," he said.
He urged deputies to continue reviewing overlapping, inconsistent or outdated legal provisions that have become barriers to development while ensuring coherence across the legal system, particularly for omnibus amendment bills and consolidated legislation.
Every policy approved by the legislature, he said, must be designed to remove obstacles, mobilise resources and be ready for immediate implementation.
Recalling General Secretary and President Lam's recent remarks at the Government's conference with local authorities that institutional bottlenecks had largely been addressed, the NA leader cautioned against complacency, stressing that institutional reform remains an ongoing task essential to resolving emerging challenges and sustaining national development.
Major policy proposals, he added, should be comprehensively assessed for their necessity, constitutionality, legality, consistency, feasibility and readiness for implementation. The planned integration of national target programmes also requires careful consideration to ensure all objectives previously approved by the NA are fully achieved.
The NA Chairman stressed that lawmaking does not end with promulgating legal documents.
"The country is facing significant development opportunities. Those opportunities can only become reality if we have sound institutions, the right policies and effective implementation," he said.
He urged the NA to continue renewing its legislative thinking in line with the directives of the Politburo, Secretariat and Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, carefully assess the impact of every policy, avoid using legislation to legitimise shortcomings in practice, while also avoiding excessive caution that could slow reform and development./.
