Hanoi (VNA) - The National Assembly (NA) on November 29 morning passed the Geology and Mineral Law with an overwhelming majority of 446 out of 448 deputies voting in favour, representing 93.11% of its members.
The legislation, including 12 chapters and 111 articles, provides regulations on geological investigations, mineral resource protection, mining operations, resource recovery, processing, financing and the auctioning of mineral extraction rights.
It also delineates state management responsibilities across Vietnam’s mainland, islands, internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
The law excludes petroleum resources, natural water other than mineral or hot spring water, and mineral processing activities unlinked to projects eligible for mining permits.
The same morning, the legislature also approved the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Law with 448 out of 450 deputies voting in favour, accounting for 93.53%.
The law consists of eight chapters and 55 articles laying out guidelines for fire prevention, firefighting and rescue operations, while clearly defining the responsibilities of state agencies, organisations, households and individuals.
It highlights the public's role in fire safety, mandating that Vietnamese citizens aged 18 and above who are in good health participate in local firefighting and rescue teams when required.
Administrative procedures have been simplified, reducing the number of fire safety-related processes from 37 to 10, thereby minimising compliance costs for businesses and individuals.
For urban housing, the law mandates fire safety equipment such as alarms and extinguishers in densely populated areas with inadequate infrastructure.
This requirement will initially apply to five centrally governed cities Hanoi, HCM City, Da Nang, Can Tho and Hai Phong. Other regions are encouraged to adopt similar measures voluntarily.
Additionally, strict regulations govern residential buildings repurposed for businesses like karaoke bars, nightclubs and dance halls. Such conversions must comply with construction laws and adhere to fire safety standards outlined in Article 23.
The law also prohibits unauthorised modifications that could compromise fire safety, as stipulated in Article 14./.
