NA Chairman pays pre-Tet visit to northern border province of Lao Cai

Lao Cai (VNA) – Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue on January 16 visited and presented gifts to social policy beneficiaries, poor households, and disadvantaged labourers and soldiers in Bat Xat district in the northern border province of Lao Cai, ahead of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival - the most important and longest of Vietnamese in a year.

The leader used this occasion to brief on the country’s economic development, state budget collection and external affairs, and recalled the official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong from October 30 to November 1, 2022.

Citing the joint statement issued during the Party chief’s visit, Chairman Hue said the document mentioned the acceleration of the opening of border gates and the building of border infrastructure.

The two sides also discussed the connection of a railway between Lao Cai station of Vietnam and Hekou North station of China, he added.

The NA Chairman lauded Lao Cai’s contributions to the nation's achievements, saying its budget collection surpassed 10 trillion VND (426.65 million USD) last year, tripling the figure recorded 10 years ago and marking the highest amount so far.

He also attributed Lao Cai’s achievements to contributions by armed forces in the locality, especially border guards who have overcome all difficulties to fulfill their assigned tasks.

The leader also commended the provincial Party Organisation, administration, political system and people’s armed forces for their care for social policy beneficiaries, poor and near-poor households, ethnic minority groups and labourers in difficult circumstances.

 

He asked leaders of Lao Cai in general and Bat Xat district in particular to maintain guard against the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure the balance of goods supply and demand, and work to bring a happy Tet festival to all, while stepping up the fight against smuggling and other crimes.

The same day, Chairman Hue and his entourage attended a programme held in the border commune of Trinh Tuong by the provincial Red Cross Society in coordination with the People’s Committee of Bat Xat district.

Apart from gifts for underprivileged residents and students, the leader handed over 300 million VND from the Vietnam Red Cross Society Central Committee to a semi-boarding ethnic minority elementary school in Trinh Tuong where ethnic minorities account for 85% of the local population.

On January 15, the top legislator also visited the public security force in Lao Cai, and the family of Nguyen Van Hoa, a Hero of the Armed Forces, in Kim Tan ward, Lao Cai city./.