Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee convened its seventh session in Hanoi on October 1, focusing on preparations for the second sitting of the 16th legislature.
Addressing the opening session, NA President Tran Thanh Man said the session will be held in two phases, with the first on October 1-2 and the second after the upcoming Party Central Committee meeting.
The committee will discuss five draft laws, a draft normative legal resolution and two important issues to be submitted to the NA. It will also consider Government reports on socio-economic development, the State budget, central budget allocation and citizens' petitions.
It will give final opinions on preparations for the NA's second sitting and consider additional items proposed for its agenda, provided relevant agencies complete the necessary dossiers and ensure their quality.
The top legislator said the second sitting will open earlier than usual and have a heavy legislative workload. Therefore, holding the Standing Committee session earlier will give agencies more time to complete dossiers before submission to the NA.
He called for continued innovation in working methods and improved quality of all items submitted to the legislature.
The draft laws on the agenda have broad scopes and are closely linked to the investment and business environment and the management and use of national resources. Four of the five drafts had received orientation-level opinions from the NA at its previous sitting.
NA President Man highlighted the revised Land Law and the Law on Legal Normative Documents as foundational legislation, stressing the need to clarify core issues and ensure quality, feasibility and development requirements.
Regarding the revised Land Law, he said it affects the entire economy and people's lives, making careful and thorough preparation essential for its consideration and passage at the upcoming sitting.
Referring to Party General Secretary and President To Lam's remarks at a September 28 meeting of the central steering committee on institutional improvement and law enforcement, the top legislator called for fundamental solutions to weaknesses in law enforcement.
He asked agencies to assess the feasibility of legal provisions from the lawmaking stage, including who will implement them, how they will be enforced and where responsibilities lie.
Supervisory agencies should clearly state their views, reasoning and proposed solutions, while distinguishing between draft laws ready for NA consideration and those requiring further improvement, he said.
He also urged greater proactiveness and flexibility in the review process. Given the tight schedule, dossiers should be examined immediately upon receipt, with meetings arranged proactively to prevent delays from affecting the overall timetable.
He asked agencies to promptly review new orientations emerging from the Party Central Committee meeting and prepare legislative tasks for institutionalisation.
For issues involving multiple agencies and sectors, he stressed the need to reach consensus on approaches and solutions before submission to the NA. Issues with different opinions should be identified early, with sufficient legal grounds and explanations prepared.
The NA President also urged Standing Committee members and agency leaders to follow matters beyond their immediate areas of responsibility and strictly adhere to the session agenda.
With only 16 days remaining before the second sitting opens, Man urged Standing Committee members to provide substantive opinions and ensure all items submitted to the NA are politically mature, legally sound, thoroughly prepared and feasible in practice.
The NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office, together with the Council for Ethnic Affairs and committees of the NA, were asked to coordinate with the Government Office and ministries to review draft laws with differing opinions and seek guidance from NA and Government leaders to ensure common understanding before submission./.
