Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee continued its fifth session on August 17, scrutinising three draft laws concerning administrative procedures, telecommunications, radio frequencies and architecture.
The drafts include the law amending and supplementing several provisions of 10 laws related to administrative procedures and investment and business conditions in agriculture and environment; the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Radio Frequencies, the Law on Telecommunications, the Law on E-Transactions and the Law on Technology Transfer; and the law amending and supplementing several provisions of the Law on Architecture.
According to a Government report presented by Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung, the Government has instructed the ministry to continue reviewing and finalising the draft legislation and detailed implementing documents to ensure consistency and synchronisation across the legal system.
The streamlining of administrative procedures and business conditions will follow principles of avoiding intervention in enterprises’ production and business activities, removing unnecessary procedures and requirements without clear management objectives, and shifting towards risk- and data-based management.
Regarding decentralisation of authority for handling administrative procedures, the Government will direct ministries, sectors and localities to prepare the necessary conditions, issue detailed regulations and technical standards in a timely manner, organise professional training and guidance, and strengthen local implementation capacity to ensure decentralisation is carried out consistently and effectively.
Vice Chairman of the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Tran Van Khai said the committee’s standing body agreed with the Government’s explanations concerning international exchange of livestock genetic resources. It also called for unified regulations on animal feed in line with laws on standards, technical regulations and product quality; development of electronic databases; risk-based post-licence inspection; public disclosure of inspection results; traceability; and technical support and training for local officials and farmers.
Permanent NA Vice President Do Van Chien stressed that cutting administrative procedures and business conditions is intended to unlock resources, create a more open business environment and encourage investment and production.
He, however, noted that streamlining does not mean abandoning State management. Instead, management should shift from pre-licence inspection to post-licence inspection, while allowing businesses to make declarations and assume responsibility under State supervision. Authorities must retain the power to suspend activities whenever violations are detected. He emphasised that prohibited activities must remain clearly prohibited and that post-licence inspection and self-declaration mechanisms must be tied to proper processes, rules and technical standards.
Regarding the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Radio Frequencies, the Law on Telecommunications, the Law on E-Transactions and the Law on Technology Transfer, the Government supported extending spectrum-use licences for State-owned enterprises directly serving national defence and security from three to five years. The period for evaluating implementation plans should also be extended from three to nine months before licence expiry, allowing more time to assess investment efficiency and the effectiveness of spectrum use.
The committee, however, asked the Government to clarify criteria for assessing spectrum-use efficiency and procedures for licence revocation and transparent reallocation of recovered spectrum.
As for the law amending and supplementing several provisions of the Law on Architecture, the Government proposed requiring urban and rural architecture to preserve and promote national cultural identity while developing modern and advanced styles harmonious with surrounding architectural spaces and landscapes. The draft also incorporates sustainable development, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly materials and climate change adaptation.
The NA Standing Committee basically agreed with the Government’s explanations and revisions, while requesting stronger post-inspection, traceability and safeguards against counterfeit and substandard products, clearer spectrum management, and more careful decentralisation in architectural management.
It agreed to submit the three draft laws to the NA for consideration and passage after revisions are completed in line with the session’s conclusions./.
