NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan delivers closing remarks at the third plenary session of the 14th National Assembly (Source: VNA) In her closing remarks, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said law-making remained a key content of the agenda with the majority of the time devoted to discussing and passing 12 laws, 12 resolutions and six other bills.
The approved laws and documents are in line with Party policies and resolutions and are further steps forwards to institutionalise the 2013 Constitution, complete the system of laws on human rights, fundamental rights and obligations of citizens, and perfect the institutions for the socialist-oriented market economy mechanism, Ngan said.
She added that the legal documents have contributed to ensuring national defence and security, and social order and safety, created a legal foundation and a new momentum for national socio-economic development, sped up economic restructuring and enhanced the localisation of international treaties and commitments to which Vietnam is a member, thus serving the country’s international integration.
The NA Chairwoman noted that the legislature has yet to pass the Planning Law due to contentious contents. The bill needs more review to ensure its quality and feasibility, she said.
Legislators also heard the Government’s supplementary report on the implementation of socio-economic tasks in 2016 and the first months of 2017.
“The NA appreciated the activeness and dynamism of the Government in management work over the past time, which has been reflected through marked results in all sectors,” she said.
She highlighted stable macro-economy and curbed inflation, along with improvements in labour affairs, employment and social welfare, ensured political security, social order and safety, as well as remarkable progress in the fight against corruption, wastefulness and crimes, and new strides in external affairs and international integration.
The legislature also candidly pointed out outstanding limitations and weaknesses in several sectors and forecast potential risks and challenges to Vietnam in the context of global economic and political uncertainties, and difficulties facing the domestic economy, she said.
NA Chairwoman Ngan asked the Government to study opinions of deputies and draw lessons in order to roll out breakthrough and drastic solutions in management work, in order to complete socio-economic tasks set for the remaining months of this year.
The legislature especially asked the Government to intensify its leadership and employ more drastic measures to tighten financial discipline in the management of State budget spending and collection, in a bid to reduce budget overspendings and ensure public debt stay within the safe limit.
Regarding Long Thanh international airport – a project important to socio-economic development in the southern region and the nation as well, the NA agreed to split land reclamation, compensation and relocation work into a component project, with the aim of accelerating the project’s pace.
The lawmakers also stressed the need to ensure social welfare and stable life and production for residents in the project area who have to relocate for the airport, she said.
To deal with difficulties related to credit, the legislative body discussed and passed a resolution on tackling bad debts of credit institutions to create a legal foundation that is strong enough to handle this issue.
It also approved the proposal of the Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court on the appointment of two judges of the court.
The NA adopted a resolution on its supervision programme in 2018 and another on the establishment of a supreme supervision delegation on the implementation of laws and policies on the use and management of State capital and assets at State-owned enterprises during 2011-2016.
NA Chairwoman Ngan said that during this session, the legislature conducted supreme supervision over the implementation of policies and laws on food safety during the 2011-2016 period, which attracted special attention from both NA deputies and voters nationwide.
The body then passed a resolution on intensifying the implementation of policies and laws on food safety for 2016-2020 which set forth nine tasks for the Government and ministries to settle remaining difficulties and shortcomings.
At this session, the NA spent three days on question and answer sessions (a half-day more than the previous sessions), with the focus on four main issues: agriculture and rural development; culture, sports and tourism; health; and investment and planning.
The Q&A sessions were closely followed by voters and public opinion, Chairwoman Ngan said, noting that the NA adopted a resolution on the hearings, which will serve as the basis for the Government, ministries and agencies to respond to the people’s wishes and aspirations under the monitoring of the NA.
During the third session, the legislative body organised several activities to strengthen bilateral cooperation with other countries’ parliaments in order to foster parliamentary diplomacy, thus helping boosting friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and other countries, and between the Vietnamese National Assembly and other parliaments.
The top legislator highlighted important changes and reform in the 14th NA’s operation during the third session, first of all the adjustment of the working agenda to give proper time for the discussion of socio-economic performance and Q&A activities.
Deputies actively participated in discussions with Government members and other deputies on contentious issues, while Ministers made direct explanations on concerned issues during discussions of draft laws, resolutions and reports, contributing to creating a democratic, responsible and constructive working environment and increasing the quality of the session.
NA Chairwoman Ngan asked deputies to be more active in law-making and monitoring activities, organize meetings with voters to listen to aspirations of voters and people nationwide.
Earlier the same day, the last working session saw 460 deputies vote “yes” (93.69 percent) to pass the Law on Management and Use of State Assets (amended).
The resolution on settlement of bad debts of credit institutions was adopted with 86.35 percent of “yes” votes, while the resolution on intensifying the implementation of policies and laws on food safety for 2016-2020 received 93.48 percent of votes.
The resolution on question and answer sessions of the third session and another on the establishment of a supreme supervision delegation on the implementation of laws and policies on the use and management of State capital and assets at State-owned enterprises during 2011-2016 were also passed with 93.28 percent and 93.69 percent of approval, respectively.-VNA
VNA
